By Fr. Brian Stankich+
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
(BCP:356)
This beloved ancient hymn, entitled Trisagion, meaning “thrice holy,” is one of my favorite parts of the Lenten liturgy.
Telling God that he is holy isn’t to educate him, it is to remind me.
We use it in place of the Gloria.
For a more technical explanation, see this article: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/trisagion/
It reminds me of the prophet Isaiah, when he saw God in all his holiness in the temple, and exclaimed: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).
Have you ever found yourself praying and at a loss for words, not sure what to say?
Tell God he is holy and you’ll put your heart in a heavenly place.