F
fridaybaker
Guest
This is a very tardy response the the second part of the OP’s post, but perhaps someone else has the same question: My opinion: Just attend. No missal. Watch and listen in hushed awe. Vaguely attend to what others seem to be doing if you feel you have to, but you really don’t. Focus as much as humanly possible on what is happening on the alter. Become envloped in it. Give yourself to it. You may not understand, cognitively, exactly what is going on, but you’ll *know * the something amazing is happening.
For what it’s worth, the first time I went to a TLM I wasn’t Catholic. Had no idea what that strange movement the entire congregation seemed to do in front of their faces was before one of the readings. Didn’t understand why the bells at certain times, the different postures, etc., but although by the time I actually sat in a pew, I knew I was probably going to become Catholic -I hadn’t committed yet. That Mass cemented it. (Okay, not “was going to become”, but “knew** I was ***Catholic”.)
Most of it was incomprehensible and yet, all of it was comprehensible.
My advice: Go, attend it most earnestly, and then at some point, start learning about it intellectually.*
For what it’s worth, the first time I went to a TLM I wasn’t Catholic. Had no idea what that strange movement the entire congregation seemed to do in front of their faces was before one of the readings. Didn’t understand why the bells at certain times, the different postures, etc., but although by the time I actually sat in a pew, I knew I was probably going to become Catholic -I hadn’t committed yet. That Mass cemented it. (Okay, not “was going to become”, but “knew** I was ***Catholic”.)
Most of it was incomprehensible and yet, all of it was comprehensible.
My advice: Go, attend it most earnestly, and then at some point, start learning about it intellectually.*
