Lesson 2: The Introductory Rites

Transcription

1 Lesson 2: The Introductory Rites The Introductory Rites takes us from the opening Sign of the Cross through the Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy), the Gloria and concludes with an ending prayer known as the Collect. The Sign of the Cross The Sign of the Cross is used in many forms of prayer as Catholics. It isn t just a simple way to begin prayer, it is a powerful prayer itself. The Sign of the Cross was traced over us at our baptisms. Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, we are recalling our baptism, fused with the Holy Spirit. When we say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we are calling on God s name. This is a holy, biblical practice. Great heroes throughout salvation history called on the name of the Lord. Seth in Genesis 4 Abraham in Genesis 12 Isaac Jews when reciting the Psalms Words When praying the Sign of the Cross, we are inviting His Holy Name, calling on His power into our lives. In biblical history, people called on God s name for worship or inviting God for help in their lives. In Mass, we are calling His holy name in worship and invoking His presence among us. We are asking Him to consecrate this holy period of Mass. Ritual This other aspect of the Sign of the Cross is found in the Old Testament in Ezekiel. The people of Jerusalem were facing a great crisis. Many of the Jewish leaders, even the priests, had become corrupt. In chapter 8, Ezekiel is given a vision of idolatry taking place right in the temple as the Jewish elders are offering incense or worshipping foreign gods like the sun. God announces there is going to be judgement upon the city for their sins. But, God also points out that there are some who are faithful to God in the midst of this cultural chaos. There are some who choose not to go along with what is happening in Jerusalem and they have remained loyal to Yahweh. These faithful ones are going to be protected when the time of judgement comes upon Jerusalem. In Ezekiel 9:4, God sends an angel through the streets of Jerusalem to find those faithful Jews and asks that they mark them with a mysterious mark on their forehead. It is the mark of the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the tahv, which looks similar to a cross. This mark was a sign of their fidelity to God, and a sign of protection. So the early Christians saw that this sign in Ezekiel was a foreshadowing of the Sign of the Cross. When we trace the Sign of the Cross over us, we are saying we choose to be faithful to God. We choose not to follow the world s standards on how to love, or how to live. And we are also asking God for His protection. This is a great practice for us to do before leaving our homes. It is also a great practice to mark the foreheads of our children, to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to ask for God s protection over them. The Opening Greeting The Lord be with you If we really understood what these words meant, we might approach the Mass with a little bit more fear. These were words used by God or God s messengers to address people who were being specifically called to an important role of leadership in God s plan of salvation. The future of Israel was dependent on how well this person played their part. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Port Arthur, TX

2 The Introductory Rites Page 11 Joshua (Joshua 1:4-9) heard the message that the Lord was going to be with Him as he was going to go into the land with all these powerful armies against him. Joshua was going to have God s presence in the midst of that taking of the land. Gideon (Judges 6:12) was living in the time where the Israelites were being oppressed by a foreign nation and God calls him to rescue the people. Through the angel, God tells him that He will be with him. Moses at the burning bush, when he was called to liberate the Israelites. Moses was not enthusiastic to confront the same people who were trying to kill him before. He tried every trick in the book to get out of this call. He tells God, that he doesn t really speak well, that he s not really eloquent, and that people won t really believe that he spoke to God. But God tells him that even through these weaknesses, He will be with him. Moses is not sent to schooling to learn how to be more eloquent in his speaking, and he does not send him to learn how to negotiate with dictators, nor does He send him off to learn military strategy. God gives Moses what he needs the most: His presence. Every time we go to Mass and we hear the words: The Lord be with you, we are hearing the same words that God said to Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. We are standing in the same line as heroic men and women that were called to do great things. You may be looking on your life and asking yourself, What am I called to do? Realize that each one of us has a particular role to play in this world that no one else can play, whether it is in our own marriage, in the raising of our children, in our friendships, in our particular relationships with those we work with, in our parish, our neighborhood, and our communities. How are we going to be light to this world? How do we radiate the light of Christ to the people around us? We may think we do not know how to be good parents, or a good spouse. Applying to our parish life, we may think we are not prepared enough to take on a leadership role. Our feelings of inadequateness are reflected in those of Moses. When we hear the words of the opening greeting, we should be encouraged. Yes, this call will cause us to go out of our comfort zones, but yet, what every person was told was very assuring: God will make up for whatever skill we lack. God s strength is made manifest through our weakness. At the Mass, we are reminded of our great call and God s presence with us to help us through those trials we have. How do we respond to this call? And with your spirit. This is a more faithful rendering of the Latin text of the Mass. It also makes a profound theological point. It is not a simple greeting exchange. We are recognizing the unique role of the Holy Spirit in the priest. When the priest was ordained, the Holy Spirit that dwells in all of us, comes to act in him in a unique way that enables him to offer the Mass. Through the priest, the bread and wine becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. We are recognizing the great work of God. It is not dependent with the human being of the priest, but the Spirit that works through him by virtue of the priest s ordination. Confiteor I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters This prayer serves as an examination of conscience in our lives. Think about what this prayer asks us to consider: in my thoughts, in my words, and in what I have failed to do. How often do we have angry, discouraging, jealous thoughts? How often do we use sinful words in gossip or judgement? How often have we intentionally done things to hurt our relationship with God?

3 The Introductory Rites Page 12 We bring that to the Mass in prayer. The most challenging part of this prayer: and in what I have failed to do. We are reminded that the Catholic life is not simply avoiding sin. We are called to build a civilization of love. We are reminded to not do bad things, but we are also called to imitate Jesus Christ, and to serve in selfgiving and sacrifice to others. through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault This verse helps us to express our true sorrow for our sins. How often do we hurt someone we love due to something we said or for not being attentive? We are not just apologizing to God, but we are approaching the Lord more humbly and we express real heartfelt contrition. Kyrie Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. We ask God for mercy in the Kyrie. A Catholic understanding of mercy is powerful. When we sin, our Father in heaven does not see just the fact of our sin. If we are sincerely sorry for the wrongs we have done, He sees our hearts and He responds with great love. Pope St. John Paul II wrote that mercy is not simply about a more powerful person pardoning a less powerful one. Mercy is an expression in love. If we are truly sorry for our sins, we should not approach God with shame, but rather we should be confident in His love. In Matthew 9:27, two blind men cry out to Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. When we go to Mass and ask for God s mercy for our sins, but we can also entrust to God our sufferings, fears, uncertainties, weaknesses, and struggles. We also see in the Bible, that people entrusted people they love to God by calling out for mercy. In Matthew 15:22, a mother comes to Jesus and says, Have mercy on me, Lord, for my daughter is possessed by a demon. In Matthew 17:15, a father comes to Jesus and says, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. If we think of our friends who are ill, people who have separated from the church, or in other ways are suffering, we can ask God for assistance in our lives or in the lives of those who we love. Gloria This prayer is typically sung. The opening lines were inspired by the angels in heaven. In Luke 2:14, when Jesus is born, there is a host of angels over the fields of Bethlehem, singing God s praises, saying Glory to God in the highest, and peace to the men of goodwill. In the Introductory Rites, we are preparing ourselves for a sacred encounter with God. It is done before the Liturgy of the Word, where we hear God s Word, and before the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. In a biblical aspect, people call on God s mercy for help in their lives.

4 The Introductory Rites Page 13 The Gloria has a Trinitarian structure where it gives praise to the Father, the Son, and then to the Holy Spirit, mentioned towards the end. The Gloria is about the story of Jesus Christ. Some of the titles that are given to Jesus in this prayer: Collect The closing of the Introductory Rite is a prayer known as the Collect, where the priest collects or gathers the prayers of the whole community and offers them up to God. Only Begotten Son of the Father John 1:14, 18- The Word has become flesh to dwell among us. Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world John 1:29 / Isaiah 53:7-12- The Passover Lamb that is offered for our sins on Good Friday. You are seated at the right hand of the Father Mark 16:19- Jesus is ascending into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Gloria is the whole summary of salvation history in praise.

5 Notes for Session 1: Introductory Rites A. The Sign of the Cross recalls our baptism 1. The words invoking God s presence and power 2. The ritual signifying fidelity, asking for protection a. Ezekiel 8; 9:4 (the tahv) 3. Importance and power B. Opening greeting: The Lord be with you 1. Biblical perspective: a call to mission, with God s presence a. Joshua b. Gideon c. Moses (Exodus 3, 4) 2. Response: And with your spirit C. Act of Penance: I confess (The Confiteor) 1. An examination of conscience 2. Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault D. The Kyrie ( Lord have mercy) 1. Pope John Paul II on mercy: an expression of love Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Port Arthur, TX

6 2. Biblical roots: a. Seeking God s assistance b. Entrusting others to God s mercy (Matthew 15:22; 17:15) E. The Gloria 1. Preparing for a sacred encounter with God 2. The Gloria tells a story a. Trinitarian structure b. Central part: the story of Jesus Christ i. Incarnation ( Only begotten Son from John 1:14,18) ii. Redemption (Lamb of God) iii. Ascension (seated at the right hand of the Father) F. The Collect 1. Conclusion of the Introductory Rites 2. The priest collects or gathers together the intentions of the community 15

7 Questions 1. In Ezekiel, a certain group of people in Jerusalem receive a mysterious mark on their foreheads that protects them from the judgement that will come. What mark is it? What kind of people receive this mark? 2. Why is the Opening Greeting ( The Lord be with you ) such an important greeting? 3. What are the four main ways we sin? (Hint: recited in the Penitential Act) * For personal reflection: Which of these four areas of sin do you find most challenging? Why? 4. The Hebrew word often translated in our Bible as mercy is hesed, which describes steadfast, covenant love a love that is unconditional and totally committed. In Romans 5:8, in what sense do you think this verse expresses God s unwavering, steadfast love for us? 16