Levels of the Mass?

[MikkiD1]

After Mass this morning, one of our group was sharing a 1905 copy of the Catechism. It had belonged to his grandmother. There was a small card tucked in the book that referred to the three “levels” of the Mass. Though all of us present were born before Vatican ll, none of us could think of anything besides low Mass and high Mass. Can anyone enlighten us? I can’t find anything online about it.

 

[GordonP]

It would help if you could quote exactly what the card has to say.

 

[Fauken]

none of us could think of anything besides low Mass and high Mass. Can anyone enlighten us? I can’t find anything online about it.

There’s low Mass, high (or sung) Mass, and then there’s solemn high Mass. Those are the three levels.

 

[porthos11]

Just three?

Low Mass
High (sung) Mass
Solemn High Mass
Solemn Pontifical Mass

I would say the Solemn Pontifical Mass is still a level above Solemn High Mass just as Solemn High Mass is above Sung Mass.

Unless the author considers Sung Mass merely a variation of Low Mass, a notion I do not buy.

 

[Fauken]

Just three?

Considering the book mentioned three, that’s what I went off of. While I’d also argue that a Pontifical High Mass is more solemn than a Solemn High Mass, it could be the author lumped in with the Solemn High Mass.

 

[MikkiD1]

Thank you very much. I’ll tell my friends.

 

[MikkiD1]

I wish I could, but someone else was actually looking at it. This was a question he raised.