Catechesis Notes for the Week — The Gloria in Excelsis — “The Gloria is the second of the five great pillars of the Divine Service. It is based on the song of the angels at the birth of Christ: ‘Glory be to God on high; and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ In the Divine Service, where our Lord Jesus Christ is truly present according to both His divine and human natures, there is no hymn that is more appropriate than the hymn that announces Immanuel—God with us! The song of the angels becomes our song in the Divine Service. In it we confess faith in Christ ‘who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man’ (Nicene Creed). His name is Jesus, “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). This is God’s greatest glory!” (Lutheran Catechesis p. 95).CP231231