Original

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the prayers said by the priest at the foot of the altar,
in which he expresses his humility and confusion at the
remembrance of his sins which he confesses. In
early times, the priest said these prayers whilst he was
going from the sacristy to the altar, and the choir was
singing the Introit or solemn entrance-anthem.
The Introit, which means entrance, in early times
consisted of a whole psalm followed by the Gloria Patri,
and an antiphon. The psalm was chosen according to the
circumstances, or according to the mysteries which were
being celebrated. The beginning
of the rjsalm with the
Gloria and the antiphon is all that has been retained
of the early practice. The Introit, with the other parts
of the Mass which are sung, the prayers (Collect, Secret
and Postcommunion) and the Lessons, form what is
called the Proper of the Season, or the part which varies
according to the season, in contradistinction to the Ordi
nary of the Mass which never changes.
The Kyrie eleison is an invocation in Greek repeated
nine times, asking each of the three divine Persons
to have pity on us. The Gloria in excelsis is a hymn of
joy in honour of the Blessed Trinity ;
with the
it begins
canticle of the angels at the birth of our divine Redeemer.
The Gloria is said on all Sundays of the year, on all
feast days and during the Paschal season. But during
Advent, Septuagesima and Lent, and in Votive Masses
and Masses for the dead, the Gloria is omitted.
The Collect, preceded by the Dominus vobiscum, or
salutation of peace with which the priest greets the people,
is one of the principal prayers in which he unites all
the prayers of the assembled faithful and offers them to
God. The Collect varies according to the season and
the feast. Sometimes there are several Collects at the
same Mass.