Mass Monday: Preface

Welcome to Mass Monday: a chance to examine the Mass as the central act of Catholic worship.

The preface is a part of Mass most of us don’t even realize we are taking part in. Squeezed in between the general intercessions and the Eucharistic Prayer is this beautiful little dialog between priest, people, and Creator.

In the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, their liturgies are very different from Latin Rite Masses. Some of us might know that their Mass (they always call it “Divine Liturgy” instead of “Mass”) is famous for being very, very long. This is because the second half of their Liturgy never changes—there are not different versions of the Eucharistic Prayer for different seasons, for example. In the Latin Rite, we have special prayers that change from season to season, and sometimes from week to week.

The Preface is one of those prayers. Each Sunday, the Church chooses one of many, many Prefaces for the priest to say. After the dialog that begins “Lift up your hearts!”, the priest prays the Preface prayer. It might focus on God as the Trinity, or God as the Creator, or God as Savior, or God as Eternal. The Preface always pulls just one tiny little aspect of God out, for us to closely examine and meditate upon as we continue our prayer in the Canon, or Eucharistic Prayer. (In Eastern Liturgy, all the different ways of thinking about God are mentioned every week. No wonder it takes a long time!)

The preface used most often, and recommended by the Church for ordinary time, goes like this:

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give You thanks. When Your children sinned and wandered far from Your friendship, You reunited them with Yourself through the blood of Your Son and the power of the Holy Spirit.You gather them into Your church, to be one as You, Father,are one with Your Son and the Holy Spirit. You call them to be Your people,to praise Your wisdom in all Your works. You make them the body of Christ and the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit.

My favorite Preface is the one for Christmas Mass at Midnight, and it goes like this:

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. In the wonder of the Incarnation your eternal Word has brought to the eyes of faith a new and radiant vision of your glory. In him we see our God made visible and so are caught up in love of the God we cannot see.

Listen for the preface next Sunday, and keep an ear open for one you like in particular. Had you ever noticed it before?