My first Latin Mass!

[NorthTexan88]

Howdy everyone, I went to my first Latin Mass on Christmas eve which was celebrated by the Bishop. I didnt bother trying to follow along, I just sat back and enjoyed
First off, it was awesome! Here area few of my thoughts from the Mass.

1. A buddy of mine who isnt Catholic yet went with me and he commented that it must have been manditory that everyone had to have at least 3 kids…he was right lol. Also, there were a large number of young people there.
2. I liked how they had confession going on during Mass, up until the collect I think? There was a pretty long line as well.
3. The reverence was also great. There was silence, no one was talking so loud that I couldnt pray.
4. It seems to leave more time for quiet personal prayer during the Mass than the OF does.
5. Ad Orientum…why do we not do that?!
6. I love receivng communion kneeling. I was high church anglican before becoming Catholic and always received this way.
7. This is minute, but the use of incense, I rarely if ever see this at the average parish I attend. I have seen it used frequently in Maronite and Melkite masses I have been to. But I think it goes a long way, for me at least.

Some other thoughts:
I have now had the opportunity to attend Mass in both the EF & OF, Maronite, and Melkite DL. And they have all made me appreciate the OF of the Mass more. I loved the EF, but I think I would prefer Latin mixed with the vernacular. Not that I have to justify anything, but I consider myself a young “traditional” Catholic,I love all things traditional about worship and about the Church. This is by no means a blanket for all OF’s, but if it was given the amount of reverence that I saw at the EF, I think it could really change everything. I love both forms of the Mass, the Church proumlgates it so I trust in it no matter what. But I think a sense of sacred needs to be returned to the Mass. Any thoughts?

 

[R_C]

Congratulations

3,4 ) yes.

1. we can, in theory.
2. we can always kneel and receive on the tongue. Standing & receiving on hands is a “trend”, so to speak.

Your love for the traditional liturgy is shared by many young Catholics. In fact, there is a slow but steady return towards the traditions. May God’s will be done on this matter!

 

[NorthTexan88]

Congratulations

3,4 ) yes.

1. we can, in theory.
2. we can always kneel and receive on the tongue. Standing & receiving on hands is a “trend”, so to speak.

Your love for the traditional liturgy is shared by many young Catholics. In fact, there is a slow but steady return towards the traditions. May God’s will be done on this matter!

Yea I agree with the last thing. Our university parish is like that!

 

[kcbk]

I Latin Mass.
We have it at our parish every week & I try to attend as often as possible.
It is awesome.
:byzsoc:

 

[CountrySteve]

About 4) why would you want personally prayer time during the Holy Mass, why not pray the Mass too? Just curious, I’ve never been to a Latin Mass, so idk how they are, but personally, I like to focus my full attention during Mass so i pray it better. just my opinion. God bless you and glad you wen’t to a Latin Mass =) i hope to go to one someday, i consider myself a traditional young Catholic too

 

[NorthTexan88]

About 4) why would you want personally prayer time during the Holy Mass, why not pray the Mass too? Just curious, I’ve never been to a Latin Mass, so idk how they are, but personally, I like to focus my full attention during Mass so i pray it better. just my opinion. God bless you and glad you wen’t to a Latin Mass =) i hope to go to one someday, i consider myself a traditional young Catholic too

From what it seemed like, you have a lot of personal prayer time during the TLM. There’s a lot less up an down and less responses than there are in the OF, it’s more contemplative, I guess that’s the word I’m lookin for . I just kept thinking the entire time I was at the EF that that was the same Mass (or something like it) that Charlemagne, all the kings and queens in medieval times and back till the early centuries of the Church got to sit through…it was really awesome! But it did make me appreciate the OF too…when done reverently

 

[kcbk]

I can’t speak for the OP & I’m not sure I can really explain it in words…
When I witness the Latin Mass, I feel like I am more of a part of the Sacrifice of the Mass. Almost as if I am more in tune with Christ in his Holy Mass.
When you remove all the recanting & recitations your eyes & ears are more receptive to Jesus’ presence…???
I wish I could find the words to explain it…

 

[A_G]

Sounds beautiful!

I can’t wait to attend my first Latin Mass hopefully soon!

 

[GangGreen]

I wish I could attend the EF more often. The closest one for me is half an hour away (as opposed to 2 minutes for OF) and it is also at 3PM. Not the most ideal thing. I wish a parish closer to me would have one. I’ve tried to convince a priest at my local parish to no avail.

 

[Glacies]

It is a great joy to see more people experiencing and getting acquainted with the Traditional Latin Mass so big thanks to Pope Benedict XVI with the 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum for giving it more freedom. In my country at present these Masses are not widely available wherefore we have had to rely on visiting FSSP priests. Happily there are websites like sanctamissa.org/ where one can see them online.

 

[ProVobis]

Just a reminder: the OF can be said entirely in Latin. Or mixed Latin and vernacular.

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

Just a reminder: the OF can be said entirely in Latin. Or mixed Latin and vernacular.

And incense can be used and ad orientem and receiving kneeling.

Confessions going on during Mass is a bit puzzling.

 

[YoungTradCath]

About 4) why would you want personally prayer time during the Holy Mass, why not pray the Mass too? Just curious, I’ve never been to a Latin Mass, so idk how they are, but personally, I like to focus my full attention during Mass so i pray it better. just my opinion. God bless you and glad you wen’t to a Latin Mass =) i hope to go to one someday, i consider myself a traditional young Catholic too

This is true, but it does require a certain amount of study and skill to recognize what part of the Mass you’re currently at. Also, there are many times in which it makes sense to pray by oneself if one so desires because nothing else is really going on.

For example:

after Communion
after the homily if there is some space
at the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

 

[malphono]

This is true, but it does require a certain amount of study and skill to recognize what part of the Mass you’re currently at.

I suppose one could say it that way, but it seems to me to make it overly complicated. I’d rather just say “pay attention” and follow the missal, (at least for a while, until one is familiar with the actions).

Also, there are many times in which it makes sense to pray by oneself if one so desires because nothing else is really going on.

For example:

after Communion

Yes, no question. It’s a good opportunity for those who would like some quiet reflection. (Personally, I prefer to follow the ablution/thanksgiving prayers closely, since I find them very rich, but that’s just me.)

after the homily if there is some space

In the Usus Antiquior that “space” is quite rare, but if it’s there, then yes.

at the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

Now this is something else. While I’m not one of those who gets all bent out of shape at the very thought of eliminating Ps 42 (after all, it was never part of the Requiem, e.g, so it’s not intrinsic to the Ordo Missae) , or even combining the Confiteors into one, I love the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar as a whole. To me, they add a necessary penitential and invocational element to the whole Ordo, and in my opinion they give a remarkable focus. I would suggest praying them with the priest rather than “praying by oneself” during them. But that’s just my opinion.

 

[ProVobis]

While I’m not one of those who gets all bent out of shape at the very thought of eliminating Ps 42 (after all, it was never part of the Requiem, e.g, so it’s not intrinsic to the Ordo Missae)

Part of Psalm 42 is the Introit for Passion Sunday. I don’t know the full history of the Usus Antiquior prior to Trent, but it seems that at some point and for whatever reason, this particular psalm simply got extended into the ordinary of the Mass. (Same for Lavabo maybe.)

That said, in the Missa Cantata it seems like the mass participant has a little multi-tasking to do in following along the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar while listening to the choir or organist singing the Introit proper for the day. I can understand why this would be confusing to a newcomer.

 

[R_C]

Just a reminder: the OF can be said entirely in Latin. Or mixed Latin and vernacular.

It would be interesting to see this. I know that some religious orders celebrate both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Form in Latin. However, it’s not the language that makes the biggest difference, at least in my personal experience.

 

[Aran_Houlihan]

When I Alter served low mass I found the prays at the foot of the altar hard work but know I’m fine with those prays

 

[mburn16]

“It would be interesting to see this. I know that some religious orders celebrate both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Form in Latin. However, it’s not the language that makes the biggest difference, at least in my personal experience.”

Its a challenge to find the OF in Latin, although not impossible to find. I know there is a church here in Detroit which offers it (which I discovered accidentally, expecting TLM when it said “latin mass”)…what I would like to see is EF in English.

 

[YoungTradCath]

what I would like to see is EF in English.

Oh nooo. I think that would destroy the EF apostolates.

 

[Timothysis]

I just kept thinking the entire time I was at the EF that that was the same Mass (or something like it) that Charlemagne, all the kings and queens in medieval times and back till the early centuries of the Church got to sit through…it was really awesome!

I’m afraid you are greatly mistaken.