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On Sundays, the Rite for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water may replace the Penitential Act at Mass. After the Sign of the Cross and the Greeting, the priest blesses water prepared in a vessel.

When the priest greets the people at the beginning of Mass, he has three options. The simplest is "The Lord be with you," which has biblical origin in the Book of Ruth (2:4).

Each Mass begins with the Sign of the Cross. The priest says, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," and the people answer, "Amen."

As Mass begins, everyone stands to sing a song. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal calls this the Entrance Chant.

When a minister carries a Cross in procession at the beginning of the Mass, it customarily faces forward.