UNDERSTANDING THE LITURGY by John J. O'Brien, C.P.

KISS: The Entrance Rite, Part Two

Kiss, keep it simple, stupid! After the 16th century Council of Trent, the Mass was revised in the missal of Pope Pius V. Catholic reformers were reacting to changes in the Eucharistic Service introduced by Luther, Calvin, the English reformers, and others. The Roman rite Mass reform was a once and for all shot at renewal; it was going to be permanent. Well, the Tridentine reform was successful. The format for the Mass lasted four centuries, about as permanent as anything is going to get in this life.

Permanency was not the intention of the bishops at Vatican II. When the Eucharist and sacrament reform started in 1969, the mindset was to create a reform that would be ongoing, i.e., a critique of the language and structure of the Eucharist and the other sacraments would keep on going. We would learn what worked and what needed adaptation or reshaping.

Some of this has occurred. Soon we shall be into our second generation of Mass prayers. We have already added new Eucharistic prayers. We have worked on Bible translations. Our funeral rites and our prayers for the sick and the dying have changed. Some reshaping of the marriage rite is being worked on. Ritual and textual changes have ben modest. Hence, many Catholics would not be aware of the work being done in every country. For example, in the U.S. there are many approved liturgical languages: English, Spanish (we are the fifth largest Spanish speaking country in the world), Polish, Navajo, Lakota, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.

When we begin to use the revised Sacramentary (the prayer book the altar server holds for the priest-presider) in 1999 or 2000, we shall find some modest structural or ritual changes in the introductory or entrance rite.

Beginnings need to be kept simple. Our entrance rite has not been kept simple. Over the years it became cluttered; the 1969 reform did not clean things up adequately. Some recent options will be possible.

The shape of the entrance rite is :

1. A procession accompanied by song,
2. the sign of the Cross,
3. a greeting between the presider and the people,
4. (optional sprinkling of holy water, or use of incense) a penitential section,
5. the sung Glory to God,
6. and finally, a period of sacred silence, after which the opening oration is prayed by the presider with the entire assembly responding Amen. We are asked to shift from greeting, to repentance to praise, to silence, to Amen. Whew, thats a lot!

Kiss: here is the revision for 1999 or 2000.

1. a procession, when necessary (processions get ministers to their places in the midst of the assembly) accompanied by song or a sung Glory to God.
2. the sign of the Cross,
3. a greeting between the presider and the people,
4. the sprinkling with holy water, or incense, or penitential rite (kneeling or standing), or sung Glory to God,
5. a sacred silence and the opening prayer. Options can depend on the liturgical season, E.g., repentance marks Lent and praise pertains to Easter. The goal will be the same: "Keep it simple stupid!"