The Mass: Introductory Rites – Part II

Let’s continue with our look at the Introductory Rites of the Mass that we began last week. You’ll recall we examined the Entrance Procession, the Greeting, and then the Penitential Act.

On the Sundays during Ordinary Time, we then sing or recite the Gloria. We praise and glorify God in the highest, not only in high heaven, but because he is the most important focus we can have in our lives. He should be placed above all other people and things. We begin the prayer by praising the Father, then we address Jesus for the rest of it. Our focus in the Mass is Jesus himself, from his Word in sacred Scripture, to his very Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

During Easter Season we frequently will be sprinkled with holy water. This helps remind us of our baptism, when we became a new creation and were joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection. This relationship is nourished each time we partake in the Eucharist.

Finally, the Introductory Rites conclude with a prayer called the Collect. But first, the priest says, “Let us pray.” This gives us a moment of sacred silence: to quiet our minds and our hearts for what is to come. The Collect always has five parts. First, God is addressed in the invocation, then he is acknowledged in some way, then there is a petition or request, followed by an aspiration (desired result), and finally, a doxology in which the Trinity is generally invoked. See if you can pick out these five parts the next time you hear the Collect prayed.

We don’t want to miss the Introductory Rites, because they are an important preparation for us in mind, body and soul. We are about to participate in the source and summit of our faith, the Eucharist.

“[The] purpose [of the Introductory Rites] is to ensure that the faithful, who come together as one, establish communion and dispose themselves properly to listen to the Word of God and to celebrate the Eucharist worthily.” - General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 46.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me at eucharist@stmli.org.