Introductory Rites Are Appetizers For The Mass' Two 'banquets'
Without demeaning the sacredness of the Introductory Rites of Mass, they may be likened to hors d’oeuvres served before a formal dinner allowing guests to mingle with one another. They tend to put everyone in a frame of mind for celebration. Hors d’oeuvres “whet our appetite” for the banquet to come. The Introductory Rites of Mass gather us together as a worshipping community, lead us to an awareness of being in God’s presence, and prepare us for the two banquets to follow.
Two banquets? Yes, the first one is served at the table of God’s Word, “where the treasures of the Bible are spread before the faithful” (General Instruction to the Roman Missal, 57). The Bible often refers to God’s Word as “bread.” During his temptations (Mt 4:1-4), Jesus rebukes Satan who tempted him to turn the stones into bread: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” After being nourished by God’s Word, the second banquet follows as we are fed with Christ’s Body and Blood at the table of the Lord.
The Liturgy of the Word is the first major part of the Mass, “made up of the readings from Sacred Scripture together with the chants between them… the Homily, Profession of Faith, and Universal Prayer conclude it. In the readings, as explained by the Homily, God speaks to his people, opening up to them the mystery of salvation, and offering spiritual nourishment.…” (GI, 55).
Following Vatican II, liturgists did not “invent” our contemporary ritual of the Liturgy of the Word. The structure of our Liturgy of the Word dates back to the Babylonian Exile (587-537 B.C.). When this tragedy occurred, some Jews lost their faith in God. Others remained faithful to God – trusting that by God’s hand they would experience a “second” Exodus similar to the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. They gathered together on Friday evening of the Sabbath. The word “synagogue” originally referred to this gathering. Eventually, it was used for the building where worship took place (just as the word “Church” first referred to God’s People, then the building where the “Church” gathers for worship).
In their gatherings, they would listen to the proclamation of God’s Word, receive instruction, and worship God. This Sabbath ritual continued upon their return to their homeland from the exile becoming a normal part of their religious life. Since distance made it impossible for most Jews to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem, Synagogue worship flourished in their local communities. Most likely by Jesus’ time there was at least one synagogue in every town.
During their Sabbath worship, the Jewish people first blessed God, praising God for a particular feast or season of the year using the words “Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe, who….” Then came the chanting of Psalms. A central point of the service was the profession of faith with the recitation of the “Shema”, which is made up of three scriptural texts (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41). “Shema” is the first word of the biblical verse "Hear, O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is one". The “Eighteen Blessings” (silent petitions) were then recited. Then a continuous reading from the Torah (the “Law” – the first five books of the Bible) and a continuous reading from the Prophets were proclaimed. On the following Sabbath, the readings continued where they had ended. An instruction on the readings (homily) was given, with more petitions, a collection for the poor, a blessing and dismissal.
