Now that we’ve come to Mass as fully prepared as possible, we are invited to stand (if we are able) and to join in singing our Opening Hymn. Our participation in this Opening Song, also sometimes called the “Gathering Song,” is extremely important. We have been apart from one another for a week. Now we assemble together again and we need something to bring us back together in spirit. At sports games we sing the National Anthem, at a wedding reception we might begin by toasting the couple and praying grace before the meal, in school we begin the day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. These actions gather us together and unite us for the common activity we are about to undertake. So too at Mass, our Opening Song gathers us from our disparate lives, and unites us once again as a community of faith – as the Body of Christ – to give praise and worship to our God. Choosing not to participate in the Opening Song at Mass is to say that we don’t really want to immerse ourselves in what we’ve come here to do. Furthermore, the Opening Song is chosen specifically to set the stage for what we are about to hear in the readings at Mass or the feast we’ve come to celebrate. It signals for us the “theme” or “purpose” of this particular Mass. For example, we open the Christmas Mass with something like, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” which tells us immediately, “It’s Christmas!” Or on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, we might open with “Immaculate Mary.” Sometimes a particular reading that will be part of the Mass is captured in a hymn we sing. So on the weekend we are going to hear the Beatitudes from Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, we might choose to open with “Lead Me, Lord” or “We Are the Light of the World.” Finally, whatever we sing, whether as an Opening Song or another part of the Mass, reinforces for us something about our faith, beliefs and teachings of our Church. If we choose not to open our hymnals and join in, we’re missing a huge opportunity to delve deeper in understanding our faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Take any hymn and just readthe words (forget about singing for a moment) and you’ll discover a rich teaching about our faith. Don’t give up just because you may not recognize the tune…open the hymnal and follow along; you’ll not only gradually learn how the music goes, but you’ll also be learning something special about our faith!