When the Gloria is omitted
Advent and Lent, out. Christmas and Easter, back — loudly.
The Gloria in Excelsis — Glory to God in the highest — is the great hymn of praise near the start of the eucharist. It is omitted through the two preparatory seasons so that its return marks the feast.
The rule
| Season | Gloria |
|---|---|
| Advent | Omitted |
| Christmas | Restored — and this is the point of omitting it |
| Epiphany | Used |
| Ordinary Time before Lent | Used |
| Lent | Omitted |
| Holy Week | Omitted |
| Easter | Restored |
| Ordinary Time after Trinity | Used |
The exceptions
- Principal feasts falling within Advent or Lent keep the Gloria — the Annunciation on 25 March, for instance, usually falls in Lent and is festal anyway.
- Maundy Thursday traditionally restores the Gloria for that one evening, and then it is gone again until Easter.
- Weekday services in Ordinary Time often omit it simply for brevity, which is a matter of custom rather than season.
What goes in its place
Nothing. The service moves from the Prayers of Penitence straight to the Collect. Some parishes use a seasonal acclamation or a Kyrie in Lent, but there is no requirement to fill the gap, and the plainness is the intention.
In Lent a Tract also replaces the Alleluia acclamation before the Gospel — the same instinct, applied later in the service.
Questions
When is the Gloria omitted in Common Worship?
Through Advent and through Lent, including Holy Week. It is restored at Christmas and at Easter. Principal feasts falling within those seasons keep it.
What replaces the Gloria in Lent?
Nothing is required — the service moves from the Prayers of Penitence to the Collect. Some parishes use a Kyrie. In Lent a Tract also replaces the Alleluia acclamation before the Gospel.