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Glory to God in the Highest The East’s ancient hymn “Glory to God in the highest” (it first appears in Greek in the fourth-century Apostolic Constitutions) is used in the Eucharistic liturgy on feast days and the ordinary Sundays of the year. If the confession of our sins humbles and crushes our pride, thinking of God’s glory lifts up our hearts. If we just look at ourselves, we may become depressed; if we concentrate on God’s glory, we are filled with wonder and awe. What does God’s glory mean, the kabod Yahweh that is so often talked about in the Old Testament? When we speak about the glory of a human being, the glory of being a great singer, an actor or football star, we mean that a person enjoys a high reputation, an exalted status in the public eye. When the Bible speaks about God’s glory, something analogous yet very different is meant. God’s glory is not simply his high status and great reputation. His glory points to the infinite weight of his majesty and the blinding splendor of his Divinity. Did you ever feel like a nobody in the presence of a strong and holy person? You did not dare look into his eyes because you felt he was looking into your soul, that your dirty little secrets were an open book to him. His presence was too heavy for you, his gaze too oppressive. Such an experience is only a vague and distant reminder of the blinding light and crushing weight of God’s glory. The Old Testament made it clear that you cannot see God and live (Ex 33:18-23). But on Christmas night, as God’s glory shines around the shepherds (Lk 2:9), the angel reassures them: “Do not be afraid.” Throughout the ages in the Incarnation and in the Eucharist, God’s glory reveals itself not in frightening majesty and blinding light but in a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. According to St. Bernard God hides his majesty at Christmas, but He could not reveal his mercy and compassion more convincingly. God’s Divinity at Christmas shows itself not as a crushing weight, but hides itself in the weakness of a crying baby. Out of tender concern for our fear, God makes himself small, vulnerable, and loveable; we can take him into our arms and in the Mass we can take him into our body and soul, in holy communion. Thus, the hymn “ Glory to God in the highest” reminds us that we should come to Mass first of all not because we want to get something out of it for ourselves, but because we primarily want to give him thanks, and not only for his gifts, but for his great glory. As we say, “We give you thanks for your great glory,” we express our gratitude to him that He is God, that He is infinite in majesty, splendor and beauty. And we begin to realize that his glory does not want to destroy us, that the blinding light and threatening weight of his glory is the light and weight of his infinite love. The paradox of life is that we find peace by not seeking our own peace but by giving thanks to God for his great glory. If we concentrate on ourselves, we will be overwhelmed by worries and complaints, and we will never get out of the labyrinth of our self-made prison. The more we can concentrate our gaze on this little child that reveals the glory of God’s love, the more peace and joy we will find. In every Mass, but especially during the Christmas season, we should grow in the awareness of that peace that nothing can take from us, not even the awareness of our sins. As soon as we repent of our sins, Christ’s peace is restored to our hearts. And this peace is contagious. We become peacemakers ourselves. The glory of God’s love shining in our hearts can calm down and make happier people around us.
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