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Rosary & Mercy

The Glory Be

Updated October 15, 2026

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.

Traditional English version.

Pray the Glory Be every day with a reminder.

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Key takeaways

  • It is a short hymn of praise to the Trinity, also called the Gloria Patri.
  • It closes each decade of the Rosary and each psalm in the Liturgy of the Hours.
  • Its roots go back to the early Church, and it echoes the baptismal formula.

What is the Glory Be?

The Glory Be is one of the oldest Christian prayers, a brief doxology that gives praise to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Its first half echoes the baptismal command in Matthew 28:19. The second half, "as it was in the beginning," was added in the early centuries to stress that the three Persons are eternal and equal.

When to pray it

Catholics pray it after each decade of the Rosary, after each psalm in the Liturgy of the Hours, and at the end of many devotions. It is also a simple prayer of praise any time.

Questions people ask

What does "world without end" mean?

It translates the Latin "in saecula saeculorum," meaning forever and ever. God's glory has no end.

Why do we pray the Glory Be after psalms?

The Church ends psalms with it to give them a Christian meaning. The psalms are read in the light of Christ and the Trinity (CCC 2587, 2641).

Is the Glory Be the same as the Gloria at Mass?

No. The Gloria at Mass is a longer hymn beginning "Glory to God in the highest." The Glory Be is the short Gloria Patri.

Related prayers

Sign of the CrossThe Sign of the Cross is a prayer made with the body as well as the voice.Our FatherThe Our Father, also called the Lord's Prayer, is the one prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked how to pray.Hail MaryThe Hail Mary greets Mary with the words of the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation and of her cousin Elizabeth at the Visitation, then asks for her prayers.Fatima PrayerThe Fatima Prayer comes from the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal in 1917.

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Sources: Matthew 28:19 · Catechism of the Catholic Church 2641 · USCCB