The Introit (from Latin: introitus, "entrance") is part of the opening of the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations. In its most complete version, it consists of an antiphon, psalm verse and Gloria Patri that is spoken or sung at the beginning of the celebration. It is part of the Proper of the liturgy; that is, the part that changes over the liturgical year.

In the Roman Rite of the Roman Catholic Church it is known as the antiphona ad introitum (Entrance antiphon), as in the text for each day's Mass, or as the cantus ad introitum (Entrance chant) as in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 47 and as in the First Roman Ordo (sixth to seventh century).^[1] In pre-1970 editions of the Roman Missal, the word Introitus was used, distinguished from the normal meaning of the word (entrance) by being capitalized. In Ambrosian chant and Beneventan chant, the counterpart of the Introit is called the "ingressa".^[2] In the Mozarabic, Carthusian, Dominican, and Carmelite Rites, it is called the "officium".^[1]

  History

Originally, the entrance of the priest who was to celebrate Mass was accompanied by the singing of a whole psalm, with Gloria Patri (doxology). While the psalm was at first sung responsorially, with an antiphon repeated by all at intervals, while a solo singer chanted the words of the psalm, it was soon sung directly by two groups of singers alternating with each other, and with the antiphon sung only at the beginning and the end, as is the usual way of chanting the psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours. The change to this manner of singing the psalm has been attributed to Pope Celestine I (422-432). Pope Gregory I (590-604), after whom Gregorian chant is named, composed several antiphons for singing with the Entrance psalm.^[1]

If singing of the psalm was not completed by the time the Entrance procession arrived at the altar, the singers moved directly to the Gloria Patri and the final repetition of the antiphon. In time only the opening verse of the psalm was kept, together with the Gloria Patri, preceded and followed by the antiphon, the form of the Introit in Tridentine Mass Roman Missals, which explicitly indicate this manner of singing the Introit.

The 1970 revision of the Roman Missal explicitly envisages singing the entire psalm associated with the antiphon, but does not make it obligatory.^[3] In contemporary Catholic usage, the introit corresponds to the Entrance Antiphon and is sung or recited audibly throughout by the faithful.

  Text and liturgical use

The antiphons of most Introits are taken from Psalms, though many come from other parts of Scripture. In some rare cases the antiphon is not from Scripture: "Salve, sancta parens", from the Christian poet Sedulius, is the antiphon used in the Tridentine form of the Roman Rite for common Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the 1970 revision kept a Mass formula of the Blessed Virgin with that antiphon, but provided several alternatives.

The words of the antiphons are related to the theme of the feastday or celebration and most frequently have something in common with the liturgical readings of the Mass.

In the Tridentine Mass the Introit is no longer the first text used in the Mass. In Low Mass, the priest reads it only after the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. Until 1908, even in sung Mass the choir began the Introit only after the priest had begun those prayers, but Pope Pius X restored the old arrangement whereby the Introit accompanied the entrance procession of the priest with the ministers. The Tridentine Mass has the priest read the Introit in the Missal even when it is also sung by the choir. It also has him make the sign of the cross, when reading it, a relic of the time when Mass began with it.^[1]

Since the 1970 revision of the Roman Missal, the Entrance chant begins as the priest enters. Its purpose is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, turn their thoughts to the mystery of the celebration, and accompany the procession. If there is no singing at the Entrance, the antiphon in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector; otherwise, it is recited by the priest himself, who may even adapt it as an introductory explanation.^[4]

If another rite immediately precedes Mass, such as the Palm Sunday procession or the various ceremonies that precede Mass at the Easter Vigil, Mass begins with the collect; there is no Entrance at that point and so no Entrance chant.

  Musical setting

In the musical idiom of Gregorian chant, Introits normally take the form antiphon-verse-antiphon-doxology-antiphon. In the Tridentine Missal, this form was, with very few exceptions, reduced to antiphon-verse-doxology-antiphon.

For example, the Tridentine Missal presents the Introit of the Fourth Sunday of Advent as follows:

First the antiphon Rorate Caeli from Isaiah 45:8:

Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant iustum:

aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.

(Bedew us, heavens, from above; ye clouds, rain down the Just One. Let the earth be opened up, and produce the Saviour.)

Then the verse from Psalm 18:2:

Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei

et opera manuum eius annuntiat firmamentum

(The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of His hands.)

Then the doxology.

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto,

Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

(Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.)

Then, once again, the initial antiphon: Rorate ... Salvatorem.

Introits, like Offertories and Communions, are believed to have evolved from simpler reciting tones. Introit melodies show this musical parentage most clearly, and are often anchored around two reciting notes which may be repeated or percussed.^[5] The melodies are mostly neumatic, dominated by neumes with two or three notes per syllable, although syllabic and melismatic passages also occur.

The Introits of Old Roman chant share many similarities with their Gregorian cousins, and often include a repeated extra verse that fell out of use in the Gregorian repertory.

  Use of the incipit

In the same way as Church documents are referred to by their incipit (their first words in Latin),^[6] Mass formulas are known by the incipit of their Introit, which is the first text in the formula. Thus a Mass for the dead is referred to a Requiem Mass, and the three Christmas Day Masses have been called Dominus dixit, Lux fulgebit and Puer natus. So too, Gaudete Sunday is a name for the third Sunday in Advent, Laetare Sunday for the fourth Sunday in Lent, and Quasimodo Sunday for the Octave or Second Sunday of Easter, because of the incipit of the Entrance antiphons of those Sundays.

  References

Order of Mass in the Roman Rite Forms Pre-Tridentine Mass · Tridentine Mass (extraordinary form) · Mass of Paul VI Types Missa Cantata · Coronation Mass · Chapter and Conventual Mass · High Mass · Low Mass · Nuptial Mass · Papal Mass · Pontifical High Mass · Red Mass · Requiem Mass · Missa sine populo · Votive Mass Introductory rites Vesting prayers · Asperges · Introit · Penitential Rite / Confiteor · Kyrie · Gloria · Collect · Dominus Vobiscum · Oremus Liturgy of the Word First Reading · Responsorial Psalm · Epistle · Gradual · Tract · sequentia · Alleluia · Gospel · homily · Credo (Nicene Creed) · General Intercessions Liturgy of the Eucharist Offertory · Orate fratres · Secret prayer · Eucharistic Prayer · Canon of the Mass (texts & rubrics / history) · Preface (Sursum corda / Sanctus / Hosanna) · Words of Institution (Transubstantiation) · Elevation · Memorial Acclamation / Mystery of faith · Epiclesis · Lord's Prayer · Embolism · Doxology · Sign of peace / Pax · Agnus Dei · Fraction · Holy Communion · Communion (chant) · Ablutions · Postcommunion (Thanksgiving) · Dismissal (Ite missa est / Benedicamus Domino) · Last Gospel Participants Acolyte · altar server (female) · bishop · boat boy · cantor · choir · crucifer · deacon · Extraordinary minister of Holy Communion  · laity (Eucharistic Congress) · lector · priest · subdeacon · usher Parts of the Sanctuary/Altar altar crucifix · ambo · altar rails · Credence table · lavabo · tabernacle · misericord · piscina · kneeler Altar cloths altar linens · corporal · pall · purificator · lavabo towel · burse · chalice veil · antependium Candles and lamps altar candle · altar candlestick · Paschal candle · sanctuary lamp · triple candlestick · votive candle Liturgical vessels aspergillum · ciborium · chalice · cruet · paten · pyx Liturgical objects altar bell · collection basket · flabellum · funghellino · holy water · incense (use) · processional cross · sacramental bread (wafer) · sacramental wine (or must) · thurible · water Liturgical books of the Roman Rite collectarium · evangeliary · lectionary (revised) · Roman Missal · Roman Pontifical · sacramentary Vestments (pontifical) Alb · chasuble · dalmatic · episcopal sandals · headcover · humeral veil · mantilla · manuterge · pallium · stole · surplice · tunicle · vimpa Concepts and actions Antiphon · Blood of Christ · Body of Christ · church etiquette · closed communion · commemoration · Communion and the developmentally disabled · Communion under both kinds · Crucifixion of Jesus (atonement) · ecclesiastical Latin · Eucharistic discipline · music · Eucharistic fast · First Communion · General Instruction of the Roman Missal · genuflection · grace (ex opere operato) · Host desecration · infant communion · In persona Christi · intercession of saints · intinction · Koinonia · the Last Supper · liturgical colours · liturgical year (proper) · Melchizedek priesthood · Order of Mass · prayer (effects of prayer) · Ordines Romani · Real Presence · reserved sacrament · responsory · Sign of the Cross · Sunday (Lord's Day) · viaticum Related Agape feast · benediction of the Blessed Sacrament · Catholic liturgy · Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments · Council of Trent · church music (Mass) · Corpus Christi (feast) · Ecclesia de Eucharistia · Epiousios · Eucharistic adoration · Eucharistic miracle · Eucharistic theology · Fourth Council of the Lateran · historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology · Holy day of obligation · Liturgical Movement · Missale Romanum · Mysterium Fidei (encyclical) · origin of the Eucharist · Pope Pius XII Liturgy Reforms · Pro multis · Quo Primum · Roman Catholic theology · Sacraments of the Catholic Church · sacristy · Summorum Pontificum · traditionalist Catholic · Tra le sollecitudini · Vatican II (Sacrosanctum Concilium) · Year of the Eucharist Catholicism Portal

Gregorian chants of the Roman Mass Ordinary Kyrie · Gloria · Credo · Sanctus · Agnus Dei · Ite missa est , Benedicamus Domino or Requiescant in pace Proper Introit · Gradual · Alleluia or Tract · Sequence · Offertory · Communion Accentus Collect · Epistle · Gospel · Secret · Preface · Canon · Postcommunion

Order of the Divine Service in Lutheranism Preparatory Service Entrance hymn and Trinitarian formula (known as the Invocation) · Penitential Rite including the Confiteor and Declaration of Grace (or Asperges on Easter) The Service of the Word Introit · Gloria Patri · Kýrie · Gloria · Dominus Vobiscum · Oremus · Collect · Old Testament reading · gradual (or Responsorial Psalm) · Epistle · Alleluia (tract during Lent) · Gospel · Hymn of the day · Homily or Postil (Sermon) · Nicene Creed (Athanasian Creed on Trinity Sunday)  · Offertory · Prayers of the Faithful The Service of the Eucharist Preface (Sursum corda / Sanctus / Hosanna) · Eucharistic Prayer (Epiclesis / Words of Institution / Memorial Acclamation) · Lord's Prayer · Sign of peace / pax (elevation)  · Agnus Dei  · Distribution  · Nunc dimittis  · Postcommunion  · Benedicamus Domino  · Benediction  · Dismissal · Ite missa est Participants Acolyte · bishop · cantor · choir · crucifer · deacon · elder · laity · lector · Pastor (or Priest) · usher Parts of the Sanctuary altar · altar bell · altar crucifix · altar rails · kneeler · piscina · processional cross · tabernacle Candles altar candle · paschal candle · sanctuary lamp · votive candle Liturgical vessels ciborium · chalice · cruet · Liturgical objects collection basket · holy water · incense (use) · paten · sacramental bread (wafer) · sacramental wine · thurible Vestments alb · chasuble · dalmatic · geneva gown · humeral veil · stole · surplice · tunicle · Liturgical books and hymnals Agenda · Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book · Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary · Evangelical Lutheran Worship · Lutheran Book of Worship · Lutheran Hymnal · Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement · Lutheran Service Book · Lutheran Worship · Service Book and Hymnal Lutheranism Portal