Help me to appreciate TLM more - how do you pray two things at once?

[Batfink]

Hi!

I attend daily OF Mass and occasional EF High Mass (there are no Low Masses celebrated in my area).

I love the EF Mass and really appreciate having it offered locally. I don’t think I’ll ever be an exclusively EF kind of girl but I do like it when I get the chance to go.

My one problem is I find it offputting that, when I follow along in my Missal, certain prayers are said by the priest at the same time as the choir are singing others (which are also parts of the Mass rather than motets etc), e.g. the Kyrie or Agnus Dei. I would like to ‘pray along’ silently with the priest, but I feel I also have to join in the sung responses, or at least pray those parts of the Mass silently too. I don’t know what to do!

It might sound a stupid questions, but how do you pray the Mass when there are multiple things going on? Should I pick one of the elements and try to focus completely on that? Should I try to skip between both? Is there a way to skip between both and still keep it prayerful/reflective? Should I just give up trying to follow the words and just spend the time in private prayer? Aargh! I don’t know! Help me, please, with your experiences and advice …

 

[floresco]

It might sound a stupid questions, but how do you pray the Mass when there are multiple things going on? Should I pick one of the elements and try to focus completely on that? Should I try to skip between both? Is there a way to skip between both and still keep it prayerful/reflective? Should I just give up trying to follow the words and just spend the time in private prayer? Aargh! I don’t know! Help me, please, with your experiences and advice …

I do all these options at different times, depending on what I feel like. Sometimes I follow the priest and sometimes the choir. Sometimes I go back and forth. When I do that, I think of it like a fugue in music. (“In music, a fugue is a compositional technique (in classical music) in two or more voices, built on a subject (theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and recurs frequently in the course of the composition.” - Wikipedia) They aren’t two separate things but a joined by theme and create a sort of mental harmony. And yet other times, I am doing private prayers, although, even then, these are joined to the Mass rather than something separate.

From what I have read these are all acceptable and will be appropriate for different circumstance.

 

[mfrances]

@Batfink, I have the same confusion as you, with wanting to follow both the priest and choir, but from what I’ve been told, you just choose one. It’s like having some variety. But I still like Low Mass better!

 

[newyorkcatholic]

There is a lot of freedom for the layperson attending the EF. It is alright to focus on the texts as a server would, and say them in your head. You can follow the texts the priest is saying in your Missal. You can follow the choir (e.g. go along with the long chanted introit and don’t worry about the prayers at the foot of the altar at all).

You can meditate on what is happening mystically. You can focus on physical movements (why is the priest at the South/Epistle side, now processing to the North/Gospel side).

You can even pray the Sorrowful Mysteries (some put down the practice of rosary at Mass, but Popes have supported this practice, though it’s never required obviously.)

There is no real rule, except that for the Consecration I would focus only on the Consecration. I can’t really think of anything else you “must” do.

 

[Rich_C]

After a year of attending the EF, almost exclusively the last 8 months, I’ve found I had to give up the mindset (learned in the OF, where participation has more formal and exterior aspects) that I had to say or sing everything, or anything for that matter.

Once you’ve read along in your missal often enough (which is a kind of catechesis, too) you’ll probably find you don’t need it to know what father is praying for anymore. Then you can offer your personal petitions, gratitude, acts of contrition, etc in time with father, joining your prayers to his (i.e. when he prays for the souls in purgatory, you pray for your decease loved ones).

It’s a very powerful way to experience Mass, especially as consecration approaches. Use the music to mediate on the prayers if you like, or just let it lift your heart to God as you watch the altar, but don’t worry about singing unless you want to. I would even suggest that you stop trying to say all the servers’ responses, and just say those you can memorize easily.

Don’t let worrying if you’re doing enough distract you from the awesome experience of just praying at Mass. God bless!

-Rich

 

[porthos11]

I’ve kinda learned to juggle between the two. For example I prefer to pray the opening Judica psalm, but while the priest is praying his Confiteor, that’s just long enough to switch to the Introit and pray it through in time for the server’s Confiteor, which I join in.

I now tend to sing the Kyrie, Gloria and Credo, but I simply recite the Sanctus along with the Priest so that I can follow along either visually or in the missal (I usually no longer follow the Canon in the Missal anymore). I also recite the Agnus Dei with the priest rather than singing it so that while the priest is reciting his silent prayers, I’m preparing for communion with omy ow prayers.

 

[floresco]

I now tend to sing the Kyrie, Gloria and Credo, but I simply recite the Sanctus along with the Priest so that I can follow along either visually or in the missal (I usually no longer follow the Canon in the Missal anymore). I also recite the Agnus Dei with the priest rather than singing it so that while the priest is reciting his silent prayers, I’m preparing for communion with omy ow prayers.

This is similar to what I often do, but I want to say for the OP’s benefit that I had been attending the EF for a couple of years before I was comfortable and familiar enough with it, to do this sort of thing. I would not have been able to when I was less experienced with it.

 

[Rich_C]

I just wanted to say I think it’s kind of neat to see healthy diversity in how people worship at Mass, for instance all the people in this threat who sing (I never sing at Mass). It’s one of those surprises I got when I began assisting at the traditional Mass that I never expected.

 

[ProVobis]

It helps to prepare a little bit too. Either the night before and/or in the few minutes before Mass skim the propers so you get an idea of the readings for the day. I look for a general theme. Easier to spot when certain prayers are repeated.

 

[Crumpy]

From years of worship at the Latin Mass of yesteryear, I advise you to sing along with the choir.

In TLM, there are some prayers that the priest says deliberately in silence. According to the norms of that Mass, you’re not missing anything.

The Sanctus is an enormously significant scriptural prayer. Theologically, you are anticipating the Lord on the altar.

Similarly, the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) is a very great prayer of the Church.

THIS is what you WANT to get out of the Mass, I presume. What YOU get is to worship the Lord in Biblical language.

The significance of even just these two hymns is their frequent or exclusive use of the same old melodies all the time.

“Back in the days” there were different melodies for these spectacular hymns. I have found variants at youtube.com

Hebrew had no way of saying holy, holier, holiest. So, it indicated a level of holiness by repetition: HOLY HOLY HOLY is the most holy.

The offertory prayers over the bread and wine and their slight elevation follows the “wave” offering in the book of Leviticus. the elevation is not for audience consumption, it is “waving” the offering to God. The offertory prayers are very Jewish in form.

The vestments of the priest are not simply historical reproductions (if they are even that), they symbolize Jesus Christ as Priest, Prophet, and King. Those are Kingly robes.

The book of Exodus describes the vestments of the High Priest to wear when he entered the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. One item missing in Exodus was shoes. The High Priest wore no shoes, as Moses was ordered to remove his shoes in front of the burning bush, the presence of God.

You never see that in the Mass, though. Even the Pope has his well-known fancy red shoes.