The Kyrie

Other forms

About this prayer

The Kyrie Eleison (Greek: "Lord, have mercy") is among the oldest surviving elements of Christian liturgical prayer. The phrase itself predates Christianity, appearing in Greek literature as an address to gods and rulers, but its Christian use is attested from at least the 4th century AD. It is notable as one of the few Greek phrases retained in the Latin Roman Rite, surviving the shift to Latin that affected the rest of the Western liturgy. In its standard liturgical form, the Kyrie consists of three invocations: "Lord, have mercy" (Kyrie eleison), "Christ, have mercy" (Christe eleison), and "Lord, have mercy" again. Each is said or sung three times in many traditions, producing a nine-fold form.

When it's said

In Catholic Mass, the Kyrie follows the opening rites and Penitential Act. In Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Kyrie is one of the most frequently repeated responses throughout the service, said dozens of times. In Anglican Morning Prayer and the Communion service it appears in the penitential opening. In Lutheran services it has a similar position to the Catholic Mass. The Kyrie has been set to music in virtually every major style of sacred music, from Gregorian chant to the masses of Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert.

Notes on the text

The threefold form (Lord, Christ, Lord) reflects Trinitarian structure. The ninefold form (three times three) is traditional in Catholic and many Anglican settings. In some contemporary liturgies a simplified threefold form is used. Orthodox liturgies use the Greek form throughout, while Western traditions generally shifted to the vernacular in the 20th century, though the Latin or Greek form remains in use in many traditional settings.

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