In Praise of the Low Mass

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I remember I had started a thread sometime last year about how I struggled with the low mass. But in time, I grew to like the low mass.

I found this old article from Rorarte Caeli called - you guessed it-- In Praise of Low Mass.

For those of you who don’t know what the difference is between a low mass and a high mass, I’ve posted links to both low and high masses.

Low Mass

Sung Mass

To those who have attended both, what do you like about the low mass?
 
TrueLight said:
To those who have attended both, what do you like about the low mass?
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I didn’t take to it automatically like the High Mass, but I love it now.

I appreciate what a great opportunity for contemplation it provides, especially at daily Mass when the church is dim and only the priest and server pray aloud. The rest of us pray in our hearts and it offers me time to really reflect on the needs of the Church, and on what I am grateful for, in unity with father’s intentions, of course.

I also use it to better imprint the words of the missal in my mind and heart, since at High Mass I tend not to read along for most of Mass so I can just pray.
 
I love the high Mass with all of its beauty and splendor. When done correctly, it is truly a piece on heaven on earth.

But I have to admit that I actually prefer a low Mass. The low Mass, for me, is much more intimate and personal. The priest is quietly praying and offering the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the altar, and I feel it is much more of a one-on-one experience. This may seem like a silly comparison, but when I was a little girl, I use to love it when I would have my grandmother all to myself. That didn’t happen too often because there were so many relatives, but I really cherished those times when it was just her and me and I had her undivided attention for all my childish babbling.

That is how I feel about the low Mass. The very thing that drives most people away is what draws me to the low Mass - the quietness and the intimacy, the chance to in many ways be alone with Christ and yet still be in the presence of all the angels and saints and the Blessed Mother. There are always less people at the Low Mass so I guess most don’t feel as I do. But I definitely prefer it.

But that is not to say that I don’t love the High Mass as well!
 
I have no problem with the low mass personally, but hasn’t the Church always taught that the high mass is the “ideal” expression of the Roman Rite? I understood the Low Mass to be more of a practical concession. Am I wrong? Certainly our Eastern brothers and sisters struggle with the, for lack of a better word, simplicity of the low mass.
 
The Mass I attend most is the low Mass.

I have always preferred it. Yes, for the quietness but in that quietness I find it so much easier to let myself go and be enveloped by the prayer. Most times to the point where I don’t even notice anyone else in attendance.

It just seems as though there are less distractions (my opinion only). I always feel like it’s the moment where Heaven silently meets with earth for a brief moment, and with the Angels I am kneeling before God.

In a word, intimate.

I do like to go to a high Mass occasionally, the singing is beautiful but it never quite feels the same as ‘my quiet little morning Mass’ does. :gopray:
 
I love solemn high mass because of its dignity and beauty - it carries me away - and will always attend it as my first preference if there is a choice, but the low mass is also very special because of its quietness and the fact that we kneel for much of it creates an atmosphere of prayer and reflection.
 
twf said:
I have no problem with the low mass personally, but hasn’t the Church always taught that the high mass is the “ideal” expression of the Roman Rite? I understood the Low Mass to be more of a practical concession. Am I wrong?
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I think I might have read that somewhere.
Certainly our Eastern brothers and sisters struggle with the, for lack of a better word, simplicity of the low mass.
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Do you mean Eastern Catholic or Eastern Orthodox? Do you know in what way they struggle with it since they don’t usually attend it right? Is there a low mass version for Eastern Catholics?

I just thought of something. Doesn’t the low mass also have provisions for the singing of hymns?
 
twf said:
ICertainly our Eastern brothers and sisters struggle with the, for lack of a better word, simplicity of the low mass.
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Could you unpack this for us?

I can’t figure out what you mean.

Thanks
 
Brooklyn said:
  • the quietness and the intimacy, the chance to in many ways be alone with Christ and yet still be in the presence of all the angels and saints and the Blessed Mother.
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I do prefer the High Mass/Missa Cantata… that being said, I have of course been to a Low Mass as well. This is what I do like about the Low Mass… quietness and intimacy.

When I first began going to the TLM, it was the Missa Cantata. I love that Mass. I began going almost regularly to the TLM. Of course, some of those masses will end up being the Low Mass. At first, I didn’t like it as much. But now, I do like it… for that reason. Each of the Masses have something to love.

Now, I’ve only been to ONE Solemn High Mass… Now, that was nothing short of amazing.
 
Both Masses are to be praised, but I find that it is often easier to pray at the Low Mass compared with the High Mass. It’s a much more quiet and contemplative atmosphere, and it’s easier to directly follow along with the priest throughout the Mass. I sometimes find myself more distracted at the High Mass (the music has a lot to do with it, as it can be really good on some days and less than perfect on others). If I had to choose one Mass to attend, I suppose I’d pick a Pontifcal High Mass! 🙂
 
TrueLight said:
I just thought of something. Doesn’t the low mass also have provisions for the singing of hymns?
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At certain parts, yes. There are also rubrics for special “solemn” Low Masses, but that’s another thread.

Also, some days all I want to do is kneel before God and the Low Mass fulfills that wish perfectly; no sit/stand/kneel to worry about for the most part.
 
Hesychios said:
Could you unpack this for us?

I can’t figure out what you mean.

Thanks
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I understood that the lack of active dialogue between the priest and people and lack of singing was a stumbling block for many Eastern Christians. To my mind, there is much more in common between a solemn high mass (or any sung mass) and the Eastern liturgies than there is with a low mass.
 
Theoretically, couldn’t you say that if you point out something you love about the Low Mass that you’re putting down the High Mass? :doh2:
 
twf said:
I understood that the lack of active dialogue between the priest and people and lack of singing was a stumbling block for many Eastern Christians. To my mind, there is much more in common between a solemn high mass (or any sung mass) and the Eastern liturgies than there is with a low mass.
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Perhaps you are right.

It’s not necessarily a theological problem.

Byzantine tradition Christians do prefer the chanting of hymns, and polyphony too. I just don’t know if criticism of a “said Mass” is a question of taste or reflective of something more serious.

I am going to assume it is a matter of taste. 🙂
 
Hesychios said:
Perhaps you are right.

It’s not necessarily a theological problem.

Byzantine tradition Christians do prefer the chanting of hymns, and polyphony too. I just don’t know if criticism of a “said Mass” is a question of taste or reflective of something more serious.

I am going to assume it is a matter of taste. 🙂
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Well, there is the Filioque…😉
 
Hesychios said:
Perhaps you are right.

It’s not necessarily a theological problem.

Byzantine tradition Christians do prefer the chanting of hymns, and polyphony too. I just don’t know if criticism of a “said Mass” is a question of taste or reflective of something more serious.

I am going to assume it is a matter of taste. 🙂
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I’m glad you feel that way. I don’t think all Eastern Orthodox would - not even on this forum.
That being said, whiile the low mass can be beautiful, I am quite certain that the Latin Church has always seen the high mass as more “ideal”. In my books, a sung mass is always the ideal…especially on Sundays and feasts.
 
I went to a votive Low Mass of the Sacred Heart today and it was sublime. I just put down my missal halfway through and prayed deeply.

It reminded me of another thing I love about Low Mass: it’s brief! Mass was about 29 minutes long with Leonine prayers, and even though we all stayed a few extra minutes for private prayer, I made it to work on time. I couldn’t do that with a High Mass!
 
The quotidian character and small scale of daily Low Mass have their own appeal and value which doesn’t obtain at other Masses.
 
Rich_C said:
I went to a votive Low Mass of the Sacred Heart today and it was sublime. I just put down my missal halfway through and prayed deeply.

It reminded me of another thing I love about Low Mass: it’s brief! Mass was about 29 minutes long with Leonine prayers, and even though we all stayed a few extra minutes for private prayer, I made it to work on time. I couldn’t do that with a High Mass!
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Our low masses still seem to take between 40-45 minutes. Some priests read faster than others.

You are right about putting down the missal. I do the same thing most of the time.
 
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