Q: I hope you are well. I have another question. I don’t know why I never noticed this before, but a Deacon brought up to me the fact that there are no Introductory Rites included in the Roman Missal for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Are they implied or absent? He’s telling me that it has been his experience to begin the entrance procession with the Gloria. This has not been my experience. We have always began Mass in the usual way and then inserted the Gloria at its usual place.
Could please clarify this for me?
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A: The Mass of the Lord’s Supper includes the complete introductory rites. It is “Mass” of the Lord’s Supper, which means that the page gives you what pertains to this day, and you find the rest of it in the “Order of Mass” as with any other celebration of the Eucharist.
Note that it begins with an entrance antiphon, as do other sets of Mass formulas. Then it tells you about the Gloria because there are some days when the Gloria is omitted. It’s simply making a clarification to include it on this occasion. This does not imply omitting the penitential act any more than the reference to the gospel on the second page implies the omission of the first two readings.
The entrance antiphon is distinct from the Gloria. It is not appropriate to sing the Gloria in place of the entrance antiphon.