Antiphon Glória laudis

This past Sunday was the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, Whom our Holy Mother Church marvelously declares and adores in the whole of her sacred Liturgy, but particularly in the Office of this Feast Day. In the Office of Sext, wherein our favorite verse occurs, we have the following Antiphon:

Glória laudis résonet in ore ómnium, Patri, genitæque Proli, Spirítui Sancto páriter resúltet laude perénni.

May the glory of praise resound in every mouth, unto the Father, and the only-begotten Son, and may it equally resound with everlasting praise unto the Holy Ghost.

What wondrous phrase have we here: gloria laudis. Is this not a fitting description of the splendor and beauty of our sacred Liturgy? In this Antiphon we have an excellent summary of the nature of sacred Liturgy. Glória laudis résonet in ore ómnium, that is, let the praise of glory sound forth from the mouths of all men, that all men may acknowledge the Blessed Trinity and may submit to our Holy Mother Church, who alone adores the true God according to His holy Will, and in whom alone men may find everlasting salvation so that they may forever praise the Holy Trinity in Heaven. Glória laudis résonet in ore ómnium, most especially in the mouths of the faithful, the Mystical Body of Christ, whose consecration at Baptism has indissolubly bound them to the ceaseless praise of Almighty God.

The Priests and Religious of Our Holy Mother Church are bound to the resound glória laudis in the recitation of the Divine Office, but the layfolk should also strive to participate in the Divine Office insomuch as they can. What more wondrous and effacious prayer is there, after Holy Mass, than the Divine Office? All private devotions, however good and admirable they may be, are as nothing compared to the sacred Breviary. Our forefathers of pious yore were immersed in the Divine Office, they knew and loved the Psalms, and from thence they derived much consolation and strength, so that many holy martyrs, virgins and confessors came from their midst. Let us then strive to participate in the Divine Office as much as we can, and we shall see how much graces and merits we shall gain. With the sacred Psalms enlightening our minds and consoling our hearts, we can become holy and pure, so that we may truly love Our Lord above gold and the topazius (Ps. cxviii. 127)