Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 14: The Thrice Holy Hymn

 “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.”

Placement in the Divine Liturgy

The Trisagion Hymn is chanted immediately after the Small Entrance, serving as the solemn opening to the Liturgy of the Word. It is one of the most ancient and universally used hymns in Christian liturgy, appearing not only in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, but also in other liturgical services such as Orthros and Compline.

Its triple invocation of God’s holiness echoes the angelic hymn from Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8, where the seraphim cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” It also echoes the triune structure of Christian confession: to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God in Trinity, co-eternal and co-glorified.

Theological Significance

The Trisagion is both a doxology and a prayer for mercy, combining the praise of the heavenly host with the supplication of the Church on earth. The words:

Holy God (Ἅγιος ὁ Θεός

Holy Mighty (Ἅγιος Ἰσχυρός)

Holy Immortal (Ἅγιος Ἀθάνατος)

Have mercy on us (ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς)

reveal the majesty of the divine nature: God’s transcendence, His omnipotence, and His eternal, undying life—yet addressed in a spirit of humility, asking for mercy.

This triple acclamation is not simply poetic; it reflects the unchanging faith of the Church that the One God is worshipped in Trinity, and that each divine Person shares fully in the holiness, might, and immortality of the Godhead.

Patristic Commentary

The Holy Orthodox Fathers have much to teach usabout the Trisagion, but let us sample a few  

St. John Damascene affirms the Trisagion's trinitarian structure:

“The Thrice-Holy Hymn is directed to the Holy Trinity. For the terms ‘Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal’ are all applied equally to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” — Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 3.10

St. Cyril of Jerusalem highlights the connection between the angelic worship in heaven and the earthly liturgy:

“When we say, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy,’ we do not do so lightly, but imitate the hosts of heaven, glorifying God with the same words.”   — Catechetical Lectures, 23.7

St. Maximus the Confessor interprets the Trisagion as the soul’s ascent into divine contemplation:

“Through the Trisagion, the mind is raised from the created to the uncreated, from the visible to the invisible, from time into eternity.”  — Mystagogia, PG 91.680

These Fathers emphasize that when the Church sings this hymn, she enters into the worship of the heavenly hosts, standing mystically in the presence of the Triune God.

Liturgical Variations and Festal Usage

On Holy Friday, the Church adds a solemn phrase to the Trisagion:

“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, who was crucified for us, have mercy on us.”

This addition—though historically controversial—highlights the incarnate nature of the second Person of the Trinity, reminding the faithful that the One who was crucified is none other than the Holy Immortal God.

The hymn is also sung at baptisms, funerals, and during many sacraments, showing its central place in the Church’s liturgical life as an enduring expression of divine praise and theological truth.

Conclusion

The Trisagion Hymn is more than a beautiful chant; it is a heavenly proclamation. Through it, the Church joins in the eternal worship of the angels, glorifies the Holy Trinity, and proclaims the divine attributes of God while also imploring His mercy. Rooted in Scripture, upheld by the Fathers, and central to the Divine Liturgy, the Trisagion draws the faithful into a mystical participation in the worship of heaven.

The Thrice-Holy Hymn (Trisagion) — “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us” — is a core hymn of the Divine Liturgy, expressing the awe of God’s transcendence and the mystery of His holiness. However, on certain feasts and sacramental occasions, it is replaced by other hymns of deep theological significance. The most notable substitutions are:

1. “Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship…” (Προσκυνοῦμεν τὸ Πάσου σου, Δέσποτα)

Used on: The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14) and the Third Sunday of Great Lent (Veneration of the Cross).

Theological Significance:

This replacement highlights the centrality of the Cross in the economy of salvation. By bowing before the Cross, the faithful proclaim Christ’s victory over death and the voluntary nature of His Passion. It serves as a liturgical profession of faith in the Cross as the axis of divine love and the power of redemption.

Biblical Basis:

• “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23)
  
  

• “God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14)
  
  

Patristic Witness:

• St. John Chrysostom calls the Cross “the trophy of victory over the devil, the seal that the destroyer may not strike us” (Homily on 1 Corinthians 1:18).
  
  

• St. Ephraim the Syrian wrote, “The Cross is the resurrection of the dead, the hope of Christians, the staff of the lame, the comfort of the poor…” (Hymn on the Cross).
  
  

2. “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ…” (Ὅσοι εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε)

Used on: Baptismal feasts — Christmas, Theophany, Lazarus Saturday, Pascha, and Pentecost, as well as on days when baptisms are celebrated during the Liturgy.

Theological Significance:

This hymn is a direct quote from Galatians 3:27 and is sung in place of the Trisagion to emphasize the mystery of Baptism, which unites the believer with Christ. On feast days celebrating manifestations of Christ’s divine nature (especially Theophany, His Baptism), the hymn underscores our participation in that mystery through the sacrament.

It proclaims that through Baptism, we have “put on” Christ — a spiritual clothing in His death and resurrection. It reminds the faithful of their own baptism and of their identity in Christ.

Biblical Basis:

• “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27)
  
  

• “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3)
  
  

Patristic Witness:

• St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “Having been baptized into Christ and having put on Christ, you have been made conformable to the Son of God” (Catechetical Lecture 3).
  
  

• St. Gregory of Nyssa: “Baptism is the beginning of a life of grace, the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new” (On the Baptism of Christ).
  
  

Why the Substitution Occurs

The Trisagion Hymn, as glorious and timeless as it is, can be replaced when the central mystery of a feast or sacrament is so profound that it becomes the dominant theme of the liturgy. These substitutions are not casual, but carefully prescribed in the Typikon (liturgical rulebook), reminding us that the Liturgy dynamically expresses the Church’s lived theology.

Conclusion

Thus, the replacement of the Trisagion with “Before Thy Cross” or “As Many as Have Been Baptized” reflects more than liturgical variety — it proclaims the central mysteries of salvation: the Cross and Resurrection, and the new life given in Baptism. Through these substitutions, the Church leads the faithful to contemplate and participate more deeply in the Paschal and baptismal realities of their faith, woven seamlessly into the rhythm of the Divine Liturgy.