Now that the Mass has begun with the signing of the Cross by everyone present, the Priest may make a very brief introduction to the Mass. This should lead into the Penitential Rite.
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| Thrice Holy |
When we come before God as we do in the Mass, we quite naturally are aware of the difference between the All-Holy God and our own sinfulness. This is captured in the story of the call of the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was in the Temple and he had a vision of the Lord:
"I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
"‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
"The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’" (See Isaiah 6:1-8 HERE)
Some are uncomfortable with the Mass taking a turn to consider our sinfulness after beginning with song and praise as the Mass begins. It is like a mood swing from joyful to sorrowful; and then we will become joyful again in the Gloria which follows the Penitential Rite. However, the Mass wisely faces up to the difference between ourselves and God. If we put the holiness of God in terms of love, we can say God is All-loving. Yet who can say that about ourselves? We have a long way to go to be as loving as God.
So like Isaiah we confess our sinfulness.
Confiteor
The First Option of the Penitential Rite is the Confiteor ("I confess..."). This confession was only standardized in the 1570 reform of the Mass at the time of the Protestant Reformation. It was further simplified after the Second Vatican II reform in the 1960's, but then most recently was translated more closely to the original Latin text of the Mass. It begins with each person confessing together, but it is also communal because it ends up asking those present at Mass and even the Virgin Mary and the angels and saints to intercede for us. The Confiteor reminds us tht the Mass is celebrated both on earth and in heaven:
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done
and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault,
through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
What is different in the New Translation of this confession from the version we used in the 1970 Mass immediately after the Vatican II Council are the phrases found in the Latin: "I have greatly sinned" and "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault" (translating the famous "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa") By the way, at the recitation of the triple mea culpa, the directives say we should strike our breast (chest), which is an ancient gesture of remorse or sorrow (see for example Like 18:13 HERE). One does so with a closed fist, usually the right hand is used. There is a question when the directive says to strike one’s breast as to whether this means to do so only once, or three times as it was with the Mass before Vatican II. The older form seems to be coming back of a triple strike with the triple confession of fault.
All this talk of "greatly sinned" and "grievous sin" might seem a little too much if we haven’t sinned that much since our last Mass! But Saint Isaac the Syrian, says that "the great sin is the lack of sensitivity to sin." How many people commit sins and do not feel that they are sinning! (See Homily about this HERE)
However, no matter how great our sin may be, the mercy of God is greater. When Isaiah saw God and cried out "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips" God provided the means for Isaiah to be cleansed of his sin: "your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven" (See Isa. 6:7) If we have seriously sinned, we need to go to sacramental Confession. Otherwise, this confession at Mass brings forgiveness of our less serious sins.
Absolution
The Priest at Mass, after all have confessed and asked each other and Mary and the angels and saints to pray for them, gives reassurance of God’s forgiveness by praying an Absolution:
"May Almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life."
This Absolution is not the same as sacramental Absolution given in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (such as individual Confession to a Priest).
Kyrie
Next the Priest intones the Kyrie eleison ("Lord, have mercy") and all repeat "Kyrie eleison;" then Christe eleison ("Christ, have mercy") and then again "Kyrie eleison" ("Lord, have mercy"). This can be either in Greek or the vernacular, i,e,, English for English speakers.
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The interesting thing about the Kyrie which is Greek, is that this is a vestige when the ancient Mass was in the Greek language. It may surprise some that the ancient Romans often spoke Greek in addition to Latin. This was because so many in the Eastern part of the Empire spoke Greek from the days when Alexander the Great had established his Empire. The Romans also admired the Greeks for their great accomplishments. So Greek was both the language of the common person and the elites. (To read more about this see "Languages of the Roman Empire" HERE)The Mass of the early Church was in Greek throughout the Empire, but later was said in Latin in the West where it became standard until Vatican II.
Second Option
There are two other versions of the Penitential Rite beside the Confiteor in our Mass from the reforms of Vatican II. The Second Option is rarely done for some reason:
Priest: Have mercy on us, Lord.
Congregation: For we have sinned against you.
Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
Congregation: And grant us your salvation.
The Priest then prays the Absolution (see above, after Confiteor)
The Kyrie would follow.
Third Option
The Third Option is very familiar to us. Three invocations are said, and Kyrie eleison or "Lord, have mercy" follow the first and third and Christe eleison or "Christ, have mercy" follow the second invocation:
Example:
Priest: You were sent to heal the contrite (or a similar invocation): Lord, have mercy.
Congregation: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: You came to call sinners (or a similar invocation): Christ, have mercy.
Congregation: Christ, have mercy.
Priest: You plead for us at the right hand of the Father (or a similar invocation): Lord, have mercy.
Congregation: Lord, have mercy.
The Kyrie doesn’t follow because it was used in the formula itself. The Absolution is prayed.
In all, the mercy of God is emphasized.
Next week: The Sprinkling Rite
