My first Latin Mass

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janice32602003

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I apologize in advance for what is probably an ignorant question.

I am a lifelong Catholic, having primarily attended two neighborhood churches throughout my life. I’ve felt restless the last couple of years because the parish I’ve belonged to for over 25 yrs is becoming so casual (and noisy) that is difficult to pray before Mass because of all the chattering thats going on.

Another local church holds the traditional Latin mass and I had always been curious about it so today I went for the first time. Of course, I had no idea what was going on, and didn’t discover that there were Latin/English Ecclesia Dei booklets in the back of the church until after the service was over. So, in my ignorance, I just followed along with what everybody else was doing. I want very much t to learn more about it.

Is there a good place to get a crash course of the basic order of whats happening during a Latin Mass? I would very much like to return there tomorrow but am feeling kind of stupid right now.

Thank you for reading.
 
If you really want to, you can use the red book before Mass and browse it. Another good site is sanctamissa.org which has videos.

But I personally recommend just going, and praying with the silence, and listening, and just observing as well. Take your time, and sink into it slowly.
 
Thank you, sincerely. I deeply appreciate your reply. After the Mass was over, and I saw those red booklets, I wondered if it would have been appropriate to look it over before the service began so thank you for advising me about that. The people who were in the church when I arrived were praying the rosary so I hung in the back and will probably do that again if I go back tomorrow.

I saw something I had not witnessed since I was a girl – people receiving Holy Communion on their knees at the communion rail. I receive regular confession and normally take Communion at my regular parish. Is it okay for me to go to Communion at the Latin Mass? I do not know what the priest is saying to the people as he distributes it.

Thank you again for your kind advice.
 
It is definitely okay to receive Communion at the Latin Mass. Of course you should be in the state of Grace, Latin Mass or not.

You can kneel and receive on the tongue. The only thing to know is the priest will say a prayer including “Amen,” you just have to put out your tongue, don’t say “Amen.”

Stuff you don’t need to know but might want to:

He will say “Corpus Domini Nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen.”

Which means “May the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ bring your soul into eternal life. Amen.”

Another thing: you will make your own decisions about this, but I was in your position once. Now I almost exclusively go to the Latin Mass. I only go to the OF when I have no choice and need to fulfill my obligation. When I go to the OF (the new Mass) I usually don’t receive Communion. I believe it is valid and I adore the Lord there, but I don’t receive because (1) most of the time the priest would be confused or even annoyed if I kneeled and (2) often I’m just distracted or annoyed at the atmosphere or the abuses.

Again, I know it’s valid and licit, but so is the EF and I am better spiritually prepared at the EF and know I can receive on the tongue and kneeling, which is the only way I feel comfortable.

Edited to add: a better translation of the priest’s words might be “preserve your soul unto eternal life” instead of “bring your soul…”
 
newyorkcatholic said:
If you really want to, you can use the red book before Mass and browse it. Another good site is sanctamissa.org which has videos.

But I personally recommend just going, and praying with the silence, and listening, and just observing as well. Take your time, and sink into it slowly.
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I have to second this. I don’t think there’s anything more for me to add at the moment.
 
Forgive my multiple notes, I just saw your new message after I sent my last.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I have been thinking for a long time about looking for a new church - and I did visit several other parishes in my city - but every one of them had the same set of distracting issues that my current one has, so I was ready to just give up and stick it out until I remembered the church with the traditional Latin. I have a feeling that once I understand the Latin Mass and become reasonably comfortable, I will want to remain there. I really appreciated the respectful silences and reverence today! It was something I had not witnessed in a very long time. Unfortunately,its the learning process that scared me and I didn’t want to make some huge blunder.
 
Re: Meet and Greet #86
Hi, Janice,
Your message inspired me to officially join up with CAF. The following is my introduction. The mass is truly awe inspiring and I am so grateful that we both have found it. jeannetherese
I’ve been spending time exploring the CAF for over a year and was inspired to activate my membership by a letter from a person who had assisted at a Latin Mass for the first time, who knew she had discovered a treasure and was now looking for ways to grow in her ability to participate more fully through learning about the mass.
I immediately wondered if she had found my adopted parish in Seattle.
My reaction to my first Latin Mass as an adult was very similar. Born post V-II’ I had only had one such mass as a child. But a bit over two years ago, I noticed a posting in our Catholic newspaper, the Northwest Progress, that gave the time and location of Latin masses in Seattle.
I’m going to have to go check out a Latin mass, I told myself. It took a while. First I did a bit of research. Then I bought a 62 missal and googled up directions to Ballard.
With my missal marked in all the correct places for the mass, I drove in to Seattle and found myself completely lost within 15 minutes as the latin rolled over me. I came out of church knowing that I had encountered something amazing and wanting more. Thus I can readily relate to Janice’s experience.
So hey Janice, if you wind up reading this, welcome to the mass that has brought Christ and his cross home to me in an especially meaningful way. Keep coming back. I find something special to meditate on every time I make that drive to the city and I feel as if I grown deeper in my faith in the last two years than in the previous twenty. The focus upon Jesus’ sacrifice brings the love of God home in ways that I cannot find the words to describe.
May God bless us all!
jeannetherese
 
janice32602003 said:
Forgive my multiple notes, I just saw your new message after I sent my last.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I have been thinking for a long time about looking for a new church - and I did visit several other parishes in my city - but every one of them had the same set of distracting issues that my current one has, so I was ready to just give up and stick it out until I remembered the church with the traditional Latin. I have a feeling that once I understand the Latin Mass and become reasonably comfortable, I will want to remain there. I really appreciated the respectful silences and reverence today! It was something I had not witnessed in a very long time. Unfortunately,its the learning process that scared me and I didn’t want to make some huge blunder.
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HEllo Janice,

This is great you are discovering and attending (or considering) the Tridentine Latin Mass(TLM)/Extraordinary Form (EF). Pretty much everyone’s answered your queries so I just have only a few things to add, being part of it as an occasional attendee/EF server:
  1. You will need to attend a few before you do becomed accustomed to things. It does take time to become (re-) acquainted with the practicals such as the Latin Language and COTT. Only after a while can a clear decision be made about it, though you’ve strongly indicated that going to the EF has provided a solution to your spiritual barriers surrounding the Mass (at a base level without going into theology).
  2. You know about the Red Books! For now it’s great to buy one and they are usually cheap (under $10 wherever they are sold). They have the ordinary of the Mass and you usually get a supplement at the parish of photocopied prayers for that day’s Mass by the parish/Una Voce/the people organizing it. That booklet also contains prayers and even things regarding confession.
My additional info is that if you become a weekly devotee, or do have the cash on hand, do inquire about buying a Traditional Latin Hand Missal. It has all the prayers for every day of the EF liturgical Calendar (though you will need to learn how to navigate the Missal), the order of the mass, more prayers, some relevant Catholic documents and doctrine, and more. I would recommend buying Baronius Press (the FSSP’s printing arm or associated publisher of their items), though other people are using the Angelus Press missals (associated with the SSPX) and a few other older ones (e.g. St. Andrew’s 1950’s missal, Fr. Lassange’s Missal …). FSSP and Angelus have created recent re-publishings of the 1962 Hand Missal so they are your most available bet if you order them online. If you can buy it at that parish, then do so! Maybe they get a share of the book’s markup/profits but inquire about that too.
  1. Dress Code: While dress standards have seemingly gone out the window along with a lot since Vatican II and our standardless culture, OVERALL, the people who attend TLMs/EFs adhere to dressing in traditional “Sunday Best”. Younger people might dress in modern fashions though, and there’s also a group I met once at a TLM parish of young 20 somethings that weren’t in suit and tie or skirt and women’s top, but hey they go there every week and don’t dress immodestly. So just be aware of this and don’t hesitate to say that you are new to this the first couple of times. But don’t let the other parishoners tsk tsk you away if you aren’t in those “old time Sunday Best” clothes. Let the pastor and parish dictate the dress code if they choose to do so, not the stodgy old crumdugeons. They have to learn that this is a long war getting people back to or appreciating the TLM and that many people, both of the Post Baby Boomers (60-80’s) and the Gen Y (80’s - late 90’s) lost this treasure and their teachers and parents didn’t educate them with regard to their own faith.
  2. Different meaning of active participation: In the EF, you may see there isn’t much “lay particpation” with exception to altar servers as males, mixed sex choirs and Knights of Columbus on special events. There may also be a rare occasion (or frequent occasion depending on the parish) in daily low Masses where there is no server, where a layperson might say the responses of the server for the priest. We have misunderstood “active participation” to mean putting yourself in a ministry and doing something in the Mass alongside or separate from the priest in the Novus Ordo.
Practically it’s not like the Novus Ordo with unisex lectors, servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Cantors, etc. In the EF, active participation is more focused around the person’s prayers in the Mass, with “active participation” being exemplified in things like saying the responses during the Missa Lecta Mass, saying certain prayers at parts of the mass in private prayer books or the Missal if it has them (e.g. My Key of Heaven booklet has devotional prayers for the Mass parts), offering your own personal prayers up WITH the priest, and paying attention to the readings via reading them and the Homily.

I hope this adds to your knowedge currently and that your future TLM experiences are spiritually rewarding. And if all goes well, register with that parish and make it your new home. YCRCM.
 
A heartfelt THANK YOU! to everyone. I cannot tell you how tremendously I appreciate all of your wonderful advice,support and sharing – I am overwhelmed by all of the replies and reading your personal experiences.

I just visited a bookstore and saw a 1962 Roman Catholic Missal - I believe it was the Angelus - and located what I thought was the page used today, but never having learned how to use the Missals, I couldn’t figure out where to go beyond p. 432 (?)…

A brochure I picked up at the church indicates a “Sunday Low Mass,” a “Sunday High Mass” and then “Weekly Masses,” which are Monday through Thursday, as well as Friday eve and Saturday morning. Are the Masses designated “Weekly Mass” also considered Low Masses or are they something else entirely? I’ve heard a term “Simple Mass” but I don’t know what that means.

I found the red booklet online so I ordered a copy so I can study it at home! Thank you for suggesting that. I took along a mantilla (spelling?) today but forgot to bring along something to secure it to my head 🙂 But I was glad I brought it because all but one or two women had head coverings on.

I am going to go again tomorrow and I will feel more confident now that you’ve shared your experiences with me!
 
newyorkcatholic said:
When I go to the OF (the new Mass) I usually don’t receive Communion. I believe it is valid and I adore the Lord there, but I don’t receive because (1) most of the time the priest would be confused or even annoyed if I kneeled and (2) often I’m just distracted or annoyed at the atmosphere or the abuses.
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When I am at an OF Mass, I try to discuss my custom of receiving kneeling with the priest first, instead of just turning up and doing it. I have heard of priests who make a scene when people kneel and I do not want to contribute to this as it would dishonour our Lord.
 
janice32602003 said:
A heartfelt THANK YOU! to everyone. I cannot tell you how tremendously I appreciate all of your wonderful advice,support and sharing – I am overwhelmed by all of the replies and reading your personal experiences.

I just visited a bookstore and saw a 1962 Roman Catholic Missal - I believe it was the Angelus - and located what I thought was the page used today, but never having learned how to use the Missals, I couldn’t figure out where to go beyond p. 432 (?)…

A brochure I picked up at the church indicates a “Sunday Low Mass,” a “Sunday High Mass” and then “Weekly Masses,” which are Monday through Thursday, as well as Friday eve and Saturday morning. Are the Masses designated “Weekly Mass” also considered Low Masses or are they something else entirely? I’ve heard a term “Simple Mass” but I don’t know what that means.

I found the red booklet online so I ordered a copy so I can study it at home! Thank you for suggesting that. I took along a mantilla (spelling?) today but forgot to bring along something to secure it to my head 🙂 But I was glad I brought it because all but one or two women had head coverings on.

I am going to go again tomorrow and I will feel more confident now that you’ve shared your experiences with me!
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With that red booklet, you will probably need the propers:

virgomaterdie.com/1962_propers/2012/index.htm
 
OP, I am glad you had the chance to go to an EF Mass. I just wish they were closer by to me and at times I can attend because I would go to them more often. With the nicer weather in my area now back, I will be able to go to a few Daily EF Masses due to my work schedule. I hope you get more chances to go to it.

The first few times, yes it was a bit confusing for me but I realized that the Mass was beautiful despite there being more silence than usual. Its forced me to be much more reverent in my church behavior, to dress up for Mass instead of being more casual, to dress more modestly, and I even now veil when going to Ordinary Form Masses now as many women veil for the Extraordinary Form Mass. I even own my own copy of the Baronius Press 1962 Summorum Pontificum Edition Missal that I even read prayers from before Ordinary Form Mass too - an worthwhile investment.

For me going to the EF Mass is like stepping back in time some to my parents’ generation and generations before them as this is how they experienced Mass. As someone who appreciates and studies history in my spare time, I get more from the EF Mass each time I attend as most of them in older beautiful church buildings filled with beautiful art & statues.
 
I am so glad you have the opportunity to experience a Traditional Latin Mass! Very soul moving, yah?

What excellent advice given by other posters. I don’t have much to add, except for one thing. I have a Father Lasance 1962 missal. It was what I used to become familiar with the TLM, which was a task indeed! I don’t know if other missals have this, but in the front it describes how to follow the mass using the missal. It gives you different excercizes, tells you what is going on during different parts of the mass, etc. Extremely helpful! When you are browsing through different missals, i’d encorage you to take a look at the front for instructional stuff to help you.

May God bless you in your discovery of the TLM, and I will say a few Hail Marys for encouragement as you get everything figured out!
 
Thank you for the additional responses.

I wonder if I could beg answers to a couple new questions I had after returning to the Mass today.

I went back to the store and bought the Roman Missal they had, it was pre-owned and appears to be missing a couple of pages that follow the cover but I believe it is the Angelus version. My question is this: During the Mass, I was on p. 436 and think I was in the right place, at least for awhile. But after the Gospel, I think I got lost. Should I have flipped to the pages that begin around 836 after the Gospel? I had the red booklet with me in the pew as well, but someone else was nearby and the pages of my books were very noisy! I didn’t want to disturb their prayer by flapping back and forth in my search for the proper pages in the Missal.

Also, the Priest was in the confessional both yesterday and today until just a few moments before Mass began. If I want to make my confession, is it the same as doing so at my other parish?

Thank you for your prayers and support.
 
janice32602003 said:
Also, the Priest was in the confessional both yesterday and today until just a few moments before Mass began. If I want to make my confession, is it the same as doing so at my other parish?
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Yes. Any confession is valid, so long as the priest has the faculties from the bishop to hear and forgive.
 
janice32602003 said:
I went back to the store and bought the Roman Missal they had, it was pre-owned and appears to be missing a couple of pages that follow the cover but I believe it is the Angelus version. My question is this: During the Mass, I was on p. 436 and think I was in the right place, at least for awhile. But after the Gospel, I think I got lost. Should I have flipped to the pages that begin around 836 after the Gospel? I had the red booklet with me in the pew as well, but someone else was nearby and the pages of my books were very noisy! I didn’t want to disturb their prayer by flapping back and forth in my search for the proper pages in the Missal.
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I have the same Missal. Does yours have ribbons for marking the pages? If not, you should get some bookmarks. The part of the Mass that is the same each time is called the “Ordinary of the Mass”. It starts on page 838 and goes to 921. Some of the prayers and readings are different for each Mass. These are called the “Proper of the Mass” (from the old sense of the word meaning “belonging to one”). The Gospel is part of the Propers. After the Gospel comes the Creed on page 856 which is part of the Ordinary. However, it is usually gets skipped on weekdays unless it is a certain kind of feast day. (Worry about that later.) The next thing is the Offertory. On page 858 there is a little box that says “See Proper of the Mass for the day”. That means you go back to the other section, right after the Gospel on page 439, for its words. Then you go back to the Ordinary for the next prayer. The Ordinary always tells you when you need to look at the Proper. It isn’t really that noisy if you use bookmarks.

The red booklet contains just the Ordinary. If you don’t like all the page flipping you can print out the Propers on a page and use that with the booklet.

If you are interest in the traditional approach to Confession, there is a little section in your Missal starting on page 65.
 
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