Gloria in Excelsis Deo Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The title of the hymn is Latin for "Glory to God in the highest", but it is a prayer that comes with a number of names. Among those are "The Angel Hymn" and the "Greater Doxology". Doxology stems from the Greek words "doxa" (glory) and "logos" (word) which, when joined, means "word of glory". It is commonly abbreviated to simply "The Gloria".

Originating from the "Song of Angels", which appears in Luke 2:14 (NIV), it was sung by the angels when informing the shepherds on the birth of Jesus Christ. The original hymn is believed to have evolved during the second century. The Latin translation appeared in the early fourth century and is generally attributed to Hilary of Poitiers, a Doctor of the Church who is sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians".

The Eastern Orthodox Church uses the "Gloria" as part of its Byzantine Rite where they refer to it as the "Doxology". The hymn is also used as a common prayer by the Coptic Orthodox Church in its Alexandrine Rite where it is usually identified as the "Praise of the Angels". In the Roman Rite it is usually recited after the "Kyrie" on the Sundays that do not form part of the Lent and Advent celebrations.

The full version from "The Book of Common Prayer", extracted from a Wikipedia site, follows:

"Glory be to God on high
And in earth peace, goodwill towards men,

We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee, for thy great glory
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy;
thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art most high
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen."