Going to my first Latin Mass -- Any advice?

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If I can get my act together today, I’ll be going to my first Latin Mass.

It’s at Holy Family Church in Toronto, the Oratory of St Philip Neri.

It’s Sung Novus Ordo Latin; I’m only used to the “regular” NO vernacular. Is there any difference besides language? Anything I need to know? Any advice?

Next week, I’ll be going out to St Vincent de Paul’s for a “Usus Antiquior Missa Canatata”, whatever that is.
 
pfffffff Holy family?Instead, go to St. Vincent de Paul’s and get the full deal.

Usus Antiquior Missa Canatata = Ancient use, sung mass. - it’s the TLM.

Anyway, since your headed out to holy family there isn’t much advice to be given, it’s the NO, but in Latin.
 
lol, oh come on now, I was only kidding…

Holy family is a nice parish but St. Vincent de Paul’s which is not too far away is better because it actually has the TLM. That’s all I was saying. In either case, the Toronto Oratorians are awesome and so I gladly make the trip from Burlington to visit St. Vincent’s from time to time.
 
I’m sorry. I overreacted…

Friends? :hug1:

I knee-jerked with the “pffff” directed at Holy Family. I have been rubbed the wrong way by some Traditionalists who like to resort to condescension rather than encouragement (some NOers, too, on the other side).

Anyway, I’m NOT going to the NO Latin now…I soiled my good shirt trying to iron it for Mass…so I’m going to do my regular Holy Family at 11.00, and aim for the UAMC at St V de P next Sunday.

The only reason I picked Holy Family today was that I figured I could make 11.00 Mass. There was no way I was going to get my pants/shirt ironed and get out to King West by 9.30 (note my post was 8.30, and I live in East York).

Soooo…any advice you can give me now with regard to the Usus Antiquor so I can be fully prepared for next Saturday?

Thanks.
 
May I also recommend (something you don’t always hear on this board) to give it time.

I did not grow up with the Mass in Latin, but converted to Catholicism in 1971, and had experienced the occassional Latin Mass during the 1950s and early 1960s with friends. The first Latin Mass I attended as an adult was within the past half dozen years and it was definitely not the liturgical “high” I had anticipated. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing, and I was distracted by trying to listen and read Latin, read English, and read instructions all at the same time. (And this was a Low Mass, heaven only knows how confused I shall be if I ever attend a High Mass 😉 )

Anyway, it took a good half dozen Masses for me to understand the rhythm of the Mass, to get the pace of reading along, and know where I did not need to read but simply put myself at rest with the Holy Spirit in prayers and adoration.

It takes time. (And, yeah, it is so worth it.)
 
Ghoti -
Why not consider “IrishAm’s” advice? “give it time”

I don’t know your age but those who grew up with the Tridentine Latin Mass (either in recent years or ‘days of old’ prior to Vatican II 😉 ) already have had regular attendance. How did they learn what to do? Either in school or with their missals, just following along. Latin’s on the left, English on the right. If you do make a mistake, you have to stay after Mass, clean the Church and donate a window.😃 KIDDING! Okay, really - all you have to do is say a rosary for me…if you like ! 🙂

Seriously, if you’re unsure about what to do re kneeling, etc., just follow the congregation, and soon you’ll catch on. I’m sure that by now you’ve gone - hope you weren’t intimidated but rather - inspired.

God and Our Lady Bless You !
 
Nah, I didn’t go after – I was ironing my dress shirt and dropped it and soiled it. So I decided to go to my normal parish Mass and go to Latin Mass next weekend.

The Oratorians have two parishes that they say Latin Masses in: Holy Family on King West and St Vincent de Paul on Roncesvalles at High Park. The Usus Antiquior is at 9.30 in the morning, so there was no way I was going to make that at all.

And no, I’m not expecting to get “blown away” right away (altho’ I am certainly open to it!), I know these things take time. But I am excited – and apprehensive – about going.

Thank you everyone for helpful advice – including you, Freshman88 (sorry again for snapping!).

When I come back, I’ll tell you how it all went. 👍 Promise!
 
Ghoti said:
Anyway, I’m NOT going to the NO Latin now…I soiled my good shirt trying to iron it for Mass…
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See what happens when you iron with one hand and type with the other? 😃

Congrats for making the decision to experience what the Holy Father calls “treasures of the Church”. There’s always something to learn, either Rite, but the Latin is special.
 
After Mass today a friend and I were talking about how nice it would be to attend a Latin Mass. We both grew up during that time.

Our local Archdiocese newpaper just had a little article about two locations where “Tridentine Mass” is celebrated. I put it in quotes because that’s what the headline said.

But in the listing it said one was a Tridentine Mass and the other a pre-Vatican II Latin Mass. So I am wondering if these are the same thing?

Also, do women need to wear a head covering as we did when we were growing up?

Thanks for any info.
 
At the TLM, I’d suggest sitting very near the front, but not in the front pew. You’ll need to follow along as folks sit, stand, and kneel.

The reason I say sit as close to the Altar as possible is, that way you can use a missal to follow the rubrics for the priest. The rubrics will tell you what part of the Mass is being prayed, so you can follow along. Don’t worry about trying to read and follow along with the prayers the first time. I’m not assuming you can’t do it, but it’s tough to do the first time. Most will get lost, behind, or get ahead of the priest.

Just use the rubrics to know what is occuring as the Mass progresses, and watch the priest pray the Mass. Watch the gestures he makes. The bows, signs of the cross, the kissing of the altar, the censing of the altar and so forth.

Get a good sense of what the priest is doing the first few times before you attempt to follow the missal.

May not be the way to go for everyone, but it helped me. The first time I attended a TLM, I tried to follow along by reading the missal and I was all over the place. I got behind, then tried to adjust by reading faster. Then I got ahead of the priest lol. I missed half the Mass fumbling with the missal.

Hope this helps.
 
Roughly how long is the TLM?

Most NO Masses I go to run about an hour; general range seems to be 50-70 minutes. One I went to years ago used to run 40 minutes! :eek:
 
Ghoti said:
Roughly how long is the TLM?

Most NO Masses I go to run about an hour; general range seems to be 50-70 minutes. One I went to years ago used to run 40 minutes! :eek:
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They run about the same length. An hour is about normal.
 
Ghoti said:
Nah, I didn’t go after – I was ironing my dress shirt and dropped it and soiled it. So I decided to go to my normal parish Mass and go to Latin Mass next weekend.
Click to expand...
Before we had TLM every Sunday locally, there was a church about 20 miles away which offered Low Mass on the first Saturday of each month (Sunday vigil). One of the first times I went, I decided to combine errands, so I hit my gym which was right on the way there. After I was finished with my workout, I was feeling weak and I knew my blood sugar was dumping out on me. There was a McDonald’s right next to the highway, so I pulled in and got a burger, knowing I’d have time to eat it and still keep my hour of fasting. Wouldn’t you know, a big blob of ketchup went splat, right on the front of my sweater. I almost decided to turn around and go home, but I thought maybe the devil didn’t like it that I was wanting to go to the Latin Mass and was messing with me. I had a scarf that I was going to wear as a headcovering, so I simply tied it under my chin instead of letting it drape like a mantilla, and let the tails hang down to cover the stain. Ha-ha, satan! 😃 Of course, a guy wouldn’t have that option, but a wide necktie might work…

p.s. our EF Mass runs about an hour and 15 minutes.
 
CarrieH said:
Before we had TLM every Sunday locally, there was a church about 20 miles away which offered Low Mass on the first Saturday of each month (Sunday vigil). One of the first times I went, I decided to combine errands, so I hit my gym which was right on the way there. After I was finished with my workout, I was feeling weak and I knew my blood sugar was dumping out on me. There was a McDonald’s right next to the highway, so I pulled in and got a burger, knowing I’d have time to eat it and still keep my hour of fasting. Wouldn’t you know, a big blob of ketchup went splat, right on the front of my sweater. I almost decided to turn around and go home, but I thought maybe the devil didn’t like it that I was wanting to go to the Latin Mass and was messing with me. I had a scarf that I was going to wear as a headcovering, so I simply tied it under my chin instead of letting it drape like a mantilla, and let the tails hang down to cover the stain. Ha-ha, satan! 😃 Of course, a guy wouldn’t have that option, but a wide necktie might work…

p.s. our EF Mass runs about an hour and 15 minutes.
Click to expand...
Won’t I look silly with a wide necktie tied around my chin as a headcovering?
 
Ghoti said:
Won’t I look silly with a wide necktie tied around my chin as a headcovering?
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Since the 1970’s are long-gone, you’d look silly with a wide necktie tied anywhere…at least until they come back in style again. 😉
 
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