The Glory Be prayer

[Mimi]

Hi all,
I pray the rosary daily and my kids, now all young adults were brought up to pray our beloved basic memory prayers, The Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. I’ve always wondered why the Glory Be ends with “…world without end. Amen” ANyone know where that came from? It is in scripture that the world, i.e., the earth as we now live on it will end, is it not?

I recall seeing this prayer printed in one of the books used in our CCD program and this last phrase was omitted. Is it proper to say it that way also?

I haven’t asked our priest about it yet.

Blessings -

 

[Dr.Colossus]

I’ve seen this question answered before, and while I don’t have the source, here’s what I remember:

The Glory Be (also known as the Doxology) is a very old prayer, which was originally written, I believe, in Latin. The final phrase, which is supposed to refer to eternity, was poorly translated in the popular English version. Apparently several years ago, there was a new translation made that replaced the ending with “Forever and Ever, Amen.”. Unfortunately, it hasn’t caught on widely. I myself actually use this phrase, because it seems to be more in keeping with the Church’s teaching on the End Times.

 

[Marie]

Mimi:

Hi all,
I pray the rosary daily and my kids, now all young adults were brought up to pray our beloved basic memory prayers, The Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. I’ve always wondered why the Glory Be ends with “…world without end. Amen” ANyone know where that came from? It is in scripture that the world, i.e., the earth as we now live on it will end, is it not?

It is a very ancient prayer of the church. The earliest origin I know of is from St. John Chrysostom 4th Century. Here is a snippet of his Homily which uses this prayer in the ending.

Let us not therefore regard how we shall have wealth, but how we shall present with confidence to God the souls with which we are entrusted. For by regulating them we shall also most highly benefit ourselves. For he who teaches another, although he does nothing rise, yet in speaking is affected with compunction, when he sees himself responsible for those things, on account of which he reproves others. Since therefore we benefit both ourselves and them, and through them the household, and this is pre minently pleasing to God; let us not be weary of taking care both of our own souls and of those who minister to us, that for all we may receive a recompense, and with much riches may arrive at the holy City our mother, the Jerusalem that is above, from which God grant that we may never fall, but that having shone in the most excellent course of life, we may be thought worthy with much confidence to see our Lord Jesus Christ; with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, and honor, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

And yes the world as we now know it will end one day but God will create a new Heaven and A new Earth which will never end.

 

[akemner]

I think this prayer is one of the oldest-i want to say that it is in the Apostlic Constitution, mid second century. The ending particle is found even in the first century, in the Didache, as well as St Paul and in Revelation. The translation “as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever, world without end. Amen” is a mediaeval translation, an attempt to render a phrase into English that does not translate well. In Latin it is thus: “Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.” In Greek it is similar: “Kai nyn, kai aei, kai eis tous aionas ton aionon. Amin.” Not exactly the same, but close. The Latin translates as thusly: “Thus it was in the beginning, and now, and always, and into the ages of ages. Amen.” The Greek can be rendered: “And now and ever and to the ages of ages (or Aeons of aeons). Amen.” The biggest problem in English is that “seculum” and “aion” do not have a corresponding word-they just mean “a long period (of time)” So the mediaeval Anglo interpreted as a period of a world’s existence.

At any rate, in Greek Patristic and later writings, almost every religious writing, be it prayer, homily, or treatise ends with this or a simliar doxology (there are maybe more than a dozen stock doxolgies that conclude things).

In Christ,
Adam

 

[Grayton]

I have a question about the another part of this prayer.

Someone I know likes to bring up the point that the Glory Be prayer refers to God “in the beginning” even though God has no beginning.

How are we to understand these words in the prayer?

 

[akemner]

My Latin-English dictionary says " principium -(i)i n beginning, start; starting point; origin; beginner, originator; basis; premis;…

So we ought to bear all these definitions in mind. However, i think that in principio refers to prior to creation, possibly the first moment of creation, and not to God Himself. All the phrases are temporal referents (from our POV), but are coterminous and equivalent outside our temporal framework (“now” and “the ages of ages” are the same outside of time, and are different terms for eternity).

In Christ,
Adam

 

[jordan]

Latin is the standard from which the “Glory Be” has been translated. Our English version is a very loose one. A literal translation of “…sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum” is “…as it was in the beginning, and now, and always, and in ages of ages.”

Since God is eternal, “in the beginning” does not refer to God’s beginning. As you might recall, “in the beginning” are the three words that start the book of Genesis…creation. They are also the first three words of the Gospel of John…“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A lesson in Christology.

This doxology gives glory to the Triune God, the God of eternity, the God of all ages.

I hope this helps. Pray the Rosary.

 

[eoff]

Here is a better English translation of the prayer, taken from the liturgy of the hours and therefore approved by the Church:

“Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.”

 

[Fidelis]

My understanding is that the mangled English translation of the end of this prayer was perpetrated by none other than Henry VIII who fancied himself a Latin scholar.