Help me distinguish the Mass

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Please help me distinguish if a Mass is a Low Mass, a High Mass and a Sung High Mass. (Did I miss something?) Sometimes I am confused as I don’t know which rubrics to follow. Thanks!
 
sparc said:
Please help me distinguish if a Mass is a Low Mass, a High Mass and a Sung High Mass. (Did I miss something?) Sometimes I am confused as I don’t know which rubrics to follow. Thanks!
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A Low Mass is spoken by a single priest, a Missa Cantata (sung Mass) is sung by the priest. A Solemn High Mass has a bishop/priest, deacon and subdeacon (although generally a priest served as both deacon and another as subdeacon because there were so few men in these orders).

In general, the most obvious difference is whether there are two candles on the altar that are lit (low Mass) or six (high Mass).

Hope that helps.

Deacon Ed
 
There are three basic types of Masses:

Missa Privata (Private Mass)- a spoken Mass by a Priest without Deacon and Subdeacon
Missa Cantata (Sung Mass)- a sung Mass (chanted by the Priest and choir) without Deacon and Subdeacon.
Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass)- a sung Mass with Deacon and Subdeacon assisting the Priest.

In english speaking countries the terms Low Mass and High Mass are often used. In North America (especialy prior to the 1960s) the terms were used to distinguish between sung and spoken Masses: a Low Mass was a Missa Privata, with High Mass being a Missa Cantata, and Solemn High Mass was a Missa Solemnis. In other countries, the term High Mass was applied only to a Missa Solemnis with the Deacon and Subdeacon, with Missa Privata and Missa Cantata both being called Low Mass.

Then there is a Pontifical Mass, which is any Mass celebrated by a Bishop.
 
And then, separate from all of these, you have the Novus Ordo, which is completely different kind of mess…oh, I mean Mass. 😉
 
Thanks! So I’ll just look at the number of candles lit on the altar for me to distinguish.
Missa Privata (Private Mass)- a spoken Mass by a Priest without Deacon and Subdeacon
Missa Cantata (Sung Mass)- a sung Mass (chanted by the Priest and choir) without Deacon and Subdeacon.
Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass)- a sung Mass with Deacon and Subdeacon assisting the Priest.
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In english speaking countries the terms Low Mass and High Mass are often used. In North America (especialy prior to the 1960s) the terms were used to distinguish between sung and spoken Masses: a Low Mass was a Missa Privata, with High Mass being a Missa Cantata, and Solemn High Mass was a Missa Solemnis. In other countries, the term High Mass was applied only to a Missa Solemnis with the Deacon and Subdeacon, with Missa Privata and Missa Cantata both being called Low Mass.
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Thanks Ceasar! Which rubrics should I follow?
 
Caesar said:
There are three basic types of Masses:

Missa Privata (Private Mass)- a spoken Mass by a Priest without Deacon and Subdeacon
Missa Cantata (Sung Mass)- a sung Mass (chanted by the Priest and choir) without Deacon and Subdeacon.
Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass)- a sung Mass with Deacon and Subdeacon assisting the Priest.

In english speaking countries the terms Low Mass and High Mass are often used. In North America (especialy prior to the 1960s) the terms were used to distinguish between sung and spoken Masses: a Low Mass was a Missa Privata, with High Mass being a Missa Cantata, and Solemn High Mass was a Missa Solemnis. In other countries, the term High Mass was applied only to a Missa Solemnis with the Deacon and Subdeacon, with Missa Privata and Missa Cantata both being called Low Mass.

Then there is a Pontifical Mass, which is any Mass celebrated by a Bishop.
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And, while I can’t recall it’s exact name, don’t forget the (Solemn) Papal Mass, with rubrics and fanfare all its own.
 
sparc said:
Thanks Ceasar! Which rubrics should I follow?
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Strictly speaking, the rubrics only apply to the celebrant and altar servers; they don’t apply to the congregation. Consequently you get all manner of variations from parish-to-parish (some sitting for the Epistle at Low Mass, some standing for the Preface, some not sitting until the priest removes the Chalice veil after the Offertory prayer, etc).
 
Caesar said:
There are three basic types of Masses:

Missa Privata (Private Mass)- a spoken Mass by a Priest without Deacon and Subdeacon
Missa Cantata (Sung Mass)- a sung Mass (chanted by the Priest and choir) without Deacon and Subdeacon.
Missa Solemnis (Solemn Mass)- a sung Mass with Deacon and Subdeacon assisting the Priest.

In english speaking countries the terms Low Mass and High Mass are often used. In North America (especialy prior to the 1960s) the terms were used to distinguish between sung and spoken Masses: a Low Mass was a Missa Privata, with High Mass being a Missa Cantata, and Solemn High Mass was a Missa Solemnis. In other countries, the term High Mass was applied only to a Missa Solemnis with the Deacon and Subdeacon, with Missa Privata and Missa Cantata both being called Low Mass.

Then there is a Pontifical Mass, which is any Mass celebrated by a Bishop.
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Sounds complicated, but the non-American system is correct!
Low Mass - 1 priest, said
Missa Cantata (Sung Mass) - 1 priest, sung
(Solemn) High Mass - priest, deacon and subdeacon, sung
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You see, there are only really 2 types of Mass - High and Low. A Missa Cantata is a Sung Low Mass, and is a comparatively late introduction. Then there’s
Pontifical Low Mass - bishop, said
Pontifical Missa Cantata - bishop, sung
(Solemn) Pontifical High Mass - bishop, deacon, subdeacon and priest-MC.
As above for the Pope, but then there is Solemn Papal High Mass, which is very complicated (and I can’t be bothered to explain. ;))
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Wolseley said:
And then, separate from all of these, you have the Novus Ordo, which is completely different kind of mess…oh, I mean Mass. 😉
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I understand why folks have problems with the disobedient manner in which many Novus Ordo Masses are celebrated, but it is still the normative form of the Mass for Latin-Rite Catholics. It is just as much a re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ as that which occurs at the TLM or the Divine Liturgies of the Eastern-rite churches.
 
MariaG said:
Was this comment really necessary?
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Pax tecum!

Of course it wasn’t necessary, but there are certain members of these forums that seem incapable of posting in a single thread without bashing the NO, regardless of what the topic of the thread is (this one, of course, having absolutely nothing to do with the NO). I’m getting a little sick of it, myself.

In Christ,
Rand
 
Rand_Al_Thor said:
Pax tecum!

Of course it wasn’t necessary, but there are certain members of these forums that seem incapable of posting in a single thread without bashing the NO, regardless of what the topic of the thread is (this one, of course, having absolutely nothing to do with the NO). I’m getting a little sick of it, myself.

In Christ,
Rand
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Yeah, me too.

I actually enjoy this forum, for I do learn many things. It is unfortunate though that some have to constantly bash the NO, especially since it IS Mass, and it is frequently the only kind of Mass many of us have ever been able to attend.

I TRY to stick to threads where I am learning more about TLM, but when people have to throw in things like that, completely unrelated, it makes it hard.

God Bless,
Maria
 
When I go to the Traditional Latin Mass, the dialogue in the High Mass (sung Mass) is between the Priest and the Altar Servers, but in a Low Mass, the dialogue is between the priest and the people. I don’t know if this is universal, but that is how it is done where I attend the Traditional Mass.
 
Resurrexit said:
Pontifical Low Mass - bishop, said
Pontifical Missa Cantata - bishop, sung
(Solemn) Pontifical High Mass - bishop, deacon, subdeacon and priest-MC.
As above for the Pope, but then there is Solemn Papal High Mass, which is very complicated (and I can’t be bothered to explain. ;))
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I wish there are videos of these on the Internet.
 
Missa_Solemnis said:
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Yes the Novus Ordo is a Messa Solemnis.

A Solemn Mess.👍
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I don’t understand some folks’ relentless obsession with trashing the normative Mass of the Church as a ‘mess.’ Feel free to criticize those who make the liturgy their personal playgrounds, and note specific abuses, but don’t paint the entire liturgy with this broad brush. It isn’t necessary, especillay considering that the OP had absolutely nothing to do with the Novus Ordo.
 
Beware the term “normative”. It is inaccurate and has no legal standing, unless meant strictly in the sense of the Mass most Roman Rite Catholics experience.
 
AlexV said:
Beware the term “normative”. It is inaccurate and has no legal standing, unless meant strictly in the sense of the Mass most Roman Rite Catholics experience.
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It is normative in the sense that other rites, notably the TLM, require an indult. Furthermore, it seems a bit disrespectul to term the Novus Ordo as a ‘mess,’ as I’ve even seen the Pope celebrate this liturgy.
 
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