Gloria Patri
The Glory Be, also called the Doxology or Gloria Patri, is a short hymn of praise to the Holy Trinity. It concludes each decade of the Rosary.
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.
Amen.
The Glory Be is one of the most ancient prayers of the Church, dating back to at least the 2nd century. It developed as a response to early heresies that denied the divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. By affirming equal glory to all three Persons of the Trinity, the prayer became a profession of faith in the triune God.
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit"
We offer equal praise to each Person of the Holy Trinity, acknowledging that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share the same divine nature, glory, and honor.
"As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be"
This phrase affirms the eternal nature of God. The Trinity existed before time, exists now, and will exist forever. God's glory is not something that changes or diminishes.
The Glory Be concludes each decade of the Rosary, after the ten Hail Marys. It serves as a doxology—a short hymn of praise—that returns all glory to God. After meditating on a mystery of Christ's life through Mary, we lift our hearts in praise to the Trinity, remembering that all prayer ultimately glorifies God.
After the Glory Be, many Catholics also pray the Fatima Prayer, given by Our Lady of Fatima to the three shepherd children in 1917: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."