After the “Gloria” has been sung or recited, the priest invites the assembly to pray. Then the priest says the “collect” prayer and by which the character of the celebration is expressed. The collect prayer is usually addressed to God the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, and is concluded with a trinitarian ending. The people, uniting themselves to this entreaty, make the prayer their own with the acclamation, Amen. (GIRM 54)
The Collect the introductory rites of the Mass conclude and then proceeds to the Liturgy of the Word.
The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation, and so any sort of haste that hinders recollection must clearly be avoided. It is also appropriate to include brief periods of silence, in which, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the word of God may be grasped by the heart. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the first and second reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the homily (GIRM 56).
In the readings, the table of God’s word is prepared for the faithful, and the riches of the Bible are opened to them. Hence, it is preferable to maintain the arrangement of the biblical readings, by which light is shed on the unity of both Testaments and of salvation history. Moreover, it is unlawful to substitute other, non-biblical texts for the readings and responsorial Psalm, which contain the word of God (GIRM 57).
The function of proclaiming the readings is ministerial, not presidential. The readings, therefore, should be proclaimed by a lector; On the other hand, the deacon, or in his absence, the priest, will proclaim the Gospel (GIRM 59).
After the first reading comes the responsorial Psalm, which is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and holds great liturgical and pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the word of God. It is preferable that the responsorial Psalm be sung, at least as far as the people’s response is concerned. Hence, the psalmist, or the cantor of the Psalm, sings the verses of the Psalm from the ambo or another suitable place (GIRM 61).
After the reading that immediately precedes the Gospel, the Alleluia or another chant indicated by the rubrics is sung, as required by the liturgical season The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent (GIRM 62).
The homily is part of the Liturgy for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life (GIRM 65). The homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself, He may entrust it, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person (GIRM 66).
Let us listen attentively to the readings and the Gospel that are the living word of God and nourishment of our spirit, let us also listen attentively to the homily which calls us to reflect on the Scriptures and their application to our lives.