TLM - What do you love about it?

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Dlee said:
I have never been to a Traditional Latin Mass - reading this thread makes me want to experience one. Thank you!
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I go to several TLMs a year. Here are my suggestions:
  1. Don’t buy a missal if you’re only going once. Most places have the “little red books” but there are plenty of websites online where you can print out on paper the Order of Mass for the TLM (in Latin and English) and the propers (such as readings, etc) for the day you plan to go. Alternatively, you can skip bringing any pieces of paper and just follow along with what everybody else is doing. That’s what I did the first couple of times as I was more interested in watching the Mass than in trying to follow along in a booklet. If you decide you want to go more regularly, then you can buy your own “little red book” or your own missal.
  2. If you want to fit in with the other ladies there, you probably want to wear a head covering and an outfit that has sleeves and a skirt. The head covering is not required, but most of the ladies will probably be wearing them. Likewise, some women wear trousers but the majority wear skirts. It is not necessary to dress up in your very best dress and also, you want something you can kneel in for a long time; not every dressy outfit fits that bill. I usually go for a loose cotton or knit skirt with some kind of a top that has sleeves or else I wear a cardigan or other little jacket over a sleeveless top.
  3. It’s generally easier to go to confession before the day of the Mass. As someone said, the TLM confession line tends to be very long, and the confessions continue during the Mass so you will likely be distracted from appreciating the Mass if you have to stand in line. Also, not every TLM offers confessions during Mass, or they may be offered only during certain Masses.
 
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Margaret_Ann said:
Every TLM I’ve attended has a dress code posted
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Our TLM has no special dress code. But there is a natural tendency to be smart. One fishmonger who comes said “I only have jeans and sneakers, so I iron the jeans and whiten the sneakers”
 
Margaret_Ann said:
That was probably Low Mass.
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When I first started, I thought I would always prefer the sung Mass. But I have come to love the Low Mass for its quiet, contemplative nature.

For the reason I love the fact that the Peace is a simple verble exchange which does not interrupt that focus on the Lamb of God which follows.

quote=“LisaB, post:34, topic:619512”]
I realize all this is not inherent to the form of Mass,
[/quote]

I used to believe that but it is such a common observation that the TLM “pushes me farther” that I an starting to wonder.
 
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LisaB said:
have seen this written as a requirement on the websites of chapels like the SSPX, but not in approved Masses.
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At our SSPX Mass only about half the women cover their heads (often with a nice hat). Somecwear trousers. No one says anything.
 
I absolutely love the TLM. It is, as Fr. Frederick Faber says, “the most beautiful thing this side of heaven.” I’m also blessed to be able to attend Mass at one of, if not the most beautiful churches I’ve ever been in. The National Shrine of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Baltimore , Maryland.

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HomeschoolDad said:
I was just thinking today, when we finally get out from under this time of wandering in the desert
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Hi I’m new to the Catholic Answers forum, and it’s also only recently that I’ve delved more intently into my Catholic faith. I’ve no idea what TLM or EF means, and it would be great if you could help me out. Thanks!
 
OrbisNonSufficit said:
I don’t really attend OF too often though,
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I meant to say EF. Can’t edit post anymore so just for clarity…
Aci said:
I’ve no idea what TLM or EF means, and it would be great if you could help me out. Thanks!
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TLM means The Latin Mass and EF means Extraordinary Form (of the Mass).

You may remember that before, people used to go to Mass that was fully in Latin. Priest would also not face congregation but face the altar and have his back towards congregation as if he was leading them to God. This form of Mass (Latin Mass) is now called “Extraordinary Form”- it is still allowed to be used, but primary form of Mass is now what you see in Churches. We call that OF - Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo (Latin for New Order [of the Mass]).

So basically EF is old historical Latin Mass and OF is current Mass. OF exists from 1960 or so. EF can be celebrated if enough people ask for it and by certain orders. OF isn’t just translation of EF- some things and prayers got changed. Hope that helps.
 
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Hi Aci, welcome to the forum. It’s great that you’re getting more deeply into your faith.

TLM means “Traditional Latin Mass”. It refers to the Tridentine Mass, used by the Western Church (aka Roman Catholic Church) for almost 400 years, from 1570 to 1969. It was the most widely used form of Catholic liturgy during that time. This Mass is said in Latin, the priest faces “ad orientem” (away from the congregation, traditionally towards the East), and Holy Communion is given on the tongue only while the communicants kneel at an altar rail.


Those of us who were old enough to attend Mass before 1969 remember the TLM as being the form of Mass that was offered everywhere then. Those of us who aren’t that old sometimes had parents and grandparents who remembered it.

After Vatican II, starting in 1969, the Western Church began using a new form of Mass that was supposed to be more user-friendly. It was said “in the vernacular” (which means it was said in whatever language was commonly used in the area), the priest faced the congregation, the congregation had more responses to make, and Holy Communion was given to people standing up in a line rather than kneeling at the railing. This new form of Mass was called the Mass of Pope Paul VI or the “Novus Ordo” (New Order) Mass. This is the type of Mass you typically see at most Roman Catholic churches worldwide.

en.wikipedia.org

Mass of Paul VI - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Both the Tridentine Mass aka TLM and the Mass of Pope Paul VI were based on the Roman Rite. The Catholic Church has a number of traditional liturgical rites, with the Roman Rite being the most commonly used one in the Western Church. The Mass of Pope Paul VI is currently known as the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, abbreviated “OF”. The TLM is currently known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, abbreviated “EF”. So when someone says “EF” or “TLM” they mean the old, pre-Vatican II form of Mass in Latin. When someone says “OF” or “Novus Ordo” or “NO”, they mean the current, post-Vatican II form of Mass you typically find in your local church nowadays.

Under Pope Paul VI, the Church discouraged the use of the TLM and made it very hard for most priests to get permission to say a TLM. This caused significant division in the Church, as some Catholics didn’t like the Novus Ordo. Pope John Paul II relaxed some of the restrictions on saying the TLM, and then Pope Benedict in 2007 issued a letter called Summorum Pontificum that made it much easier. As a result, there are now many churches where TLM aka EF is said on a regular basis.
 
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That was very good and comprehensive.
Would like to add that with the OF ‘priest facing the people’ that was yet another innovation that was not part of the documents of Vatican II or planned by the council as being required at every Mass; neither of course was the removal of communion rails and the practice of CITH which became widespread by the end of the 1970; nor was the removal of head coverings for women; that last was addressed in the new 1983 Code of Canon Law and it too has that kind of ambiguity which was the hallmark of the mid 20th century on’s modus operandi, in that one can look at the practice NOT being specifically mentioned in the code as abrogating it OR one can look at the practice not being mentioned as ‘continuing it’. Lest this thread degenerate, I am only saying that to some Catholics there is a question that needs clarification. To the majority of Catholics, the issue is clear and that’s that!
 
Tis_Bearself said:
the Tridentine Mass, used by the Western Church (aka Roman Catholic Church) for almost 400 years,
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However, the Tridentine Rite was really more of a confirmation of which a plethora of existing practices to retain, with bo intention of changing the rite to suit contemporary needs. The 1960s OF was a clear break with the past.

There’s a very readable book on this by Austin Reid called “The Organic Development of the Liturgy” which traces the organic growth of the Mass up to the Second Vatican Council and concludes that what followed was a break from that long 1,940-year history.
 
What is the difference between the high and low Masses? I have never been to a TLM but would like to attend…
 
High Mass is sung, incense is used and there’s the Asperges (Vidi aquam during Paschaltide) at the beginning of High Mass. There’s other differences but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
 
I’m fortunate enough to have a wonderful, reverent OF parish which takes liturgy seriously, but this thread is making me check out the Mass times of the local FSSP chapel.
 
OddBird said:
I’m fortunate enough to have a wonderful, reverent OF parish which takes liturgy seriously, but this thread is making me check out the Mass times of the local FSSP chapel.
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It’s interesting to attend different types of Masses from time to time, just to see what’s out there. You may fall in love with the TLM. But if you don’t, that’s okay too. We had one recent convert on here who went to one with high expectations after reading many of these threads, and she ended up being underwhelmed. Of course, as shown by this thread, there are many other people who go and really love it and want to go all the time.

I suspect that I would not like it so much if I didn’t have a working knowledge of Latin since high school, and many memories of my mother and her family discussing the old TLM and telling Catholic jokes that had “Dominus vobiscum” as the punch line and that sort of thing.
 
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libbeylu said:
What is the difference between the high and low Masses? I have never been to a TLM but would like to attend…
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If you’ve never been, I recommend you go to the High Mass to start. If you like it and want to get deeper into it, then you can go to the Low Mass.
 
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