Angelic Trisagion

The Angelic Trisagion is a prayer of worship and blessing to the Holy Trinity. It's recited on the three days before to the solemnity of the Holy Trinity, which takes place on the ordinary time of the liturgical year. It is the official prayer of the Order of the Blessed Trinity, or the Trinitarians.

It is recommended by the church in many ways, including the possibility of gaining plenary indulgence after saying it: "to those who say the Angelic Trisagion, the plenary indulgence for ever, once in a month, to all those who throughout the said month shall have said daily the Angelic Trisagion as above; to be gained on any one day when, having Confessed and Communicated, they shall visit some church, and pray according to the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff".

  

Origin

The Angelic Trisagion has its origin in the prayer of the Trisagion. This one is an ancient prayer, that dates back to the VI century. Allegedly, during the reign of Emperor Theophilus, the city of Constantinople suffered several earthquakes over a period of several months. The Emperor, the Patriarch Proclus (Saint Proclus), and the people of the city, called a procession to pray to God for their safety. While they were in it, the tremors greatly increased, and a child was lifted into the sky in full view of the people, who shouted: "Kyrie eleison!" When the child descended, he stated that he had been among choirs of Angels who sang "Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!" A voice had told the boy that the Patriarch should foster that the people should praise God in this way. The Patriarch promoted this hymn among the people, whereupon the ground stopped shaking and the child died. The Empress Pulcheria asked the Patriarch to have this hymn sung in the future in the Liturgy, and since then it has been done.

Eventually, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, spreaded the hymn of the angelic trisagion, as a Chaplet to the Holy Trinity, which makes use of both forms of the Trisagion.

The Angelic Trisagion consists of three sets of nine beads separated by three larger beads. The intention is to join with the choirs of angels in praising God. The number of nine and three prayers has to do with the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas who talks in the Summa Theologiae of the hierarchy of angels and divides the nine choirs of angels into three groups of three.

The recitation of this prayer has been encouraged by many saints. Saint Anthony Claret (1807 to 1870), was very devoted to this prayer. He affirmed that he was inspired by the Holy Spirit, Third Person of the Holy Trinity, that many punishments due to humanity due to their fallen nature, would be considerably mitigated for those people who would breed the complete Angelic Trisagion.

Father Saint Pio of Pietrelcina exhorted his faithful to have great devotion to the Blessed Trinity, especially the prayer of the Angelic Trisagion, and the famous stigmatized Spanish, Mother Esperanza de Jesús Alhama, founder of the Handmaids and Sons of Merciful Love, "I also prayed it daily, and when a problem arose or they saw each other in need, immediately began the prayer with all her nuns; and commanded also that it be recited in all their houses and for long seasons".

Text

There are some versions of it, with little differences. The usual form is:

BEGINING:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

V: Lord, open my lips.

R: And my mouth shall declare your praise.

V: O God, come to my assistance.

R: O Lord, make haste to help me.

V. Glory be...

R. As it was...

DECADES:

(All say the invocation "Holy is God..."; afterwards, the Lord's Prayer is said as usual, with the priest (or whoever presides) answered by the people.

Then, nine times whoever presides says the prayer To You, O Blessed Trinity. Each time, the people answer with the prayer Holy, Holy, ... After the last repetition, the Glory Be is said)

Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.

Our Father.

V. To you, O BlessedTrinity, be praise and honor and thanksgiving, for ever and ever!

R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.

V. Glory be...

R. As it was...

The second and third decades are said in the same way, beginning with the words: Holy is God ...

At the end fo the three decades:

Ant. God the Father unbegot­ten, only­-begotten Son, and Holy Spirit, the Comforter: holy and undivided Trinity, with all our hearts we acknowledge you:Glory to you for ever.

V. Let us bless the Father, and the Son with the Holy Spirit.

R. Be praised and exalted above all things for ever.

Let us pray.

Almighty, ever­-living God, who have permitted us, your servants, in our profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of that majesty to adore the Unity, grant that, by steadfastness in this same faith, we may be ever guarded against all adversity. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

END

After this, all say:

Set us free, save us, vivify us, O Blessed Trinity!

References

This article "Angelic Trisagion" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Angelic Trisagion. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---