First Time At Latin Mass

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I am currently going through RCIA here in Indianapolis. We did not have class last Sunday so I took the opportunity to attend a Traditional Latin Mass at a different Parish. I have read so much about it, that I wanted to experience it for myself first hand.

I must say that the mass itself was beautiful. The attention to detail was amazing. However, I found it extremely difficult to follow. Perhaps it was because of it being my first time, but I tried and tried to follow along from the Missalette and kept losing track. When I would finally figure out where we were, we were 2 pages ahead of where I thought.

I will certainly attend again sometime soon. I really enjoyed the new experience. I just feel like I didn’t get as much out of it as I should have.

When I first arrived (about 20 minutes early), everyone inside was kneeling and reciting a prayer over and over. I’m not sure what this prayer was, but I don’t think it was the Rosary. Is this a custom at TLM or something specific to this particular parish?
 
Don’t feel bad about losing your place. It takes some getting used to. You should also try and have someone explain to you how to follow better. And, when lost, just meditate and pray.

Not sure what the congregation was praying if it was not the Rosary.
 
Hi Jackinbox,
It is really good you took the opportunity to hear a traditional Latin Mass ("TLM) for yourself. Yes, it is daunting at first - there’s the order of Mass that is said always, the Proper prayers that change every day, and the Preface to the main Canon (Eucharistic Prayer) that changes with the season. My 1962 - rite Missal luckily has several silk ribbons to mark the pages that you need to turn to - but it does take some getting used to - as all things of real value do. I’ve been going to TLMs for nearly a year now and I still get caught out sometimes - but the aim is to “hear Mass” as we say in England - you don’t get marked down for losing your place - rather it is pleasing to Almighty God that you are there, witnessing the most beautiful sacrifice of the Mass that our priests can make.

As to the prayer before Mass - at our parish it is the Rosary, but perhaps what you heard was one of the Litanies - where the priest calls names of Our Lord, Our Lady or one of the Saints, over and over, and the congregation reply “Pray for us” or “Have mercy on us” or similar. 1962 - rite Missals often have these Litanies printed in them.

May you complete your RCIA successfully (this Easter?) and come to treasure the wonderful Deposit of Faith that is the traditional Latin Mass and the sacraments in their 1962-rite form. That will be my prayer for you at Mass later on this Sunday morning . Good Night and God Bless.
 
i suggest not using the missal at all at first. just watch. so much of adoratiaon for Christ is in the masses actions.

i also suggest asking a priest if you could just barrow a sunday missal to take home and read it over. it explains how and why the priest does what he does very nicely. but if you are at mass trying to keep up you’ll miss so much.
 
As others said, you’ll probably be able to follow along better if you go a few times. I also found it helpful reading the ordinary a couple times before going, and familiarizing myself with some of the responses/mass parts in Latin so that I would have some cues to work off of (I mean things like “Oremus,” “Dominus Vobiscum/Et cum spiritu tuo,” and the first line of the Gloria, Credo, etc - nothing too difficult). When actually attending the Mass itself, I didn’t bother following with the missal too much - I liked “watching” better.

As for the prayer before mass, if it wasn’t a Rosary or litany, it could have been the Divine Mercy Chaplet. In which case they would repeat “For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” I dunno if that prayer is popular with traditionalists, but the Chaplet is included in my Latin Mass Missal.
 
I am currently going through RCIA here in Indianapolis. We did not have class last Sunday so I took the opportunity to attend a Traditional Latin Mass at a different Parish. I have read so much about it, that I wanted to experience it for myself first hand.
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Welcome Home!
I will certainly attend again sometime soon. I really enjoyed the new experience. I just feel like I didn’t get as much out of it as I should have.
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I would second what others have said; don’t try and keep up with the Missal the first couple of times. Very quickly you will learn the flow of the Mass, and what’s going on without the Missal, and then using the Missal to learn what the priest is saying will follow.
When I first arrived (about 20 minutes early), everyone inside was kneeling and reciting a prayer over and over. I’m not sure what this prayer was, but I don’t think it was the Rosary. Is this a custom at TLM or something specific to this particular parish?
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Maybe the Rosary in Latin? “Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum…”?
 
To familiarize yourself go to Sancta Missa.org and click on ‘Learning to Serve at the Altar’. It shows you each of the individual rubrics, the accompanying text and has a video that shows step by step each rubric. After that take a read through ‘Rubrics of the Missalum Romanum 1962’. It takes a few weeks to get used to, but don’t give up. Ask someone beside you in the pew what the prayer being prayed at the start of Mass was.
 
I was at my second Tridentine Mass today and it was a fantastic spiritual experience. However, it will be even better when I start to get used to it. I got confused a few times because while the choir was singing , the priest continued silently on with the prayers. I will soon get used to that.

I cant wait to attend again 😃
 
Thanks to everyone for their kind words! I will certainly attend again in the future once RCIA is completed.
 
Good for you. As a cradle Catholic, the Latin Mass was always my experience untill Vatican II. I had attended a Traditional Mass a few years ago and all the memories flooded back. My wife, who is a recent convert didn’t care for it much, but for me I felt so at home again. I hope you go again and the more you attend the easier it will become.
 
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