Stbarts Ipswich - May 2007

I want to begin the May Magazine with a recognition of all that went on over the Easter Festival. It’s probably down to a variety of different reasons that the celebration went so well and we all contributed to that in our different ways.

The church was beautifully decorated (we seemed to have more flowers and arrangements than ever this year!) and people were very generous with their eggs for the children and so on. But these things are usually more than just the sum of all their different parts and I think that the time felt so special because of the prayerful and joyful way so many of you approached it all.

The Parish Eucharist 2 – The Introductory Rites.

All things in life begin with a beginning! The introduction, like any first impression, is usually among the most important elements in any experience. It is probably for this reason, that the Eucharist has an Introductory section all on its own. It is intended to prepare those present for what is to come by gathering the assembly as one, looking forward to what is to follow (especially in the readings) and (often but not always) to deal with our sins and turn our hearts to God in praise. You can see from this carefully worded sentence, that the Introduction is often the same but can be quite varied!

So what does it always comprise? First it begins with song. The Missal provides various verses which can be chanted but these are usually included in the priest’s introductory comments (at a said mass) or replaced all together by a song or hymn (at a sung celebration). Then the priest celebrant leads us in an acknowledgement of the God in whose name we gather. We bless ourselves in his name by signing ourselves with the sign of the cross – ‘In the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ The priest then greets those present with a greeting drawn from the scriptures. This should never be a simple ‘Good morning’ because that would trivialise what is to follow. Instead we greet each other with a sacred greeting because what is to follow will be an encounter with God. The Introduction ends with the Opening Prayer or collect of the mass. The priest invites us to pray. We pause in silent prayer and then make his prayer our own with an Amen.

On most Sundays the material between the greeting and the opening prayer follows a well-established pattern. First the service is introduced. This is done either by the priest or some other person. Then we are invited to call to mind our sins and seek forgiveness. This is because our sins keep us from one another and from God and so it is a good preparation or even prerequisite to confess our sins before we listen to God’s word, exchange the peace with one another or receive holy communion. On Sundays outside Lent and Advent (which are more penitential) we sing an ancient hymn of praise, the Gloria in exclesis. We have various modern and more traditional versions of this hymn.

So what of the variety? Well, sometimes the variety comes with the season. Palm Sunday, for example, has an introduction which begins as usual and ends with the usual Opening Prayer but the intervening parts are very different. We hear of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and join him in procession to the church. On Ash Wednesday, the confession of sin is omitted to be replaced by the ashing ceremony after the gospel. On Sundays we might replace the prayers of penitence with penitence of action – and make our repentance to God by being sprinkled with baptismal (holy) water rather than with words.

So the Introduction is a varied rite but a vital element of our celebration Sunday by Sunday and day by day. In it we gather together and are prepared for an encounter God himself. It is a special time of being welcomed, prepared and focused on what is to come.

Fr P