Rachel Evans
The Gospel Acclamation is a rite or act that introduces the proclamation of the gospel that follows it. It is a celebration of the arrival of Jesus Christ into our midst by means of his word proclaimed by the Deacon or Priest. The rite instruction goes on to note that the acclamation is a creedal statement – a statement of faith in Jesus. The Gospel Acclamation is commonly called the Alleluia, which is sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated if appropriate. The verse, however, is sung either by the choir or by the cantor. During Lent, the Gospel Acclamation takes on a special form, chosen from one of eight refrains followed by a verse. The refrains are all forms of praise to Jesus, and the verses are normally from the scriptures.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To set up or introduce the proclamation of the gospel that follows it. |
| Name | Gospel Acclamation, Alleluia Verse (outside of Lent), Verse before the Gospel (during Lent) |
| Structure | First, the Alleluia is sung by the cantor or choir, then repeated by everyone, followed by a verse from scripture sung by the cantor or choir, and a final Alleluia sung by all. |
| Occasions | The Gospel Acclamation is a rite unto itself and is usually sung on solemn occasions, such as a Mass celebrated by a bishop, and for Sunday and Holy Day celebrations. |
| Editions | 1969 Latin, 1970 USA, 1981 Latin, 1998-2002 USA |
| Source of Scripture Verse | The source of the scripture verse varies. On Sundays, this verse is often taken from one of the verses in the gospel that follows. |
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What You'll Learn
The Gospel Acclamation is a rite unto itself
The Gospel Acclamation is commonly called the Alleluia, and it is sung in every liturgical season other than Lent. During Lent, the Alleluia is replaced by one of eight refrains, followed by a verse. These verses are normally from the scriptures, often from the Psalter. The Alleluia is also omitted if it is not sung, and the practice of merely reciting the acclamation is legitimate. However, the Church's intention is that whenever possible, the Alleluia or other seasonal acclamations should always be sung.
The structure of the Gospel Acclamation normally consists of the Alleluia first sung by the cantor or choir, repeated by everyone, a verse from scripture sung by the cantor or choir, and a final Alleluia sung by all. The source of the scripture verse varies, but on Sundays, this verse is usually taken from one of the verses in the gospel that follows. The Gospel Acclamation may also be repeated after the Gospel on more solemn occasions, such as at a Mass celebrated by a bishop to accompany the procession with the Book of the Gospels.
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It is a celebration of Jesus Christ's arrival
The Gospel Acclamation is a rite or act in itself, introducing the good news of the words and deeds of Christ. It is a celebration of Jesus Christ's arrival in our midst by means of his word, proclaimed by the Deacon or Priest. This rite is an important part of the Mass, with a rich and colourful history. The acclamation is a creedal statement – a statement of faith and celebration in Jesus.
The Gospel Acclamation is commonly called the Alleluia and is sung by all while standing, and is led by the choir or cantor, being repeated if appropriate. The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent. During Lent, the Gospel Acclamation takes on a special form, with one of eight refrains followed by a verse, all of which are praise to Jesus. The Alleluia is omitted during Lent in Western Christianity, but in Eastern Orthodox Churches, it is sung more often.
The Gospel Acclamation is usually sung, but it may be omitted if not sung. The Introduction to the Lectionary refers to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which notes that the Gospel Acclamation is a rite in itself. The Lectionary for Mass does not print the full texts to be read but gives the appropriate biblical references from the Neo-Vulgate Bible, along with an "incipit" specifying how the reading is to begin. The local Lectionaries contain direct translations of the Latin texts as printed in the Ordo Lectionum Missae.
The Gospel Acclamation is an important part of the Mass, a time to celebrate and profess faith in Jesus Christ. It is a joyous occasion, especially during Easter, when the Alleluia is saved up and explodes with great joy. The dynamic at work is one of proclamation, attentive listening, silence, and sung response.
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It is a statement of faith in Jesus
The Gospel Acclamation is a rite or act in itself, introducing the good news of the words and deeds of Christ. It is a statement of faith in Jesus, a celebration of his arrival into our midst by means of his word, proclaimed by the Deacon or Priest. The acclamation is usually sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or cantor. It is repeated if appropriate, and the verse is sung by the choir or cantor.
The Gospel Acclamation is an important part of the Mass, with a rich and colourful history. It is a way to acclaim the Gospel, the words of Jesus, and to profess one's faith. The Lectionary for Mass, which contains the texts for the Gospel Acclamation, draws on the local translations of the Bible. The Latin Lectionary includes the full texts to be used at each Mass for the Gospel Acclamation, which are direct quotations from the Neo-Vulgate Bible.
The Gospel Acclamation is also known as the "Alleluia Verse" outside of Lent and the "Verse before the Gospel" during Lent. During Lent, the Gospel Acclamation takes on a special form, chosen from one of eight refrains, followed by a verse. These refrains are all forms of praise to Jesus, and the verses are usually from the Scriptures, often from the Psalter. The Alleluia is omitted during Lent in Western Christianity, but in Eastern Orthodox Churches, it is sung more frequently during this period.
The use of periods of silence after the reading is an important part of the Liturgy of the Word, creating a dynamic of proclamation with attentive listening, silence, and sung response. The Gospel Acclamation may be omitted if it is not sung, although it is expected to be present and sung during Sunday and Holy Day celebrations.
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It is sung by all while standing
The Gospel Acclamation is a rite or act in itself, introducing the good news of the words and deeds of Christ. It is a celebration of the arrival of Jesus Christ into our midst by means of his word proclaimed by the Deacon or Priest. The rite instruction goes on to note that the acclamation is a creedal statement – a statement of faith in Jesus. The acclamation is usually sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated if appropriate. The verse, however, is sung either by the choir or by the cantor.
The Gospel Acclamation is commonly called the Alleluia, which is sung in every season other than Lent. During Lent, the Alleluia is replaced by a verse called a tractus, and the Gospel Acclamation takes on a special form, with one of eight refrains followed by a verse. The refrains are all forms of praise to Jesus, and the verses are normally from the scriptures, often from the Psalter. These replace the Alleluia that is used at this moment during the rest of the year.
The custom of not singing Alleluia during Lent is a custom in Western Christianity. In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Alleluia is sung more often in Lent, as there are more prayers, and so more opportunity to sing it. Even in the Roman churches of the west, Alleluia was still sung during Lent for the first 600 years. Saint Augustine writes about singing the Alleluia all through Lent. The Alleluia is saved up in people's hearts during Lent so that it can explode with the greatest possible joy on Easter.
The Gospel Acclamation may be omitted if it is not sung. It is not considered a regular practice to repeat the Gospel acclamation or sing some other acclamation after the Gospel, but it may be done on more solemn occasions, such as at a Mass celebrated by a bishop to accompany the procession with the Book of the Gospels.
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It is commonly called the Alleluia
The Gospel Acclamation is a rite or act that introduces and sets up the proclamation of the gospel that follows it. It is a celebration of the arrival of Jesus Christ and a statement of faith in him. The acclamation is usually sung by all while standing and is led by the choir or cantor. It is commonly called the "Alleluia" in all the seasons of the church year except for Lent, during which the Alleluia is omitted from Ash Wednesday until the Easter Vigil.
The Alleluia is first sung by the cantor or choir, repeated by everyone, followed by a verse from scripture, and then a final Alleluia sung by all. The scripture verse varies and is often taken from the gospel that follows. The Alleluia may be omitted if it is not sung, although this is not considered best liturgical practice. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states that the acclamation "constitutes a rite or act in itself, by which the assembly of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak to them in the Gospel and professes their faith by means of the chant."
The history of the acclamation that comes before the Gospel is varied. The Gospel, as the 'ipissima verba' or the very words of Christ, needs to be set off from the other readings. A call to silence is also important to ensure that the congregation is paying attention. During Lent, the Gospel Acclamation takes on a special form, chosen from one of eight refrains that are all forms of praise to Jesus, followed by a verse, usually from the scriptures or the Psalter. These replace the Alleluia used during the rest of the year.
The custom of not singing Alleluia during Lent is a tradition in Western Christianity. However, in Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Alleluia is still sung more often during Lent due to the increased number of prayers. The omission of the Alleluia during Lent in Roman churches is a more recent development, influenced by non-Roman sources. The Alleluia is considered to be saved up during Lent so that it can be celebrated with great joy on Easter.
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Frequently asked questions
The Gospel Acclamation is a rite that introduces and celebrates the arrival of Jesus Christ and his words, which are proclaimed by the Deacon or Priest. It is also known as the Alleluia Verse outside of Lent and the Verse Before the Gospel during Lent.
The purpose of the Gospel Acclamation is to set up and introduce the proclamation of the Gospel that follows it. It is meant to be a call to attention and to highlight the importance of the words of Christ.
The Gospel Acclamation is generally sung by the choir or cantor and repeated by the assembly while standing. It is sung in every season except for Lent, where it may be omitted if not sung. However, it is not uncommon for it to be recited without singing on more solemn occasions or when there is no choir or cantor present.
