Mass during lent

[uwwhitewater84]

The beginning of tonight’s Mass was a little different…

Instead of an opening hymn, there was a person who rang a bell while the priest, the deacon, the lay ministers and the altar severs processed in.

Everyone stopped at the foot of the altar and bowed as usual. We began with the Sign of the Cross, then the priest asked everyone to kneel and we sang a penitential litany.

There was no kyrie or “I confess…”.

Then there was the opening prayer and the rest of the Mass followed as normal.

Is this normal or correct for Masses during lent?

Thanks!

 

[Fred_4]

I’m not positive. We sang an antiphon, not a hymn. I know the Gloria is omitted during Lent, but we had our penitential right and kyrie the same. Also, the Allelujah is omitted during Lent.

 

[John_Lilburne]

The beginning of tonight’s Mass was a little different…

Instead of an opening hymn, there was a person who rang a bell while the priest, the deacon, the lay ministers and the altar severs processed in.

Everyone stopped at the foot of the altar and bowed as usual. We began with the Sign of the Cross, then the priest asked everyone to kneel and we sang a penitential litany.

There was no kyrie or “I confess…”.

Then there was the opening prayer and the rest of the Mass followed as normal.

Is this normal or correct for Masses during lent?
…

If there is no opening hymn there should be an entrance antiphon.
From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“48. … If there is no singing at the entrance, the antiphon in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector; otherwise, it is recited by the priest himself, who may even adapt it as an introductory explanation (cf. above, no. 31).”

By making the Sign of the Cross at the foot of the altar, rather than the chair, the priest has failed to follow this part of the 2002 GIRM:
“124. After doing these things, the priest goes to the chair. Once the Entrance chant is concluded, the priest and faithful, all standing, make the Sign of the Cross.”

Everyone kneeling is the wrong posture, from the 2002 GIRM:
“43. The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant, or while the priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect;”. (The “Collect” means the Opening Prayer.)

 

[benedictgal]

The beginning of tonight’s Mass was a little different…

Instead of an opening hymn, there was a person who rang a bell while the priest, the deacon, the lay ministers and the altar severs processed in.

Everyone stopped at the foot of the altar and bowed as usual. We began with the Sign of the Cross, then the priest asked everyone to kneel and we sang a penitential litany.

There was no kyrie or “I confess…”.

Then there was the opening prayer and the rest of the Mass followed as normal.

Is this normal or correct for Masses during lent?

Thanks!

There are only three times (from memory, although a funeral Mass also has some differences) where there is a deviation from the normal introductory rites: Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and the Easter Vigil.

John is correct in his comments and references to the GIRM. The priest cannot make up his own introductory rite, especially when it comes to singing a penitential litany. However, if the litany went on like this:

Lord Jesus, you came to call sinners.
Lord, have mercy (Kyrie, eleison).

Lord Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary.
Christ, have mercy (Christe eleison).

Lord Jesus, you are the Word made Flesh and splendor of the Father.
Lord, have mercy (Kyrie eleison).

When this is done, you need not recite the Confiteor nor the Kyrie that follows it. This is option C of the penitential rite. However, kneeling is not the posture (although, it does sound like a good thing, we can’t invent postures as we go along).

What your pastor did was inject creativity and his own personal idiosyncracy into the Mass. This is certainly not allowed.

 

[baltobetsy]

Was it “The Great Litany” by Peter Hallock? That’s a wonderful, moving (and lengthy) piece of music for cantor, congregation and bells, but it is not among the options for the Penitential Rite, even in Lent.

I’m doing it with the Episcopalians tomorrow morning.

Betsy