About the Mass Series: Introductory Dialogue

ABOUT THE MASS SERIES

 

INTRODUCTORY DIALOGUE.

 

Priest: ‘The Lord be with you.

 

Congregation: And also with you.

 

Priest: Lift up our hearts.

 

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

 

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

 

Congregation: It is right to give Him thanks and praise’.

 

 

 

This is called the Introductory Dialogue and begins the next section of the Mass-Liturgy of the Eucharist.  All the Eucharistic Prayers begin with the Introductory Dialogue, possibly a custom from the Jewish tradition. The oldest example of this dialogue is read in the Eucharistic Prayer of Hippolytus. 

 

According to this tradition, the priest enters alone into the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass, but the entire congregation prays it with him in spirit. Therefore, the Introductory Dialogue from its earliest times attests to the unity of the Congregation.  Saint Cyprian, around 251-252 in his prayer treatise said:

 

 “When we rise for the orison, we must watch and apply ourselves with all our hearts to prayer. Let all carnal and worldly thoughts be cast aside, let the soul think of nothing other than praying”.

 

 These thoughts still hold true for us today every time we participate in the Mass as we enter into the Introductory Dialogue with the priest.  He encourages us to enter into the sacrifice of the Mass as fully as we can by preparing us saying ‘Let us lift up our hearts’ and we respond ‘We lift them up to the Lord’.

 

If your mind has wondered, or you have lost your focus, the words of the Introductory Dialogue in the Mass give us another opportunity to refocus and to give God thanks and praise.