The first Latin Mass I've attended

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That’s what I’ve seen too. So why do the priest and congregation sit down during the Creed? You’d NEVER see that in a Byzantine church. It doesn’t make sense to me.
 
dochawk said:
and in the east, we have the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Although most of the time when our bishop visits, it isn’t used. I’ve only seen it once, at an ordination.
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I had the privilege of attending one last month when the Melkite patriarch came to visit. It was impressive, but time-consuming and a lot of work. I understand why the bishops often skip it.
 
This is my guess, and only a guess, but this is a high Mass, which means it can be a solemn High Mass. Where the Creed can be chanted in a very beautiful, but long, chant. Perhaps it’s to spare the knees of the priest since he still must genuflect during the consecration?
 
When I was growing up, we sang the Creed with the Filioque. It didn’t take long.

When I’ve attended the TLM, Credo III is usually sung and the choir alternates between sentences. E.g. the ladies sing “Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine…” and the men take up the next sentence. That doesn’t take long either.

My definition of “long” is the Gospel for Great & Holy Tuesday (Matt. 24: 36 thru 26: 2). Now THAT’S long.
 
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Well, a millennium and a half :).
Of course ad orientem, incense, chant, and Latin can always be found in the Ordinary Form too. But I agree with the gist of your post.
 
Margaret_Ann said:
: 1) At Low Mass, why does one kneel during the Epistle and Gradual (Alleluia)? 2) At High Mass, why does one sit during the Creed? I haven’t found any good answers to these questions
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Never seen either of those in EF or OF. You talking about Roman Rite Mass or Eastern traditions that I wouldn’t be familiar with?
 
Low Mass & High Mass are EF aka TLM.

We don’t kneel for Alleluia or sit during the Creed during Divine Liturgy
 
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Rather than starting a new thread I’ll ask here. Are the masses shown every day on EWTN from the EWTN chapel Latin Masses? If not what are they? Parts are in Latin yet the priest faces the congregation. Also are all the Fransican brothers also priests? Can they all celebrate mass? Thanks.
 
Zach said:
Are the masses shown every day on EWTN from the EWTN chapel Latin Masses? If not what are they? Parts are in Latin yet the priest faces the congregation.
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They are OF Masses celebrated with Latin.
 
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Fauken said:
Technically, at least in my parish, we stand during the High Mass until the priest sits down.
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I actually noticed this at the TLM yesterday (each time I go I learn something new!) In the provided missals that’s what it says to do. We did sit during the Credo.
 
At High Mass we sit during the credo after the priest sits. I always presumed this was because some polyphonic music can be very long
 
MockSock said:
At High Mass we sit during the credo after the priest sits. I always presumed this was because some polyphonic music can be very long
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So the priest sits down sometime in the middle of the creed? You don’t stand/sit//kneel for the whole thing? What is the priest doing during the beginning of the Creed that he finishes, thus moving to the sitting position?

How long does it take to finish the Creed with the longest musical setting that you can think of? How long is the typical High Mass?
 
Thank you for posting those questions! That’s exactly how I feel.

Plus, in the EF/TLM the Creed is only recited on Sundays & Holy Days -NOT at every Mass like we do in the Divine Liturgy.
 
Margaret_Ann said:
Thank you for posting those questions! That’s exactly how I feel.

Plus, in the EF/TLM the Creed is only recited on Sundays & Holy Days -NOT at every Mass like we do in the Divine Liturgy.
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Same with incense at every Mass . While it seems strange to us, it is important to remember the concept of progressive solemnity in the Latin Rite , which we don’t really have.
 
I still don’t understand why they sit during the Creed. Since it’s only sung in the EF on Sundays & Holy Days, you’d think that everyone would stand for the whole Creed. Stand up & be counted!
 
babochka said:
So the priest sits down sometime in the middle of the creed? You don’t stand/sit//kneel for the whole thing? What is the priest doing during the beginning of the Creed that he finishes, thus moving to the sitting position?

How long does it take to finish the Creed with the longest musical setting that you can think of? How long is the typical High Mass?
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The priest sings the first line of the creed and says the rest quietly. When he has finished saying it he sits. The congregation stand for the “whole thing” that the priest says. When he sits, we sit.

During the beginning of the creed, the priest is praying the creed. Then he moves to a sitting position to allow the choir to finish singing it. Then he stands and walks back to the altar for the offertory prayers.

Here is a very long creed


A typical high Mass takes around 1 1/2 hours. I think. I’m not so great at judging these things.
 
Hello everyone! It was an interesting experience. It wasn’t well attended for Masses at my parish, and only a few people there seemed to know what to do, some were kneeling in places, and others stood, and it was impossible to follow anyone.
My Latin is fairly rudimentary so I struggled to keep up with where we were in the Mass and obviously the priest had his back to me so I couldn’t see any of the gestures which could help.
I did think it was incredibly beautiful when the priest elevated the Host and the altar server held out the priests vestments behind him. I don’t know what the specific significance of it is as a gesture, but the sight of the Host being lifted like that was very moving.

I decided not to receive. We don’t have an altar rail, but they had set up a kneeler at the end of the aisle, so I saw how it was done. I personally didn’t feel properly disposed because I hadn’t really caught the general confession until after I registered the words ‘Mea culpa’, but I’m always very content to be in the presence of Christ, and I’ve always loved seeing His people go up to receive, so I was fine with that.

I wasn’t overwhelmed, I have to say, but I didn’t hate it, and the new curate seems young and enthusiastic.
 
I would suggest if you want to go again, go to a High Mass at a Cathedral. It’s nice to attend EF with all the “trimmings” including a wonderful choir and many attendants and attendees.
 
Yes, it was clearly a very subdued affair in contrast with something with all the bells and whistles. I’m inordinately fond of my parish building, and felt as at home as I always do there, and I have a new favourite word - ‘Oremus’!

Certainly not a wasted experience, as if any Mass could be that!!
 
“Oremus!” was the first Latin my oldest son learned, and he went through a long phase of announcing that it was family prayer time that way. 😂
 
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