Msgr. Beaulieu – Ordinary vs Proper

Ordinary vs. Proper in the Mass

There are two different types of elements that constitute the Mass as whole: the Ordinary and the Proper. The Ordinary includes things that remain unchanged each and every week: The Lord have Mercy (or Kyrie), Gloria in excelsis Deo, Credo, Holy, Holy, Holy (or Sanctus), Memorial Acclamation, and the Lamb of God (or Agnus Dei). In all of those prayers, the texts do not change. Every time that the Mass is offered, you can count on the words to each one of those prayers being the same as the week or day before.

The Proper of the Mass, on the other hand, refers to the liturgical texts that change from day to day, including the three presidential prayers (the prayers by the priest right after the Gloria, at the Offertory, and after Communion) and the chants or songs for the Entrance, Psalm, Gospel Acclamation verse, Offertory, and Communion. If you were to look in the Roman Missal (or Missale Romanum) that the priest uses and find the section with the proper prayers for each Mass, you would see the texts prayed by the priest for that specific day or week, but you would also see listed what are called some proper antiphons. Like the responsorial psalm, an antiphon is another psalm paired with a repeated phrase that is connected with the readings. These texts are arranged into verses and refrains, just like the Responsorial Psalm, but they are referred to as antiphons because traditionally, two choirs would sing the verse and antiphon, each singing one of them creating what is known as an antiphonal effect.

What is identified as the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), found at the beginning of the Roman Missal, you would find that the GIRM reveals the importance of antiphons. In GIRM n. 48, an entry that provides guidelines for the liturgy, instructs that antiphons, particularly the Entrance Antiphon and Communion Antiphon, should be sung or recited during specific parts of the Mass. These antiphons, which are usually passages from Scripture or liturgical texts, are meant to introduce or accompany the particular liturgical moment.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal, n. 48

…there are four options for the Entrance Chant (or Offertory or Communion Chant):

1. The antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another setting;
2. The antiphon and Psalm of the Graduale Simplex for the liturgical time;
3. A chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms;
4. Another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop.

The first three preferences outlined in the Roman Missal are antiphons and psalms. Option four says we can use “another liturgical chant” which can also be seen to include many of the hymns we now often hear at Mass. Option number four became so popular after the Second Vatican Council that we forgot about the first three options, which was never the intent of the council. How do we know? Long explanation short, when the Council documents list a few different options, they always put the most appropriate and preferable options first. Hence, the use of the proper antiphon is the most preferable and appropriate.

Excerpted from wwwfindlaystmichael.org. Peter Grodi. “Liturgy Corner: September 5, 2021 The Antiphons.