Eastern Church Inspired The Latin Rite Mass
The Latin Rite Mass was inspired to a great degree by the customs of the Eastern Church. Before the Eastern Liturgy began, the vested priest would prepare the gifts of bread and wine – which symbolized the hidden life of Christ until the beginning of his public ministry with his baptism. Psalms and prayers were prayed privately by the priest during the Preparation of Gifts. Formerly, the people also prayed along.
The use of Psalms during this Preparation of Gifts was added to the Latin Rite Mass with the singing of the “Introit,” a psalm and antiphon consistent with the liturgical year or feast celebrated. Its length depended upon the size of the procession of priests from the vesting area at the Church doors to the altar. This chant was shortened in the Middle Ages as the priest walked from the sacristy close to the altar.
Eventually a sacred hymn replaced the Introit, which is customary at most weekend Masses. This hymn is not meant to accompany the priest from the rear of church to the altar, but rather to unite our voices together in common praise of God. The very act of singing together reveals that we come together as a community. Every act we perform is both a sign of the communal nature of our prayer and the sacrifice of Christ in us For example, sometimes it takes great humility to sing – especially if one is not a Pavarotti!
The Entrance Hymn should continue past the arrival of the priest at his chair. This hymn sets a tone for the rest of the Mass we celebrate and is usually connected with the Scriptures of the day.
The following quotations (numbers refer to paragraphs in document), taken from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ publication “Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship” from 2007, highlight the significance of singing:
- “God has bestowed upon his people the gift of song… God…is present when his people sing his praises.”
- “…music is a way for God to lead us to the realm of higher things. As St. Augustine says, ‘Singing is for the one who loves.’ Music is therefore a sign of God’s love for us and our love for him.”
12. “Participation in the sacred liturgy must be ‘internal, in the sense that by it the faithful join their
minds to what they pronounce or hear, and cooperate with heavenly grace.’ Even when listening to the various prayers and readings of the Liturgy or to the singing of the choir, the assembly continues to participate actively as they ‘unite themselves interiorly to what the minister or choir sing, so that by listening to them they may raise their minds to God.’”
13. “Participation must also be external, so that internal participation can be expressed and
reinforced by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes, and by the acclamations, responses, and singing. “
26. “Singing is one of the primary ways the…faithful participates in Liturgy.”
95. “Ideally, ministers of music are located so as to enable their own full participation by being able
to see and hear the Liturgy.”
142.”After the … assembly has been gathered, an Entrance chant or song is sung as the procession
with the priest, deacon, and ministers enters the church. The purpose of this chant is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or feast, and accompany the procession of the priest and ministers.”
In our next article, we will continue to look at the Rites of Preparation.
Father Sauer continues his series on the Mass in the June 17 issue of The Message.
