"Kyrie, eleison" is Greek for "Lord, have mercy" — one of the oldest prayers of the Mass. Here's what it means, where it comes from in the Bible, and why it is still prayed in Greek.
Kyrie Eleison Meaning: What "Lord, Have Mercy" Means and Its Biblical Roots
In this session of The Mass Explained, Dr. Brant Pitre traces the Kyrie Eleison — sung or said in the penitential rite near the start of the liturgy — to its scriptural roots: the cry "Lord, have mercy on us" in the Greek Old Testament (Psalm 40; Isaiah 33) and, above all, the two blind men on the road from Jericho who call out to Jesus, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" (Matthew 20:29–34). He then follows the prayer through the early Church — its place in the fourth-century so-called Clementine Liturgy, Pope St. Gregory the Great's sixth-century defense of the Kyrie, and its medieval development — and unfolds its mystical meaning in St. Augustine (our inner spiritual blindness) and St. Thomas Aquinas (the threefold Kyrie–Christe–Kyrie as a prayer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
Key passages & sources examined: "Lord, have mercy" in the Greek Old Testament (Psalm 40:5; Isaiah 33:2); the healing of the two blind men near Jericho (Matthew 20:29–34); the fourth-century so-called Clementine Liturgy; Pope St. Gregory the Great on the Kyrie (Letters, A.D. 598); Amalar of Metz and the medieval "tropes"; St. Augustine (Sermon 88); and St. Thomas Aquinas on the Kyrie and the Trinity (Summa Theologiae III, q. 83).
What does "Kyrie eleison" mean in English? "Lord, have mercy." Kyrie means "Lord," eleison means "have mercy"; "Christe eleison" means "Christ, have mercy."
Why is the Kyrie said three times (Kyrie–Christe–Kyrie)? St. Thomas Aquinas saw the threefold pattern as a prayer addressed in turn to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Is "Lord, have mercy" in the Bible? Yes — in the Greek Old Testament (Psalm 40; Isaiah 33) and most vividly when the blind men near Jericho cry to Jesus, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" (Matthew 20).
Where does the Kyrie come in the Mass? In the penitential rite of the Introductory Rites, just after the Confiteor.
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All of content I have watched so far is excellent. Perfectly paced, at a level for everyone and contributes greatly in my journey to be a better Catholic.
The information presented by Dr.Pitre was informative, but too long for our group. We prefer a more concise 10-15 minute lesson as to truly keep our attention and give time for plenty discussion.
This is a subscription where the content is accessed online through your account. Once logged in, you can access everything by going to 'Mass Readings Explained' in the main menu bar of our website, then 'Watch Videos' and then pick one of the options there. The calendar view works well for finding those Mass Readings that are in the near future and The Mass Explained will take you to videos in that series.
All of content I have watched so far is excellent. Perfectly paced, at a level for everyone and contributes greatly in my journey to be a better Catholic.
The information presented by Dr.Pitre was informative, but too long for our group. We prefer a more concise 10-15 minute lesson as to truly keep our attention and give time for plenty discussion.
