Prayer Resources · Common Prayers
Te Deum
The Church's great hymn of praise, confession of faith, and trust in Christ
Start Here
The Te Deum gives thanks by naming who God is and what Christ has done. It expands personal gratitude into the praise of angels, apostles, prophets, martyrs, and the whole Church.
The Prayer
We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father everlasting.
To Thee all angels cry aloud; the heavens and all the powers therein. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts; heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise Thee. The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee. The noble army of martyrs praise Thee. The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge Thee: the Father of an infinite majesty; Thine adorable, true, and only Son; also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
Thou art the King of glory, O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man, Thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb. When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious Blood. Make them to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Govern them and lift them up for ever. Day by day we magnify Thee; and we worship Thy name, ever world without end. O Lord, in Thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded. Amen.
The Architecture of Praise
- Creation and the angels adore the holiness of God.
- The apostolic and prophetic witnesses confess Him.
- The Church names the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Christ’s Incarnation, victory over death, and return are proclaimed.
- Praise becomes petition for the people He redeemed.
When Catholics Pray the Te Deum
The hymn is part of the Liturgy of the Hours and is traditionally used on solemn occasions of thanksgiving. A household may pray it at the end of the year, after a major grace, or when praise is needed before every problem feels resolved.
Thanksgiving is a form of spiritual resistance because it refuses the lie that God is absent or that His gifts are owed to us.
A Catholic Practice Plan
Mark the lines that name Christ’s saving work, then write three concrete gifts for which you will thank God today.
Sources and Editorial Notes
This page is self-contained. These open sources are supplied for verification and deeper study.
- EWTN: Catholic Devotions
Accessible index for established Catholic prayers and devotions. - Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
Official principles for devotions in harmony with Scripture and the sacred liturgy.
Traditional public-domain English devotional text, lightly arranged for web reading; commentary is original to CatholicG33k.