Understanding the Latin Mass

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PeteZaHut

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I went to a Low Mass that was said in Latin today. I was really thrown off by there not being Scripture readings or a homily (or did I miss something?). I reallu enjoyed it though. I’ve always heard that back in the old days, people used to bring a rosary to pray during Mass. I was trying to keep up with things using the little translation booklet they provided, but it was really hard. All of a sudden, the priest would be 5 or 6 pages ahead of where I thought we were. I’m so used to just listened and paying attention to whatever is going on when the Mass is in English. During a Latin Mass, am I supposed to try to follow along the best I can or am I supposed to just sit and pray the rosary?
 
It takes some practice to keep up with the priest. However when you get the hang of it, you will profit by the words and ceremony. Usually there is no homily at Low Mass and the booklet does not have all the readings and Gospels, so it would be helpful to follow from the missal. Most Latin churches have a supply of used missals you can borrow.
 
The Latin Mass is helping to bring the sacredness back into the Catholic Church.

Not that I don’t like the way the church is. People should consider themselves as worshiping God and not just going to Mass because they enjoy it. I agree that adding or taking anything from the liturgy is a sin.

For more information:
tldm.org/news24/7-Things-To-Restore-The-Sense-Of-The-Sacred.htm
 
I believe that we are to follow the mass the best that we can. At least that is what I have seen at my local one.
 
myway said:
The Latin Mass is helping to bring the sacredness back into the Catholic Church.

Not that I don’t like the way the church is. People should consider themselves as worshiping God and not just going to Mass because they enjoy it. I agree that adding or taking anything from the liturgy is a sin.

For more information:
tldm.org/news24/7-Things-To-Restore-The-Sense-Of-The-Sacred.htm
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The site you linked to relates to a false, condemned “apparition” - the Bayside “prophecies.”
 
PeteZaHut said:
I went to a Low Mass that was said in Latin today. I was really thrown off by there not being Scripture readings or a homily (or did I miss something?). I reallu enjoyed it though. I’ve always heard that back in the old days, people used to bring a rosary to pray during Mass. I was trying to keep up with things using the little translation booklet they provided, but it was really hard. All of a sudden, the priest would be 5 or 6 pages ahead of where I thought we were. I’m so used to just listened and paying attention to whatever is going on when the Mass is in English. During a Latin Mass, am I supposed to try to follow along the best I can or am I supposed to just sit and pray the rosary?
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That’s exactly how it was for me the first time I went to Latin mass, too. I was so lost, but I was so happy to be in a place where I could worship reverently and see a little bit the beauty of God. I think it was not until I had been to Latin mass about 8 times that I finally got the hang of it and was able to follow along through the whole mass. Each time another piece of the puzzle came together for me. What was very helpful was to get the same red missal we use at mass and the book “Know Your Mass.” I think if you keep trying to follow along it will come to you more and more each time. Personally my spirit has had so many graces (and challenges!) through this mass. I think it’s well worth the effort.

As for the homily, of the Low masses I’ve been to there was never a homily, but that may be just my experience.

God bless and prayers that your worship will be blessed through the mass.
 
PeteZaHut said:
I went to a Low Mass that was said in Latin today. I was really thrown off by there not being Scripture readings or a homily (or did I miss something?). I reallu enjoyed it though. I’ve always heard that back in the old days, people used to bring a rosary to pray during Mass. I was trying to keep up with things using the little translation booklet they provided, but it was really hard. All of a sudden, the priest would be 5 or 6 pages ahead of where I thought we were. I’m so used to just listened and paying attention to whatever is going on when the Mass is in English. During a Latin Mass, am I supposed to try to follow along the best I can or am I supposed to just sit and pray the rosary?
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Hello,

There surely should have been a reading from Scripture and a responsory and then a reading from the Gospel. It would not have been done from the ambo, however–the priest does all this at the altar. So, perhaps you just missed it since you may have expected him to go to the ambo for these readings. As noted, a homily is not required.

As for what to do: if you attend this form of Mass again and again, you’ll become more familiar with its structure and be able to follow along with what the priest is doing, even if you are not understanding every word he says. I suggest finding a missal and previewing the day’s Mass before it starts (readings and prayers, etc.). I’ve never been one to pray the Rosary during Mass. I try to follow what the priest is saying and even if I don’t respond very loudly to him, at least be “on the same page” so that I am responding interiorly and uniting myself to the liturgical action…

Dan
 
Your Mass probably had the Scripture readings in Latin only, with no homily.

As a general rule, people try to follow along, praying the prayers of the Mass rather than other prayers. However you pray, you should of course be mindful that Christ is working through the priest before you, presenting the Sacrifice He offered at Calvary in mystical fashion.

I had the same trouble falling behind that you have, but if you keep going, you’ll notice that the places where you fall behind are consistent and predictable; you’ll be able to adapt.

In the meantime, you could use your present difficulties. When I fell behind, that would remind me of my general lack of understanding and slowness in following our Lord. And I could hope to do better.

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem
 
There were, without doubt, readings done, but, as Dans said, at the altar and in Latin. If the priest is not speaking into a microphone, you would not be able to hear him. Remember, however, that even if he was speaking toward you in English, you would not hear him without a microphone either. Chant is the solution to that. When the prayers are sung by the clergy and the choir, you will be able to hear what is being said.

It is normal for there to be no homily during a weekday mass.

During low mass, I like to read the prayers to myself silently during the mass. I think it would be fine to pray your own prayers instead, but not divorced from the mass. It is a time of public, communal prayer and not private prayer at your bedside.
 
PeteZaHut said:
I went to a Low Mass that was said in Latin today. I was really thrown off by there not being Scripture readings or a homily (or did I miss something?). I reallu enjoyed it though. I’ve always heard that back in the old days, people used to bring a rosary to pray during Mass. I was trying to keep up with things using the little translation booklet they provided, but it was really hard. All of a sudden, the priest would be 5 or 6 pages ahead of where I thought we were. I’m so used to just listened and paying attention to whatever is going on when the Mass is in English. During a Latin Mass, am I supposed to try to follow along the best I can or am I supposed to just sit and pray the rosary?
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It will take some getting used to; keep going and you will get the hang of it. You will find, I think, that it maintains the same essential “skeleton” as the OF, but with some extra meat (prayers) on those bones. As was said, there were certainly two readings – an epistle (less often, an Old Testament reading) and a Gospel, with selections from the Psalter in between.

It’s probably best to follow along as best you can, though of course your verbal/vocal participation is not strictly required. Like I said, if you keep going, you will get the hang of it eventually.
 
myway said:
The Latin Mass is helping to bring the sacredness back into the Catholic Church.
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In my mind, sacredness never left the Church; sadly, what seemed to happen is that some people were so blinded by change, they lost the ability to see the sacredness of the Church.
 
Neofight said:
In my mind, sacredness never left the Church; sadly, what seemed to happen is that some people were so blinded by change, they lost the ability to see the sacredness of the Church.
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.This^. Also, if the readings are done by the priest, rather quietly, to himself, how is that better?
Something to think about…:coffeeread:
 
lola5555 said:
That’s exactly how it was for me the first time I went to Latin mass, too. I was so lost, but I was so happy to be in a place where I could worship reverently and see a little bit the beauty of God. I think it was not until I had been to Latin mass about 8 times that I finally got the hang of it and was able to follow along through the whole mass. Each time another piece of the puzzle came together for me. What was very helpful was to get the same red missal we use at mass and the book “Know Your Mass.” I think if you keep trying to follow along it will come to you more and more each time. Personally my spirit has had so many graces (and challenges!) through this mass. I think it’s well worth the effort.

As for the homily, of the Low masses I’ve been to there was never a homily, but that may be just my experience.

God bless and prayers that your worship will be blessed through the mass.
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I agree on it taking awhile! It is worth the effort. Don’t worry so much about being lost; God knows your heart. As a convert, I remember how confusing the English Mass was to me! It is true that people at times prayed the rosary or other prayers during Mass, but that had begun to be discouraged, I think, but the 40s or 50s. You need to remember that for centuries there were no such things as pew missals/missallettes, and also that many people couldn’t have read them if there were. Praying the rosary or other devotion, they united themselves in prayer with the priest as he offered the Holy Sacrifice. I have only rarely been to a daily TLM, but our weekly Low Mass/Missa Cantata as well as others I have attended in other areas has the readings read from the pulpit before the homily. By the way, I am sure there were readings done (it is part of the Mass!) but they may not have been redone in English.

You can often find cheap old missals at a secondhand store or on Ebay. There are also nice new ones you can order, such as at the FSSP’s site at fraternitypublications.com/hand-missals.html.
 
Neofight said:
In my mind, sacredness never left the Church; sadly, what seemed to happen is that some people were so blinded by change, they lost the ability to see the sacredness of the Church.
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Sorry if we’re too blind to see the sacredness of liturgical dance and secular music in mass played with guitars? 🤷
 
So happy to hear you’ve found your way to the Tridentine Mass (Mass in the Extraordinary Form, Mass of 1962, Traditional Latin Mass, or as some call it, Mass of the Ages). I experienced the same feelings of being hopelessly lost as you have, the first few months I attended Sunday Tridentine Masses at my parish church. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I even liked it all that much! It took about 6 months for me to get to the point where I felt I was truly able to “pray the Mass” along with the priest. The red English/Latin booklets from the Ecclesia Dei Commission referenced by others in this thread helped me understand the “Ordinary” of the Mass, those parts of the Mass which don’t change. For what you call “Scripture readings,” or Mass Propers, those parts of the Mass that vary throughout the liturgical seasons, you might print out readings from the wonderful Una Voce/Orange County site:

uvoc.org/Propers.html

In my diocese, we sometimes make copies of these Propers available to people to use in conjunction with the E.D.C. booklets. A good hand missal is wonderful, if expensive; it may not be the best solution for someone who’s new to the TLM or who attends it infrequently.

You may discover, as I did, that becoming familiar with the older Form of the Mass really helps one to better appreciate (& participate more fully in) the Novus Ordo Mass. Personally, I think that’s what Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI intended all along when he issued “Summorum Pontificum.”
 
Discerning13 said:
Sorry if we’re too blind to see the sacredness of liturgical dance and secular music in mass played with guitars? 🤷
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This is always trotted out as a reason to stay away from valid Masses.
I have never seen liturgical dance in my area. I doubt it happens very often, anywhere. Most notably in other cultures, maybe. And most parishes won’t pay for trained organists. Not many kids these days come home from school and say “mommy, I want to take pipe organ lessons!”
So what’s your point?
 
pianistclare said:
This is always trotted out as a reason to stay away from valid Masses.
I have never seen liturgical dance in my area. I doubt it happens very often, anywhere. Most notably in other cultures, maybe. And most parishes won’t pay for trained organists. Not many kids these days come home from school and say “mommy, I want to take pipe organ lessons!”
So what’s your point?
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So just because YOU do not see liturgical dance, that means that it’s not really that big of a problem…We don’t afford an organist so we’re going to use this here my guitar instead of just using chant… The problem here is the priests who acts in the “Spirit of Vatican II” and the laity gobble it up like faithful puppies.

No one claims that the Novus Ordo is invalid, I personally attend the Novus Ordo celebrated Ad Orientem (As it should be) and a choir that sings polyphony and not secular music. (You also don’t need an organ to sing CATHOLIC hymns instead of secular music.)
 
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