Latin, participation, and prayer

[cue]

I am a seminarian who is very fond of the Mass of 1962. I know a couple who has children that are also fond it, however, the couple themselves really do not like it. I have explained many of the theological and symbolic reasons for its use of latin, and I was wondering if any lay people in the pews would share their experiences of prayer at Mass in latin, paricularily parents of children. Part of the fear of this couple is that their children will not be engaged or participate at Mass. Are there any parents who attend the '62 Mass with kids who would care to share their spirituality or mentality?

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

I am a seminarian who is very fond of the Mass of 1962. I know a couple who has children that are also fond it, however, the couple themselves really do not like it. I have explained many of the theological and symbolic reasons for its use of latin, and I was wondering if any lay people in the pews would share their experiences of prayer at Mass in latin, paricularily parents of children. Part of the fear of this couple is that their children will not be engaged or participate at Mass. Are there any parents who attend the '62 Mass with kids who would care to share their spirituality or mentality?

At our TLM we have printed missalettes with Latin and English. I think this is a mistake. Christian worship is about the spoken word, and if everyone is looking at a sheet of paper it detracts from the real focus of the service.

Children under the age of ten can very easily be taught the prayers and will pick them up fluently. As one gets older it becomes steadily more difficult, and it is not possible for a normal adult to achieve real fluency in a foreign language. However it is still possible to learn the main parts of the Mass, parrot-fashion.