The Novus Ordo Mass - Part I - The Introductory Rites
In this series of articles, we will analyze the form and structure of the Novus Ordo Mass via transition and development from the Usus Antiquior—i.e. the Traditional Latin Mass. Therefore, a review and understanding of the Usus Antiquior will be of great assistance as you proceed through these articles as these articles will analyze the Novus Ordo Mass from the perspective of the liturgical reforms called for by Sacrosanctum Concillium. These articles will NOT take a position on whether the reforms of the liturgy in the Novus Ordo Mass actually conform to the intent of The Second Vatican Council. A separate series of exploration will address this issue. With that, we begin this series with “The Introductory Rites”—i.e., the beginnings of the Novus Ordo Mass.
The Introductory Rites: Preparation for the Sacred Action
The Church has never treated worship as spontaneous or casual. From Sinai to Calvary to the Roman Rite, approach to God is always mediated, ordered, and preparatory. The Introductory Rites of the Mass exist to form the interior posture of the worshiper, because divine realities cannot be received rightly by an unprepared soul.
The Novus Ordo attempts to retain this ancient instinct of the Roman Rite: before God speaks and before sacrifice is offered, man must be gathered, humbled, oriented, and elevated. These rites do not exist for atmosphere; they exist for conversion of attention.
I. Entrance Procession and Chant
Theological Meaning
The Mass begins with movement toward the altar, not with speech. This is deliberate. In biblical religion, God is not approached casually or from wherever one happens to be standing. Sacred encounter is preceded by ascent.
The Psalms repeatedly associate worship with movement toward God’s dwelling place:
“Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place?”¹
The altar represents Christ Himself—priest, victim, and place of sacrifice—and thus the Church approaches Christ by motion before she addresses Him by word.
The Entrance Chant serves a precise liturgical function:
it marks the transition from profane time to sacred time,
unifies disparate individuals into a single worshiping body,
and announces the theological character of the celebration.
This is not musical ornamentation but ritual theology enacted audibly.
Development
In the pre-conciliar Roman Rite, the Introit functioned as a proper chant tied to the feast or liturgical day. While the theology of entrance was fully present, the chant was often recited quietly by the priest, with the congregation remaining externally passive.
Sacrosanctum Concilium articulated a reform principle that rites should be structured so that their meaning is more readily perceived by the faithful and that participation be conscious and interiorly engaged, not merely observational².
Accordingly:
the Entrance Chant was retained in purpose,
but reformed to an audible, communal function,
accompanying a visible procession that externalizes the Church’s interior movement toward God.
II. The Liturgical Greeting
Theological Meaning
The priest’s greeting—“The Lord be with you”—is a theological declaration, not a polite acknowledgment. It proclaims that the assembly exists as Church only because Christ is present and active.
The response—“And with your spirit”—is not reciprocal politeness. It recognizes the ontological change effected by Holy Orders, acknowledging the Spirit given to the priest so that Christ Himself may act sacramentally through him³.
This dialogue establishes the fundamental hierarchy of the liturgy:
Christ acts,
the priest serves sacramentally,
the people respond ecclesially.
The Mass begins, therefore, not with human initiative, but with divine presence acknowledged.
Development
The greeting itself is ancient and unchanged in substance. The development introduced by the post-conciliar reform concerns clarity and audibility, not theology.
Sacrosanctum Concilium emphasized that liturgical actions are acts of the whole Church, not private prayers said on behalf of others⁴. The greeting was thus:
proclaimed clearly,
audibly exchanged,
and understood as an act that establishes communal worship under Christ’s headship.
The reform made explicit what was always true: the Mass is never a private act.
III. The Penitential Act
Theological Meaning
No authentic encounter with the holy God begins without acknowledgment of sin. Scripture is unambiguous: purification precedes worship⁵.
The Penitential Act expresses three immutable truths:
God is holy.
Man is fallen.
Mercy is necessary for right worship.
This act is not psychological self-assessment, nor does it replace sacramental confession. Rather, it disposes the soul, clearing impediments to reception of grace and truth⁶.
The Church here teaches that humility is not optional for worship; it is the necessary precondition.
Development
In the Traditional Latin Mass, penitence was concentrated in the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, largely articulated by the priest and servers.
Sacrosanctum Concilium called for:
simplification where elements were duplicated,
and clearer manifestation of rites that belong to the whole assembly⁷.
The reform therefore:
relocated the penitential act into the Introductory Rites,
expanded broader participation to the congregation,
and preserved the Confiteor while permitting alternative ancient formulas.
The penitential theology remained unchanged; the ecclesial visibility of penitence increased.
IV. The Kyrie
Theological Meaning
The Kyrie eleison is among the most ancient prayers of the Roman Rite and remains deliberately preserved in Greek as a sign of universality and antiquity.
To cry “Lord, have mercy” is simultaneously:
a confession of Christ’s divinity (Kyrios),
and an appeal to His redemptive authority.
Positioned between penitence and praise, the Kyrie expresses the Church’s confidence that mercy is not begged in vain, because Christ Himself is the source of that mercy⁸.
Development
The Kyrie was never removed or rewritten. The development concerns ritual integration.
Sacrosanctum Concilium allowed legitimate flexibility in structure where meaning was preserved and redundancy avoided⁹. As a result:
the Kyrie may follow the Penitential Act directly,
or be incorporated into it,
without alteration of text or theological content.
This is a disciplinary adjustment, not a doctrinal innovation.
V. The Gloria
Theological Meaning
The Gloria is the Church’s great hymn of exaltation, echoing the angelic proclamation at Christ’s Nativity¹⁰. Having confessed sin and implored mercy, the Church now erupts into praise.
It is:
Trinitarian in structure,
Christological in focus,
and eschatological in tone.
The Gloria reminds the faithful that the Mass is not merely penitential or instructional—it is fundamentally doxological.
Development
The Council explicitly preserved the Gloria and its traditional placement¹¹. The development lies in mode, not matter:
greater encouragement of congregational singing,
vernacular translation for intelligibility,
and restoration of its character as a communal hymn rather than clerical recitation.
Nothing was removed. The hymn’s corporate voice was restored.
VI. The Collect
Theological Meaning
The Collect “collects” the prayers of the faithful into one unified petition, addressed to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit.
It articulates:
the theological theme of the day,
the posture with which Scripture is to be heard,
and the lens through which the mystery of the Mass is to be understood.
The silence preceding it is intentional: prayer arises from stillness before it finds expression¹².
Development
Sacrosanctum Concilium called for liturgical texts to be:
clearer in expression,
free from unnecessary repetition,
and more fully drawn from the Church’s ancient treasury¹³.
Accordingly:
some collects were retranslated or restored from earlier sacramentaries,
new texts were composed following the traditional Roman oration structure,
vernacular language was employed to ensure comprehension.
This represents textual development within doctrinal continuity.
Summary
The Introductory Rites of the Novus Ordo Mass were developed to externalize the Roman Rite’s interior logic: approach, humility, mercy, praise, and orientation toward divine speech and sacrifice.
Whether these intentions are always realized pastorally is a separate question. But structurally and theologically, the rites remain recognizably Roman, recognizably Catholic, and recognizably ordered toward sacrifice.
Endnotes
Psalm 24:3–4.
Sacrosanctum Concilium §14, §21.
2 Timothy 4:22; Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) §1548.
Sacrosanctum Concilium §26–27.
Isaiah 6:5; Psalm 51; Exodus 19.
CCC §§1385–1389.
Sacrosanctum Concilium §28, §34.
Luke 18:38–39.
Sacrosanctum Concilium §38.
Luke 2:14.
Sacrosanctum Concilium §50.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) §54.
Sacrosanctum Concilium §34.
When you’re ready, Article II (The Liturgy of the Word) can:
track the restoration of Scripture cycles,
explain the theology of proclamation vs. private reading,
and address why the homily became structurally mandatory—again with endnotes only.