This week for the Second Week of Lent, we’re going to dive into the doxology we find at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.
The word doxology comes from the Greek term doxa, meaning “glory" or “opinion.” The suffix -logia, which refers to oral or written expression.
The hymn, Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow, is titled Doxology. The prayer that Catholics know as the Glory Be, is another doxology that can be traced back to the fourth century,“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”
The doxology in the Eucharistic Prayer is a grand prayer. This prayer is the praise of the Father for the works that He completed through Jesus.
Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.
I found it helpful to rearrange the prayer with the subject first:All glory and honor is yours through Him, and with Him, and in Him, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Then I studied each preposition separately.
All glory and honor is Yours through Jesus.
Just imagine all of humankind spiritual stuck on an island. There was no ship coming to save us. We had no where to go and no way to get off, and then comes Jesus who restores our relationship with the Father.
We give the Father glory through Jesus because He is our mediator. He is the one who rescued us from the island of sin and death. Jesus is the Word of God who still speaks to us and through Him we speak to God.
All glory and honor is Yours with Jesus.
When we pray that the glory is the Father’s with Jesus, we proclaim that God the Father is equal with the Son.
All glory and honor is Yours in Jesus.
In the Nicene Creed we proclaim that the Son is consubstantial with the Father. While they are three Persons, they are one God and of the same substance. Because of that, the Father receives glory in the Son.
The glory and honor of the Father takes place “in the unity of the Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit brings unity. The Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son and is the unity of the Church. The Spirit lives in us and the Church, sanctifying both. Through the Spirit we feel the closeness of God. It is the Spirit whose fruit we bear and gifts are given to share.
“In the unity of the Holy Spirit,” through, and with, and in Jesus, God the Father is glorified.
This prayer reminds us that ALL glory and honor belongs to God. Some days it is hard to remember that and to live it, but a funny thing happens when we do. Life becomes lighter, outlooks become brighter, and through His generosity and mercy, we can walk in the glory of God.
Thanks for praying with me,
Julie