How do I participate (better) in the Extraordinary Form?

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Catholicgauze

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I have several great parishes nearby that do the ordinary form wonderfully. However, a nearby FSSP parish will be hosting an event dedicated to my most favorite soon-to-be saint. There will be an Extraordinary Form mass at the event.

Now here’s the problem. I don’t know Latin and my previous two times at the parish were a bit of disaster. I kept flipping through the missal because it was hard for me to figure out just exactly we were in the service. I noticed some of the older women just prayed the rosary for almost the whole time. Should I be deep in prayer during the mass? Should I study my Latin better and work on timing? Please help!
 
If you can’t follow along, don’t sweat it. Just immerse yourself in the Mass. There’s no need to know Latin at all to attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

Good luck!
 
Catholicgauze said:
I have several great parishes nearby that do the ordinary form wonderfully. However, a nearby FSSP parish will be hosting an event dedicated to my most favorite soon-to-be saint. There will be an Extraordinary Form mass at the event.

Now here’s the problem. I don’t know Latin and my previous two times at the parish were a bit of disaster. I kept flipping through the missal because it was hard for me to figure out just exactly we were in the service. I noticed some of the older women just prayed the rosary for almost the whole time. Should I be deep in prayer during the mass? Should I study my Latin better and work on timing? Please help!
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Good that you asked.

I’ll make just a few points and others can add to the discussion.

The EF (or the OF, for that matter) isn’t about flipping through handmissals. If it’s new to you, then some preparation is in order. The missal can be a guide or some online videos can explain what one can expect. You should note, for example, before that the priest reading on the right side means it’s a non-Gospel reading (or the Lavabo) and left is the Gospel reading. If it’s in the middle, generally it’s the Ordinary of the Mass. If you can find the Propers for the day and Ordinary of the Mass in the Missal, you’re well set right there. The pictures in your handmissal should be helpful after that as most of the EF is said quietly.
 
I know it took going a few times to get used to how things were done in the EF. I sat near the back and took my cues from the congregation on when to do things. I am getting better at understanding what is going on and when, etc but it will take going more to get used to things as the OF Mass is so ingrained in my mind.

If you have the chance to see the priest prior to Mass if you arrive early enough, introduce yourself and let him know you are new as I did do. He encouraged me to ask questions before Mass, sit near a few others in the back, play “follow the leader” with the congregation’s responses/gestures then asked questions after Mass which I did.
 
JGMendes4049 said:
If you can’t follow along, don’t sweat it. Just immerse yourself in the Mass. There’s no need to know Latin at all to attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

Good luck!
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Ditto. My first two to three months were spent Missal-less and I just took it in. The missals are confusing for High Mass if you’re not familiar with the low Mass. I’m still hesitant to be flipping back and forth to read all the varying prayers throughout Mass. The most perfect form of active participation during Mass (regardless of form) is receiving communion while properly disposed.
 
In the beginning, like others have said, I spent a lot of time absorbing the mass. I mostly attended sung masses. As the schola would chant, I would just absorb the music and focus on what was happening on the altar, as I prayed internally.

I also depended on certain “markers” to know where I was. For example, if you want, you can print ahead of time the:

Kyrie
Gloria
Agnus Dei
Sanctus

You will become familiar with these sections of mass and you can even sing along or if you don’t know the tones, whisper them quietly. I would also print the following:
  1. The “Domine Non Sum Dignus” (Lord I am not worthy…), which occurs right before communion so that you can follow along.
Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.
  1. At the beginning of the Preface where the laity responds to the priest:
Priest: Dominus vobiscum
People: Et cum spiritu tuo
Priest: Sursum corda
People: Habemus ad Dominum
Priest: Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro
People: Dignum et iustum est

You can also put a marker at the Epistle and Gospel so that you can follow along as well.

Also, right now, the parishes are probably singing Salve Regina, so learn the melody at home if you don’t know it and either print it out or find it in the hymnal before mass starts.

Being able to respond might help in giving you the feeling of participation, although of course you are participating by offering your prayers along with the priest.
 
These are all good suggestions… I know when I first began going to the EF, I was completely lost. Throughout most of the mass, I was frantically trying to follow along in the missal. That was almost no help at all. I remained lost throughout the mass.

It wasn’t until I set the missal down and really immersed myself in the mass that I really found myself fully able to participate.
 
AdDeum said:
These are all good suggestions… I know when I first began going to the EF, I was completely lost. Throughout most of the mass, I was frantically trying to follow along in the missal. That was almost no help at all. I remained lost throughout the mass.

It wasn’t until I set the missal down and really immersed myself in the mass that I really found myself fully able to participate.
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This. When I finally got a Sunday missal I would mostly read it prayerfully on Saturday afternoons so I could absorb the prayers and lessons, allowing me to just pray at Mass the next day.
 
Catholicgauze said:
I have several great parishes nearby that do the ordinary form wonderfully. However, a nearby FSSP parish will be hosting an event dedicated to my most favorite soon-to-be saint. There will be an Extraordinary Form mass at the event.

Now here’s the problem. I don’t know Latin and my previous two times at the parish were a bit of disaster. I kept flipping through the missal because it was hard for me to figure out just exactly we were in the service. I noticed some of the older women just prayed the rosary for almost the whole time. Should I be deep in prayer during the mass? Should I study my Latin better and work on timing? Please help!
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Pope St. Pius X said:

“The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even the highest prayer that exists. It is the Sacrifice, dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the Altar. If you wish to hear Mass as it should be heard, you must follow with eye, heart, and mouth all that happens at the Altar. Further, you must pray with the Priest the holy words said by him. You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens on the Altar. When acting in this way, you have prayed Holy Mass.”

It’s worth going through the ordinary of the mass, especially the Canon, and familiarizing yourself with it. Usually your Missal will indicate in English what the Priest is doing during each part of the Mass in terms of rubrics. From the posture, hand position and location on the altar you can usually tell exactly what part of the Mass the Priest is at. The sign of the cross is made 52 times in the EF and that can help to identify where the Mass is at (successive crossing over the host, chalice etc.). I also recommend watching this FSSP explanation of the Extraordinary Form Mass video:

youtube.com/watch?v=3eb0R-edS3Y

I personally found it quite helpful to learn some Latin, but that may not be for everyone and is not a requirement. I prefer a low mass because I can truly pray/offer the entire Mass (not aloud) with the Priest, following along in sync with his motions and prayers. I find that using a Missal that comes with a few built-in coloured place marker ribbons is an absolute necessity to facilitate moving between the ordinary order of mass, the propers for the day, and the preface at the appropriate times. It may take a bit of time, practice and work, but I find the EF to be very spiritually rewarding and transcendant. This is not to say one is better than the other or more or less valid. God Bless.
 
=Catholicgauze;9680657]I have several great parishes nearby that do the ordinary form wonderfully. However, a nearby FSSP parish will be hosting an event dedicated to my most favorite soon-to-be saint. There will be an Extraordinary Form mass at the event.
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Now here’s the problem. I don’t know Latin and my previous two times at the parish were a bit of disaster. I kept flipping through the missal because it was hard for me to figure out just exactly we were in the service. I noticed some of the older women just prayed the rosary for almost the whole time. Should I be deep in prayer during the mass? Should I study my Latin better and work on timing? Please help!
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IF your less than 50 Years Old it might be because you have never been taught that “The Mass” is NOT about US:)

It is From God the Father
OF God the Son
By God the Holy Spirit

Because God is Perfect God gets “no benefit” beyond us doing HIS Devine Will:thumbsup:

Don’t attend seeking a “feel good” result.

Simply Praise God, Glorify Him and Thank Him for this opportunity to be BOTH in His Real Presense and the Gift of Himself in Holy Communion.

Settle for understanding that we ARE there for God and God IS THERE for us.

Love and prayers,
MAybe learn the latin responces will further aid you. Give yourself time to do so.

Pat /PJM
 
Get familiar with the Ordinary of the Mass before you go so you have an idea of what is being said without flipping through your missal.

Instead of focusing on what the Mass says or means, focus on what it does. It does help to know what is going on (prayers at the foot of the altar, gospel, offertory, etc.), but the beauty of the Mass is often lost when it is in English, because the faithful simply follow along with the text and pay little attention to anything else. As people have said before, just immerse yourself in the Mass.

This video might be helpful. In it, Fr. Calvin Goodwin, FSSP, provides real-time commentary on the Traditional Latin Mass.

youtube.com/watch?v=moEZuCa5SyU
 
Catholicgauze said:
I have several great parishes nearby that do the ordinary form wonderfully. However, a nearby FSSP parish will be hosting an event dedicated to my most favorite soon-to-be saint. There will be an Extraordinary Form mass at the event.

Now here’s the problem. I don’t know Latin and my previous two times at the parish were a bit of disaster. I kept flipping through the missal because it was hard for me to figure out just exactly we were in the service. I noticed some of the older women just prayed the rosary for almost the whole time. Should I be deep in prayer during the mass? Should I study my Latin better and work on timing? Please help!
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HI, I am pretty new to the TLM too, but here is what has worked for me.
  1. get there early (or look at it at home) and take a brief look at the order in the missal (I try to do this every time I attend)
  2. If you haven’t bought a missal I would consider it. I got one from angelus press (amazon.com/Roman-Catholic-Daily-Missal-Angelus/dp/1892331292) that has commentary in the margins, plus I can take a look at the readings/parts of the that are proper to the day and the prayers are great too. (prayers for before mass and before communion and after and a set of morning and evening prayers that I have begun to use daily)
  3. use familiar parts of the mass as landmarks - the Kyrie eleision, the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei. I got very lost the first 7 times I attended, but I was able to use these as landmarks figure out where we were in the mass. Last week I actually followed along for the first time without getting lost.
  4. sit as close to the front as you can while still having people in front of you to follow. Its much easier to discern what the Priest is saying and I find that the closer I am the more attentive I am.
  5. try not to get too caught up in following along word for word and look up from your missal occasionally 🙂
  6. Learn a little Latin if you can. 🙂
 
I’ve made the decision to go to the EF at least once a month. I am blessed that a parish within walking distance of me has it 2x a month. I have this idea that I should be participating in Mass and I know that for the latin mass, my participation is silent, through prayer. However, it is still easy to get distracted and lose focus. However, I am determined to stick with it. I’m looking into getting a prayer book or a 1962 missal for this purpose.
 
I find praying the Mass from my Latin-English most beneficial, while participating in any chants or songs. It takes some practice, but the order on any given day is easy to figure out, as well as the prayers. Feel free to pm me with a specific question, but also just keep going and trying. You’ll have it in no time.
 
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