TRISAGION
“The words of [this] hymn date to the third century, acknowledging the might, immortality, and unmatched mercy of God.”[1]
Holy God,
Holy and mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy;
Have mercy on us.
The Trisagion expresses the threefold holiness of God—a theological affirmation that the three divine persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) constitute the superessential Godhead. Each phrase of the hymn—“holy God,” “holy and mighty,” and “holy and immortal”—points to distinct properties within the Trinity while remaining applicable to all three persons. Rather than isolating individual attributes to specific persons, all divine names are applied comprehensively to each subsistence.[2]
The Trisagion’s origins remain debated, though its earliest documented appearance occurs in the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon (451), suggesting it had already become established by that point. Greek tradition attributes the hymn to the patriarchate of Proclus (434–437), recounting that during a devastating earthquake, a young man was lifted into the clouds where he heard the hymn and was instructed to teach it to the city’s inhabitants; when they chanted it together, the earthquake ceased.
However, the hymn likely predates Proclus, who may have incorporated it into the liturgy or standardized its form. Evidence points to considerably earlier use. The Trisagion appears among the exclamations of the Church Fathers at Chalcedon’s first session, indicating it was already well-known by then. The biography of Saint Basil by Amphilochius of Iconium records that Basil pronounced these words in the church of Saint Diomedes at Nicæa, suggesting primitive ecclesiastical usage. These testimonies point to exceedingly ancient use, possibly apostolic in origin.[3]
O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us.[4]
Trisagion
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.[5]
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] The Sing! Hymnal, 2025, p. 908.
[2] Joel C. Elowsky and Thomas C. Oden, eds., We Believe in the Holy Spirit, Ancient Christian Doctrine (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2009), 4:249.
[3] John Mason Neale, A History of the Holy Eastern Church: General Introduction (London; Cambridge; Oxford; S. Petersburg: Joseph Masters; Macmillan and Co.; J. H. Parker; Kirton, 1850), 367.
[4] From The Great Litany, Anglican Book of Common Prayer, 2019, p. 91.
[5] Gloria Patri
