First timer at a Latin mass-need info

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I will be attending a Latin Mass tomorrow and I don’t know the first thing about it; please tell me what to expect!

Is it a lot different than a regular Sunday Mass?
 
Yes Latin mass is a lot different.

Unlike the mainstream mass, the faithful stay quiet during Latin mass, the altar servers make all of the responses for the people.

So just go, kneel when the others are kneeling and stand when the others are standing, keep quiet, listen and pray.
 
Expect to kneel at the beginning of the Mass. Most leave the kneeler down during the entire Mass.

Try to follow along in the missal (if one is provided) to know what action the priest is performing as it happens. Missals are usually bilingual.

With all due respect to the previous poster, at a sung Mass (you’ll know beforehand if there are six lighted candles on the altar that the Mass will be sung), the congregation can and does participate. There is some information about that here. You will notice that the choir and the priest are at times “out of synch.” If you are unfamiliar with the singing, don’t worry about it. If you read music the missal may have the sung parts at the end with musical notation provided.
 
2Bcatholic said:
I will be attending a Latin Mass tomorrow and I don’t know the first thing about it; please tell me what to expect!

Is it a lot different than a regular Sunday Mass?
Click to expand...
I presume it’s according to the 1962 Missal? It’s not a novus ordo Latin Mass, right?

You should check out the altar server guide for Low Mass here. That site gives great detail on the rubrics of the Mass, and has videos and photos accompanying the explanations.

I strongly recommend that you watch (at least some of) this video of a Solemn High Traditional Mass. It is gorgeous. Tell me what you think of it.

When you go into the church look out for the red *Ecclesia Dei *booklets. Most traditional churches keep them, and they are excellent guides to the liturgy, with much explanation of the rubrics and the theology behind them.

Don’t get discouraged if you can’t keep up with the priest, or if you find yourself frequently flicking between pages looking for what he’s saying. It took me months before I could work my missal. If you can’t master it, ask someone.
 
Six candles at a Solemn High Mass, which is sung.

Four candles at a Missa Canatata, which is sung also, but does not have all the extra ceremonial touches of the high mass. it is basically a sung low mass, which would have two candles.

If you dont know which type you are attending, read upon all of them, and then look at the candles when you get there.
 
2Bcatholic said:
I will be attending a Latin Mass tomorrow and I don’t know the first thing about it; please tell me what to expect!

Is it a lot different than a regular Sunday Mass?
Click to expand...
Since this is the first time your attending I would say yes it is quite different than what you are use to.
I googled Latin mass and came up with this.

You can select from several different masses to watch although I haven’t watched any of them myself soe I can’t vouch for the quality.

Probably the best advise I can give is to arrive early and sit nearer the back so you can obverve. Check at the back of church for a missalette and read through it before mass.
Once the priest comes out and starts mass, you can basically just begin reading the prayers in English and follow right along whether you actually hear the priest or not.
If there is a choir it will help you stay up as well since they will likely sing the Gloria and the Creed. (Both beautiful in the Latin) Also you will know your near consecration because they should ring a bell, then ring again at the raising of the Host and Chalice.

In the Tridentine Rite you don’t get up and down as much but you will stay down (kneeling) longer.

That’s my 2c worth

Peace
James
 
Kielbasi said:
Yes Latin mass is a lot different.

Unlike the mainstream mass, the faithful stay quiet during Latin mass, the altar servers make all of the responses for the people.
Click to expand...
The faithful only stay quiet at a Low Mass. But there are also dialogue Low Masses (fairly common in Europe—and highly encouraged by successive popes) where both the servers and the faithful make the responses. At a Missa Cantata, and a High Mass the faithful and choir chant the responses. Note that is also permissible at a Low Mass, but in practice is rarely done.
So just go, kneel when the others are kneeling and stand when the others are standing, keep quiet, listen and pray.
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Yes, stand at the gospel and kneel at the Sanctus. You’ll hear the bells ring three times at the Sanctus.

Also, the congregation may be expected to say audibly at the people’s communion: Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo et sanabitur anima mea (Lord I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed). Usually one beats one’s breast three times to show contrition.
 
Thank you for responding to my post! I’ve looked at the links given to me and the Latin Mass seems so reverent, so beautiful BUT I am definately going to be lost. I don’t know the pronuciation of the Latin words and I’m not quite sure how I will learn. Hopefully, I will pick it up over time from listening to others. I’ll be honest it seems a bit intimidating.

My husband attended the Latin Mass once at this parish and he said it was mostly sung and there was a lot of kneeling but he didn’t know what type of mass it was. (He’s a convert and all is new to him.)

Also, I don’t know the differences between High, Low, Solemn, Regular Masses, Latin masses…Why do we have so many different ones and I wonder which is most pleasing to Our Lord?
 
2Bcatholic said:
I’ll be honest it seems a bit intimidating.
Click to expand...
It is. And it certainly was for me the first time I went to one. Don’t get discouraged.
Also, I don’t know the differences between High, Low, Solemn, Regular Masses, Latin masses…Why do we have so many different ones and I wonder which is most pleasing to Our Lord?
Click to expand...
Check out the following:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Mass
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_Cantata
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tridentine_Mass
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solemn_Mass

R.M. Kephart has the responses on his site, and how to pronounce them:
rickmk.com/Responses/
 
2Bcatholic said:
Thank you for responding to my post! I’ve looked at the links given to me and the Latin Mass seems so reverent, so beautiful BUT I am definately going to be lost. I don’t know the pronuciation of the Latin words and I’m not quite sure how I will learn. Hopefully, I will pick it up over time from listening to others. I’ll be honest it seems a bit intimidating.

My husband attended the Latin Mass once at this parish and he said it was mostly sung and there was a lot of kneeling but he didn’t know what type of mass it was. (He’s a convert and all is new to him.)

Also, I don’t know the differences between High, Low, Solemn, Regular Masses, Latin masses…Why do we have so many different ones and I wonder which is most pleasing to Our Lord?
Click to expand...
Just be patient with yourself. You’ll do fine.
You’ll definately pick up the pronunciation with time. It isn’t that hard really. Like you say, just listen to others for awhile.

If you remain a bit after mass you can probably introduce yourself to someone and they might be able to offer pointers, answer specific questions etc.

I hope you’ll let us know how it goes.

Peace
James
 
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