Latin Mass

[CollegeKid]

I found a parish in my diocese that offers the Tridentine Latin Mass exclusively! Awesome! And its approved by the bishop, its not SSPX. I made sure of this. I’d like to go to the TLM somewhat regularly, although I have to acknowledge the challenges: I try to follow along in the missal, but the priest speaks the latin parts so fast that its hard to do so. I’d like to know what I’m praying for and what’s being prayed for, so I can be focused on God the entire time, but my mind wanders because I can’t keep up so I just put the missal down and listen to the prayers. If I could learn the latin to english translations by heart, I could definitely see myself going to the latin mass regularly. What’s the best way to do this, get a missal and study? Or just go as often as I can and do my best to keep up reading the missal during the liturgy, quickly glancing at the latin and then english, and so on?

 

[CARose]

Personally, I’d recommend that if you’re interested in becoming familiar with the Latin Mass, that you begin going on as frequent a basis as possible. You’ll start getting used to the various prayers, and with time, will know what they mean by where they’re located in the Mass and for having gone through them time and time again. I personally go to the NO mass, but I was away from the Church for a time, and even with English, it took a while to get into the rhythm of the Mass and familiarize myself with the meanings of all that is done.

Don’t expect it to be an overnight process. Allow yourself to have some times when you’re simply meditating on the basic nature of the Mass and Christ’s presence.

God Bless you and your desire to fully participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

CARose

 

[tradconvert]

You are indeed very fortunate to have a latin mass near where you are. Make the most of it and certainly go to the latin mass as often as you can in order to become familiar with it. I do and find it easy enough to follow what I wish in the missal, but otherwise just let yourself be taken to a different spiritual level. I’m sure if you haven’t a 1962 missal there are missalettes at the church. But really the reason the traditional latin mass is so spiritual is the fact that said in latin audily or silently one is elevated to a heavenly plane that is not the wordliness of having everything immediately comprehensible as it is in the NO English mass. When the priest is saying the canon of the mass which is silent all but for two points - including the consecration - I feel I am being lifted into a new spiritual realm. I suggest you might like to read several excellent essays that are on the UK Latin Mass Society site www.latin-mass-society.org - They are “The Beauty and Spirituality of the Latin Mass” and the “The Glory of the Silent Canon”. Those essays explain better than i can what I believe are the treasures of the traditional latin mass and why I believe that the Church should restore accessibility to it widely.

 

[puzzleannie]

CollegeKid:

I : I try to follow along in the missal, but the priest speaks the latin parts so fast that its hard to do so. I’d like to know what I’m praying for and what’s being prayed for, so I can be focused on God the entire time, but my mind wanders because I can’t keep up so I just put the missal down and listen to the prayers. If I could learn the latin to english translations by heart, I could definitely see myself going to the latin mass regularly. ?

that was the whole point of CCD and religious education in preparation for the sacraments in those years: to learn the prayers of the Mass in Latin, and their meaning. Where today “well he knows all his prayers” means he can say the rosary, back then it meant “he qualifies as an altar server, he can pray all the responses in Latin and he knows what he is saying and why.” that is why Latin was taught in Catholic schools as a language one could understand (and is still one of the easiest languages to learn).

The link between good Catholic schools and the Latin Mass was critical. That was one of the main reasons the US Catholic Bishops made their big push for parochial schools. Either the decline in Catholic schools led to the current state of ignorance about the Mass and the faith in general, or what I think is more likely, the changes in the Mass and the too rapid, entirely unneccesary abandonment of Latin as the preferred language of the Mass led to the decline of Catholic schools.

The best way is to get a Daily Roman Missal with the Latin on one side and English on the other, that will help you learn in the current rite, which is probably where you will still spend the most time and which you know best. You will learn from what you already know. There are links on this site to the Missal for the Tridentine rite. This is going to be a big expense but well worth it. There are also links to sources on learning “church” latin, which is essential to fully participation and appreciation of the Latin Mass in either rite.

but while you are assisting at Mass, I would just be there, not fumbling with the Missal all the time, just learn enough now to make the responses, and learn the rest outside of Mass as well as by “osmosis” during Mass.

 

[CollegeKid]

puzzleannie:

but while you are assisting at Mass, I would just be there, not fumbling with the Missal all the time, just learn enough now to make the responses, and learn the rest outside of Mass as well as by “osmosis” during Mass.

I’m actually not assisting in any way; I’m just there as a parishioner in the pew.

 

[QUICUMQUE_VULT]

CollegeKid:

I’m actually not assisting in any way; I’m just there as a parishioner in the pew.

If you are there in the pew. You are “assisting” at Mass. That is what the poster meant. It is an older term for attending and participating in the TLM.

God Bless

 

[CollegeKid]

Thanks for the correction. I’m definitely assisting then.

 

[tradconvert]

And the more you “assist” at mass the more you will appreciate it as the “most beautiful thing this side of heaven”.

 

[kleary]

The more you attend the Latin Mass the more you will learn the Latin responses. Also try going to the High Mass, where the Latin responses are sung and are done more slowly.

Ken