Serving Low Mass - Is It Easy?

[FAH]

A few years ago the then parish Priest (who offered the EF) came round and tried to teach me the Latin responses I didn’t get on very well so dismissed it right away. Back then I hardly knew a thing about the Catholic faith but over the past years I have learnt more about my faith and grown in love for Our Lord’s Church.

Now I would like to learn how to serve Low Masses. I have a missal and the book “How to Serve Low Mass and Benediction” and the movements which the server makes seem ok to me but it’s just the pronunciation which I’m not so good at.

So if anyone here serves at Low Masses how long did it take you to get the hang of things and is it difficult to serve?

All answers are throughly appreciated.

 

[Te_Deum]

I serve Low Mass every Sunday. To be honest it is quite “easy”. As times goes on you just begin to know where you’re meant to be and when. The replies can actually be a little difficult to have memorised though. When there are two servers it’s a breeze though I prefer serving on my own.

Check out the Irish Latin Mass society’s website. It has a Low Mass Latin audio in MP3 format that is very clear and good.

Just remember: don’t pour all the wine out in one go !

 

[Bl_Pope_Pius_IX]

A few years ago the then parish Priest (who offered the EF) came round and tried to teach me the Latin responses I didn’t get on very well so dismissed it right away. Back then I hardly knew a thing about the Catholic faith but over the past years I have learnt more about my faith and grown in love for Our Lord’s Church.

Now I would like to learn how to serve Low Masses. I have a missal and the book “How to Serve Low Mass and Benediction” and the movements which the server makes seem ok to me but it’s just the pronunciation which I’m not so good at.

So if anyone here serves at Low Masses how long did it take you to get the hang of things and is it difficult to serve?

All answers are throughly appreciated.

It is very easy. I suggest you serve a couple High Mass’ first though. Remember, walk reverently and slowly, have custody over your eyes, inspect your Cassock and Surplice, and thank God every day that your able to have it. Once you step into the Sanctuary from the Procession, you transform from an Altar Boy, into a Knight of the Altar of the King of the Universe. If I might also make a suggestion, for your first Low Mass try to get another Altar Server to serve with you. I am blessed to be “Acolyte #2”.

I’ll be back in a little bit, but right now, I have to go serve at a Low Mass

~ Pius :knight1:

 

[Skeptic92]

A few years ago the then parish Priest (who offered the EF) came round and tried to teach me the Latin responses I didn’t get on very well so dismissed it right away. Back then I hardly knew a thing about the Catholic faith but over the past years I have learnt more about my faith and grown in love for Our Lord’s Church.

Now I would like to learn how to serve Low Masses. I have a missal and the book “How to Serve Low Mass and Benediction” and the movements which the server makes seem ok to me but it’s just the pronunciation which I’m not so good at.

So if anyone here serves at Low Masses how long did it take you to get the hang of things and is it difficult to serve?

All answers are throughly appreciated.

Well I’ve been serving since around January, I served one Mass with another server (who was being trained there and then as well) plus an MC, after that I’ve served on my own, apart from when I’m training more servers.

Easy? For me? Now yes, but I am not going to lie to you, serving the EF is not easy, at least at first, pronunciation is easy to pick up (plus Latin is fairly phonetic apart from a few circumstances), once you hear it often enough, or say it often enough, just take care say it slowly at first, you will gain speed as you become more confident (but don’t speed up to much remember it is the Mass!).

I still personally use my Missal to help me to at least refer to, in case I forget what’s meant to be said, the rubrics of the Mass I know by heart, there is a few things that vary by Priest (such as the recitation of the ‘Domine Non Sum Dignus’ after the ‘Ecce Agnus Dei’, some Priests have asked me to say it with him on behalf of the Congregation, some Priests have asked me not to say it with him, where as in a High Mass it is said by ALL within the Sanctuary), but these are few and far between.

You’ll be given a Cheat Sheet by the LMS or the society that promotes that use of the EF form in your area, this is to help you, and believe me they are necessary at least for the first few months.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I served the mass many times in the 40’s and 50’s. While I can still give you most of the answers from memory, we always had a cheat sheet there in front of us.

 

[ProVobis]

Easy? For me? Now yes, but I am not going to lie to you, serving the EF is not easy, at least at first, pronunciation is easy to pick up (plus Latin is fairly phonetic apart from a few circumstances), once you hear it often enough, or say it often enough, just take care say it slowly at first, you will gain speed as you become more confident (but don’t speed up to much remember it is the Mass!).

I would agree with this. In a sense there are no silent letters in Latin so there’s nothing to fear there. But I do like those missals or guides which show macrons over the vowels or accent marks over a syllable to avoid guesswork.

Just remember the Romano sound for all "r"s.

 

[Te_Deum]

Whatever you do don’t try and learn Latin pronunciation for French or German sources. They’re weird I say! And stay away from thick Irish brogues (which is quite hilarious apparently). But the Irish LMS audio is top-notch.