My first Latin mass

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Hipster_Doofus said:
But if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can do better at my next Latin masses, I’d appreciate them.
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I would try saying the rosary very softly until you can keep up. Half-kneeling, using the seat for support, seems like a reasonable compromise and I would follow this practice with a peaceful heart for a long time. The transitions from sitting to kneeling to standing will probably gradually get easier with practice, but if not, then just do the best you can, and pray confidently, comforted by the knowledge that our Lord will certainly not ask more of you than you can do.

You could also offer up whatever discomfort and embarrassment you cannot avoid to our Lord, and in union with Him, who suffered pain and humiliation for us. That might be the starting point for a heartfelt inner dialog with God about the sacrifice being presented to you, and what your response should be. In my opinion, it is ok to have such silent dialogs during Mass, and to weave in your prayers with those of the priest as an offering to God, who desires the conforming of your soul to Him more than a mere outward conformity to the activity around you.

Don’t fret if you lose your place. I’m still fairly new to the Traditional Mass myself, and rather than attempting to follow the priest’s every word and gesture, I’m trying to learn landmarks within the Mass, so that I have the option of following along again word-by-word starting at those points. But following word-by-word isn’t the only way to worship at Mass. This post from Athanasius Contra Mundum is worth reading.

The most important part of the Mass cannot be seen with the eye or heard with the ear at Mass: our Lord’s sacrifice, the sanctification of our souls, the strengthening of the bond of Charity, the worship of our Lord across the ages and in heaven. All invisible. All essential. The little defects in worship that the good Lord must put up with from you and me will be fixed in God’s good time.
 
Hipster_Doofus said:
The daily masses are English/N.O. There’s only this one Latin mass in the whole diocese, and that’s Sunday afternoon.

In a perfect world I’d go to daily mass, but I don’t drive and I don’t live too close to even the church I’m a member of. The one with the Latin mass is the cathedral downtown–which is a one-hour trip by bus one way. So I’ve rarely made it to weekday masses.

I’ve got a variety of missals, but not the 1962 one, I don’t think…

Okay, you made me get up and check. Let’s see:

+1960 Missal (plus almost two identical copies from 1955)
+Parish Mass Book and Hymnal 1965
+St. Joseph Continuous Sunday Missal 1957
+New American Sunday Missal 1975
+The Maryknoll Daily Missal 1966

None are in Latin.
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The 1955 and 1957 missels don’t have the Latin oposite the english for the Mass?

A missal the Tridintine Mass is going to be primarly in English with just the latin translations for the Mass its self, it may or may not have the translations for the dailly readings .

If you are in need of a missal for the Latin Mass you can find some for sale here fssp.com/main/publications.html#Missals . Only reason I suggest that page is because I know for sure all of those are only Latin Mass missals.
 
MikeDunphy said:
I would try saying the rosary very softly until you can keep up. Half-kneeling, using the seat for support, seems like a reasonable compromise and I would follow this practice with a peaceful heart for a long time. The transitions from sitting to kneeling to standing will probably gradually get easier with practice, but if not, then just do the best you can, and pray confidently, comforted by the knowledge that our Lord will certainly not ask more of you than you can do.
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I would not recommend saying the rosary during Mass. This is precisely the type of practices that VII was trying to stop 😉 Even if you don’t completely understand whats going on you are still getting the benefit of it.

I recommend getting a good Missal that shows the movements the responses and the bells, if you don’t have one already, and follow along to the best of your ability. It gets easier quickly. You start learning the clues to know where the priest is.

I can give you some examples if you like of things to look for to find you place.
 
LJN21 said:
I would not recommend saying the rosary during Mass. This is precisely the type of practices that VII was trying to stop 😉 Even if you don’t completely understand whats going on you are still getting the benefit of it.

I recommend getting a good Missal that shows the movements the responses and the bells, if you don’t have one already, and follow along to the best of your ability. It gets easier quickly. You start learning the clues to know where the priest is.

I can give you some examples if you like of things to look for to find you place.
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In this particular case I was talking about saying the rosary before Mass, with a group that prays it quickly. A loud voice lagging behind everyone else could disturb others and make the person struggling to keep up more self-conscious.

If you have examples of things to look for during Mass to find your place, I’ll read with interest whatever you have time to write.
 
MikeDunphy said:
In this particular case I was talking about saying the rosary before Mass, with a group that prays it quickly. A loud voice lagging behind everyone else could disturb others and make the person struggling to keep up more self-conscious.
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Ahh yeah sorry I misunderstood
MikeDunphy said:
If you have examples of things to look for during Mass to find your place, I’ll read with interest whatever you have time to write.
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I’m trying to remember how the Asperges end and moves on to the Mass (I’ve got very small children we have been avoiding High Masses for a year or so now 😉 ) If I remember right he changes vestments and then goes to the center of the alter and starts Mass.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. would be the Sign of the Cross and starts the Mass. In a High Mass you might not be able to hear this if they Choir is singing.

He normally says audibly “Judica me” which is psalm 42 this has quite a few responses form the servers and leads to the Confiteor

“Confiteor Deo omnipotenti” is the start of the priest confiteor. Right after that the servers will say the confiteor as well, this is normally all audible.

The next Audible thing would be the Kyrie, if its not a penitential season (lent or advent) it will go right in to the Gloria which isn’t much different than the NO Gloria. This is also out load, during a High Mass both will be Sung by the Choir. The Prayer, Epistle and Gospel follow these would be taken form the mass of the day.

This is where the Priest will stop to read the epistle and Gospel in English do announcements and the Homily.

Afterwords He goes back and will either intone the Creed (the Choir will sing the rest) or just say it depending if its a High Mass or not. That starts with “Credo in unum Deum”.

Everyone sits and its quiet.

At this point I normally just read the prayers after the Credo till I hear him say “Orate, Fratres” (Brethren pray that my sacrifice…) That is shortly after the Washing of the Hands and in my missal its has a heading of “The Orate Fratres” above the prayer.

Right after that is a silent prayer found in the Mass of the day and the Preface. Which finishes with “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” Everyone will kneel (in a High Mass the choir will sing the Sanctus) after that the Cannon of the Mass starts.

There are only a few Audible parts before communion. At the Single Bell they are at the “Quam Oblationen” Which is right before the Consecration.

There are 3 bells right after each consecration for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Our Father is the next place finder for me. The priest will say “Oremus” (some other stuff in Latin) “Pater noster…” (Our Father…) During a High Mass people normally Stand for this, sometimes they don’t.

Next is the Agnus Dei which is sung in a High Mass. Followed shortly by Communion.

After Communion, the purification of the vessels and some short prayers he Give the dissmissle “Ite, Missa est” (Go the Mass is ended), Blessing (he will turn around and bless the congregation) and Last Gospel.

I hope this helps and I haven’t just rehashed everything you’ve already figured out 🙂 No I don’t know this stuff off the top of my head. I actually had my missal on my desk after looking something up the other day.
 
“The 1955 and 1957 missels don’t have the Latin oposite the english for the Mass?”

Nope. For some reason there doesn’t seem to be any Latin in them. I bought them off Ebay expecting with those publication ates they’d be chock-full of Latin.
 
“I recommend getting a good Missal that shows the movements the responses and the bells, if you don’t have one already, and follow along to the best of your ability. It gets easier quickly. You start learning the clues to know where the priest is.”

Actually the paperbound one they use in this service, two copies of which I have at home, has drawings printing in the margins of what the priest is doing at whichever part of the mass, and there are notations for most of the kneeling, standing, and sitting, and symbols for the bells. Even so, it’s not totally foolproof.
 
“In this particular case I was talking about saying the rosary before Mass, with a group that prays it quickly. A loud voice lagging behind everyone else could disturb others and make the person struggling to keep up more self-conscious.”

Yes, I was talking about a rosary prayed prior to the mass.

I tend to mutter the rosary, rather than pray it loudly, if for no other reason than that I seem to pray slightly different words than everybody else. I pray “amongst women” rather than “among,” “vale of tears” rather than “valley,” etc. That’s just how I learned them.
 
"*I would try saying the rosary very softly until you can keep up. Half-kneeling, using the seat for support, seems like a reasonable compromise and I would follow this practice with a peaceful heart for a long time. The transitions from sitting to kneeling to standing will probably gradually get easier with practice, but if not, then just do the best you can, and pray confidently, comforted by the knowledge that our Lord will certainly not ask more of you than you can do.

“You could also offer up whatever discomfort and embarrassment you cannot avoid to our Lord, and in union with Him, who suffered pain and humiliation for us. That might be the starting point for a heartfelt inner dialog with God about the sacrifice being presented to you, and what your response should be. In my opinion, it is ok to have such silent dialogs during Mass, and to weave in your prayers with those of the priest as an offering to God, who desires the conforming of your soul to Him more than a mere outward conformity to the activity around you.*”

I am a convert who crossed the Tiber in 2004, and I still get things wrong. The other night I got halfway through a rosary, totally forgot the next line in the prayer and had to go look it up before I could continue. And it was one of the major ones too!

I never, ever remember prior to the reading of the Gospel to cross my heart, lips, and forehead, and usually panic at the last second and either wind up crossing my nose of just my chest.

And I have to keep the missal open because there are certain parts I still don’t know by heart.
 
Hipster_Doofus said:
“In this particular case I was talking about saying the rosary before Mass, with a group that prays it quickly. A loud voice lagging behind everyone else could disturb others and make the person struggling to keep up more self-conscious.”

Yes, I was talking about a rosary prayed prior to the mass.

I tend to mutter the rosary, rather than pray it loudly, if for no other reason than that I seem to pray slightly different words than everybody else. I pray “amongst women” rather than “among,” “vale of tears” rather than “valley,” etc. That’s just how I learned them.
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Others’ praying loudly also makes it tougher to say your penance after confession. 🙂
 
If you want an English/Latin Missal with many great devotions and prayers, I highly suggest the 1962 Angelus Press Missal. The FSSP, which is allowed to say the Tridentine Mass, uses this missal too, I believe. I recently bought it for the bargain price of $35 USD at Our Lady of the Rosary Library (olrl.org). I highly recommend the missal.

God Bless!
 
Yeah, a few weeks ago I arrived early for a NO mass, began praying the rosary, and about 2/3 of the way through it a guy got up to lead everybody else in the rosary.He was really loud and using a mike. But the distracting thing was he kept saying “Blessed is the fruit of **thou **womb, Jesus,” instead of “thy womb.”
 
FYI, today was my second Latin mass and I was amazed how significantly easier it was to follow. I figured it would take a few more weeks, but this went rather smoothly.😃
 
Hipster_Doofus said:
FYI, today was my second Latin mass and I was amazed how significantly easier it was to follow. I figured it would take a few more weeks, but this went rather smoothly.😃
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Wonderful, you’ll be an old pro in no time!

I would second Matt’s advice to get the 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal published by Angelus Press. It is very complete, and the quality is excellent.
 
I’ve been wanting to get that missal for awhile, but I need to make some money and pay some bills first.
 
It´s beauitful you can go to a tridentine mass, I don´t have this privilege, enjoy it!
 
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