se
in more joyous seasons such as Christmas, Easter, etc.

Gloria Patri.--Meaning "Glory to the Father," the first words of the
short anthem used after each Psalm and elsewhere in the services,
viz. "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." It is often called the "Lesser Doxology." The _Gloria
Patri_ has been used in Christian worship from the beginning and is
traceable to the Baptismal formula. Its frequent use in our
services is not a vain repetition, as some suppose, but is very
devotional and helpful to increased earnestness in worship, drawing
our thoughts from man, his wants and experiences, and directing
them to the Triune God, the Author and Giver of every good and
perfect gift. Sung after the Psalms it gives to them a Christian
meaning and interpretation. In accordance with the ancient usage
_the Gloria_ is said with bowed head as an act of worship and of
faith, and is also said facing the Altar or East. (See EAST,
TURNING TO.)

Gloria Tibi.--The Latin title of the words of praise sung when the
Holy Gospel is announced in the Holy Communion, viz. "Glory be to
Thee, O Lord." This _Gloria_ also comes down to us from the ancient
usage of the Church. It is said with the bowed head as an act of
worship.

Godfathers, Godmothers.--(See SPONSORS.)

Golden Number.--The Golden Number is that {124} which marks the
position of any given year in the Lunar Cycle, which is a period
of nineteen years. Meton, an Athenian philosopher, discovered that,
at the end of every such period, the new moons take place on
the same days of the months whereon they occurred before its
commencement. This discovery was considered to be so important,
it became the custom to inscribe the rule for finding the moon's
age on a tablet in _golden_ letters and placed in the market-place
at Athens; hence arose the term _Golden Number_. The Golden Number
may be found by adding one to the year of our Lord, and dividing
the sum by 19, when the remainder, if any, is the _Golden Number_.
If there be no remainder, the Golden Number is 19. _One_ is added
to the year of our Lord because the first year of the Christian era
was the second of the Cycle. The time of Easter may be found by
means of the Golden Number. (See Tables in Prayer Book.)

Good Friday.--The Last Friday in Lent on which we commemorate the
Death of our Lord. It is called Good Friday fr