LITURGY NOTES
Fr. David Kraeger, T.O.R.

1. The Gathering Area. The very first element of the Mass is the
gathering itself. People come from their homes or from work or
play to become a worshipping assembly. New church buildings are
constructed with a sizeable gathering area, what in older days we
called the vestibule, now often called a narthex. The gathering area
has an important function: it encourages people to greet and
welcome each other, and it provides a transitional area for people
to move from ordinary space and daily living into sacred space.
Older church buildings often lack a suitable gathering area; in these
churches, it is necessary to find alternate ways for people to
gather, greet and welcome each other, and enter into sacred
space, not as individual worshippers, but as a worshipping
assembly.

2. Introductory Rites. The Introductory Rites are these: the
entrance procession, the gathering song, the veneration of the
altar, the Sign of the Cross, greeting, and introduction, the
penitential rite (or the Sunday renewal of baptism), the Lord Have
Mercy, the Gloria, and the opening prayer (Collect). “An important
function of these rites is to enable the gathered assembly to take
on the form of a community, alert and ready to listen to the word
and to celebrate the sacrament.” (USCCB:BCL, 2003: Introduction to the Order
of Mass, 66). “Christ is truly present in the very liturgical assembly
gathered in his name….” (GIRM 27). When you come to Mass late,
you miss the opportunity provided by these rites to help you enter
into the unity of the worshipping assembly which we are.

3. Entrance Procession. It is highly likely that by the 4th century A.
D., the Entrance Procession was already in use. There is a reason
for this: after the emperor Constantine made Christianity legal and
built large buildings for worship, the church began to worship in
large public buildings, the old Roman basilicas. In Rome, the
sacristies were near the entrance of the church building. Thus,
there was a need for a formal entrance to the altar. At some point
in history the pope, with a large retinue of ministers, would process
to the altar in a solemn procession. The first real evidence for this
is a papal Mass soon after 701 A.D. But the practice probably
goes back much earlier.

Away from Rome, the procession was simpler. In time, as the
monasticism grew, the Mass became linked to the Liturgy of the
Hours (Divine Office). Since the clergy was already assembled for
the Hours, there was less need for an entrance procession. People
either abbreviated the procession or didn’t have one. Some of us
who are older remember when the priest and a couple of altar
boys simply walked out from the sacristy and the priest simply
began the Mass in Latin. Vatican II and the decrees following the
Council restored the entrance procession to what we are familiar
with today.

The entrance profession has significance beyond getting to the
altar. The entrance procession is a visual expression of who we
are as we become a worshipping assembly, an assembly where
Christ is present in the midst of his people. St. Paul tells us that we
are the one body of Christ, each with different gifts and ministries.
We can appreciate this truth in our entrances at St. Mary’s and St.
Boniface. We see altar servers, the lector, the deacon, and priest
process to the altar, each with a different liturgical role. At wedding
processions we see added liturgical roles, namely the entrance of
the groom (and bride), the best man, maid of honor, and the other
wedding attendants. All have significant but different roles in the
wedding liturgy; also true when there is a baptism or Confirmation
at Mass.


8. Silences. The Mass has times for silence. One of these times is
at the opening prayer of the Mass. For example, today, I
introduced the prayer with these words: Let us pray that everything
we do will be guided by God's law of love. Then we had silence.
Finally, while the server held the book, I prayed, God our Father,
you have promised to remain forever.... Then we all replied Amen.
The most important part of that opening prayer is the silence.
During that time you should be praying in silence. The prayer I then
say or sing in your name is to gather your silent prayer before
God. Did you ever notice how the prayer I sing or say is very
general in style? That's so it can incorporate all your prayers. We
used to call the opening prayer "the Collect;" in other words, the
prayer I say or sing "collects" your prayers.


#. The Communion Song. The Gathering or Entrance Song and the
Communion Song are both officially part of the Mass. The purpose
of the Communion Song “is to express our union through the union
of our voices, to communicate our joy as we gather for the
Eucharistic banquet, and to emphasize the communal nature of the
Communion procession.” The song is to begin when I, the presiding
priest, receive communion, and end when everyone has received.
Ideally, it is best when the song has a refrain that you can sing
from memory. But if not, you can bring your song book with you
when you come up for Communion. The purpose of the Communion
Song implies that we should be attentive to one another when we
receive Holy Communion. Our singing should lead us to Christ and
to each other.
Fort Worth  parish
Saint Mary's Windthorst, Texas and
Saint Boniface, Scotland Texas.