Dear Parishioners & Friends of St. Mary’s of the Lake:

One day after a daily Mass a Lector asked me why we did not sing Glory to God for Masses during the week. My answer was basically Glory to God is usually sung or recited on days other than ordinary weekdays.

As you may know: The Glory to God or Gloria is a beautiful prayer that we sing or recite at Mass before the Opening Prayer as a way to direct our praises to God in celebration of His coming as man over 2000 years ago. We begin with the words of the angels rejoicing that our Savior was born and has come to redeem us: "And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'" (Lk 2:13-14). In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the Book used by priests for Prayers at Mass) we are taught: “The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the Highest) is a most ancient and venerable hymn by which the Church, gathered in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb.” (#53)

Again, we don't sing the Gloria at all Masses.   Following the liturgical guidelines, we sing or recite Glory to God for Masses on: 
  ⬥ Sundays in Easter & Christmas;
  ⬥ Sundays in Ordinary Time;
  ⬥ Feasts; Solemnities; and Weddings.
Also, according to the Guidelines, we do not sing the Gloria during Lent or Advent, unless when there is a Feast or Solemnity during these seasons --such as (during Advent) the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec 8 & the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec 12, and (during Lent) the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19 & the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March 25.  It is also to be noted that we celebrate Christmas and Easter for 8 days (called the Octave), so we sing or recite the Gloria throughout the week after Christmas & Easter.

To make it easier, each church usually has a small book called an Ordo in the Sacristy. The Ordo is published once a year and contains useful information about each liturgy --such as what day the Gloria or the Creed is used, what color of vestments the priests would wear for each Mass, etc.     

Fr. Philip