INTRO TO INTROITS – PART 1

St. Michael's – January 11, 2022 5 Comments

By Alex Hill, Director of Music and Liturgy

Recently we began a new liturgical year with the Advent and Christmas seasons. We’ve just entered a new calendar year, as well as the beginning of “Ordinary Time.” It’s the real start of my time as your new Director of Music and Liturgy, and I’d like to begin by introducing one of my favorite topics: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – what it is, why we celebrate it in a particular way, and how we can effectively participate in it.

Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start (as Julie Andrews memorably sang in The Sound of Music). The first parts of the Mass are called the “Introductory Rites,” and they begin with the INTROIT. The Introit is how we “enter into” this mystical spiritual encounter with the Living God, which unfolds and envelopes us over the course of an hour or so. Introit is the proper liturgical term for what many call the “entrance hymn” or “gathering song.”

The Introit is when the priest celebrant and the other ministers actually enter the church, but it is much more than simply choreographed movement. In the ancient Church a Pope or Bishop would travel from church to church (called “stations”), and the liturgy would open with their ceremonial entry, accompanied by chanting of Psalms. Knowing that the priest celebrates the Mass not of his own accord but “in the person of Christ” (Latin in persona Christi), we stand to acknowledge his entry into the church as one way of welcoming Jesus Christ among us.

The Church provides a specific Introit text for every Sunday and holy day of the year, usually consisting of an antiphon, a verse, and concluding with a Gloria Patri (Glory to the Father…). The antiphon and verse typically come from the Psalms and are doxological in character – in other words, they address God in a spirit of worship and humility. What better way could we “enter into” divine worship than by first acknowledging that God is great, or that we adore and glorify Him, or that we are weak and small and need His grace?

In order to help you “enter into” the liturgy and participate fully, we’ll put the Introit in a printed worship booklet and sing the antiphon together using a familiar hymn tune. The cantor or choir will add a verse and Gloria Patri, with the antiphon repeated several times. Over the next few weeks we’ll learn more about Introits, but with today’s “Intro” make it a priority to pick up a worship booklet when you come into the church, and sing the antiphon when Mass begins.

There is no better way to “enter into” sacred worship!