What am I supposed to do during a Tridentine Mass?

[CrossofChrist]

I’ve only been to a couple, it when I’m attending one I feel like I spend way too much time just reading out of the missal. What am I supposed to do when the readings are being read in Latin? They get said in English for part of the homily.

Am I supposed to read the prayers that are being offered during the second part of the Mass? Or can I just kneel/pray?

 

[StGerardMajella]

I’ve only been to a couple, it when I’m attending one I feel like I spend way too much time just reading out of the missal. What am I supposed to do when the readings are being read in Latin? They get said in English for part of the homily.

Am I supposed to read the prayers that are being offered during the second part of the Mass? Or can I just kneel/pray?

You need to pay very close attention to the priest and watch his every action. When he prays a certain prayer, you should turn to your Roman Missal and pray along with him. The Tridentine Mass is very meditative.

My Latin is weak, so I read the English translation in certain parts of the Mass. It helps to have a Missal that has the Latin alongside the English.

For the readings, you can follow along in Latin, and then read the English text when the readings are said in English as part of the homily.

 

[porthos11]

I’ve only been to a couple, it when I’m attending one I feel like I spend way too much time just reading out of the missal. What am I supposed to do when the readings are being read in Latin? They get said in English for part of the homily.

Am I supposed to read the prayers that are being offered during the second part of the Mass? Or can I just kneel/pray?

There is no need to do anything, other than the usual requirement of full, conscious and active participation, as with any Mass in any form or use. You don’t need to read any Missal. At the very least, simply give your attention to the what is happening at the altar, and affirm your unity with the prayers with interior or exterior Amens.

 

[ProVobis]

All of the above. It may take a while to get used to the different level of participation involved in an EF (it is more visual) but in the meantime basically follow what everyone else does as far as sitting, standing, and kneeling.

Probably helps to know though whether the Mass is a Missa Lecta (read Mass or Low Mass) or a Missa Cantata (sung Mass or High Mass). If the latter, the general rule is to stand whenever the priest sings.

 

[CrossofChrist]

All of the above. It may take a while to get used to the different level of participation involved in an EF (it is more visual) but in the meantime basically follow what everyone else does as far as sitting, standing, and kneeling.

Probably helps to know though whether the Mass is a Missa Lecta (read Mass or Low Mass) or a Missa Cantata (sung Mass or High Mass). If the latter, the general rule is to stand whenever the priest sings.

They’ve all been Low Masses. The High Masses are I think once a month. Usually I attend a different parish which doesn’t have the Tridentine Mass (the OF is prayed very reverently at the parish I usually go to).

As for next time I’m at a Tridentine Mass, I’ll probably spend more time praying and less time reading…IMO that would make more sense.

 

[AsceticHermit]

There are different levels of participation during the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Meditation during Mass is considered to be the highest form of participation. That is you immerse yourself in meditation during the Mass on its various parts, focusing on the Sacrifice of Our Lord. Another type of participation is following along in your missal and saying the prayers silently. Finally you can just pray during the Mass, such a saying a rosary or other prayers, uniting them with the Holy Sacrifice.

When beginning to attend the Latin Mass sometimes it is good to just go and observe and engage in prayer while doing so. It is also good to follow along with the Missal until you are familiar with Mass so you can contemplate the different parts of the Mass.

 

[CyrilSebastian]

I have attended some High Masses said in Latin. The Gregorian Chant is lovely. There were booklets that had the Latin words on one page. On the opposite page were the English words.

 

[Tonaw]

There are different levels of participation during the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Meditation during Mass is considered to be the highest form of participation. That is you immerse yourself in meditation during the Mass on its various parts, focusing on the Sacrifice of Our Lord. Another type of participation is following along in your missal and saying the prayers silently. Finally you can just pray during the Mass, such a saying a rosary or other prayers, uniting them with the Holy Sacrifice.

When beginning to attend the Latin Mass sometimes it is good to just go and observe and engage in prayer while doing so. It is also good to follow along with the Missal until you are familiar with Mass so you can contemplate the different parts of the Mass.

You can pray the rosary during mass? The most I’ve done is go to confession (felt weird first time going to confession during mass). Otherwise I feel I should be attentive and read and pray with my missal. But during those silent prayers he says sometimes I pray my own prayers. And during the consecration I’ll set my missal down and pray. I might refresh real quick on the exact words of consecration before i set my missal down though. hmm anyways. Yeah it just seems odd to me to pray a whole rosary. But hey what do I know, I’ve only been going to the EF for a lil over a year

 

[porthos11]

You can pray the rosary during mass? The most I’ve done is go to confession (felt weird first time going to confession during mass). Otherwise I feel I should be attentive and read and pray with my missal. But during those silent prayers he says sometimes I pray my own prayers. And during the consecration I’ll set my missal down and pray. I might refresh real quick on the exact words of consecration before i set my missal down though. hmm anyways. Yeah it just seems odd to me to pray a whole rosary. But hey what do I know, I’ve only been going to the EF for a lil over a year

Praying the Rosary at Mass has been a common practice since it is a good thing to unite one’s prayers with the Mass.

That said, I do not like the practice. The Mass itself is both one big prayer and a series of smaller prayers, all of which are of greater significance than the Rosary. I’d rather one either follow along in the Missal or silently pay attention to the action at the altar. The principle preferred is to “Pray the Mass.”

 

[Denise1957]

I’ve only been to a couple, it when I’m attending one I feel like I spend way too much time just reading out of the missal. What am I supposed to do when the readings are being read in Latin? They get said in English for part of the homily.

Am I supposed to read the prayers that are being offered during the second part of the Mass? Or can I just kneel/pray?

It’s good to read the missal so that you can familiarize yourself with what going on at any given part of the Mass. It’s also nice to know what the daily readings are. I can relate to feeling like you’re only paying attention to the missal, which may not seem very prayerful. It’s okay to give yourself a break for awhile and set the missal aside and just do what everyone else in the pews is doing. You can unite your prayers to that of the priest, even if you don’t know exactly what part he’s praying. I mostly just attend the EF on Holy days now, but I don’t use the missal anymore. The EF is about intense interior prayer, as well as reflection, devotion, and reverence toward God.

 

[Brendan_64]

I’ve only been to a couple, it when I’m attending one I feel like I spend way too much time just reading out of the missal. What am I supposed to do when the readings are being read in Latin? They get said in English for part of the homily.

Am I supposed to read the prayers that are being offered during the second part of the Mass? Or can I just kneel/pray?

You just have to be. You don’t have to do anything. The Sacrifice, the sacred mystery is there for you, unfolding before your eyes, you do not have to do or say anything. Bishop Schneider said that, and it is very true.

 

[Sunbreak]

As a child in the old days when that’s the only Mass we had, we all had missals and just followed along, reading the missal and watching the priest’s actions.

 

[Lormar]

I’ve only been to a couple, it when I’m attending one I feel like I spend way too much time just reading out of the missal. What am I supposed to do when the readings are being read in Latin? They get said in English for part of the homily.

Am I supposed to read the prayers that are being offered during the second part of the Mass? Or can I just kneel/pray?

What I would suggest is to put the missal down. If you feel comfortable enough, sit in the first pew. This will enable you to watch the “action” going on at the altar without distraction.

Just let yourself be enveloped in the beauty of the Mass. It really isn’t important that you follow the Mass prayers. The participation is interior - uniting yourself with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

 

[Lormar]

Just wanted to add that I think it is a personal preference whether to use or not a missal. At my OF parish, almost everyone uses a missal. I’ve always found them to be a distraction, but we are not all alike.

Do whatever you feel most comfortable with.

 

[Brendan_64]

I think the problem is that because we are used to the OF Mass we are conditioned to think that we need to make certain responses at certain times, and follow every word, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The first few times I went to an EF Mass I felt a bit lost and felt I needed to follow every word and try to understand what each word meant, so I was fussing about with a missal, trying to find the right place, trying to follow the Latin, trying to simultaneously read the English translation, and trying to ‘keep up’ with any responses.

I’ve since realised that this isn’t necessary. I would now rather just stop, forget what’s in the missal, stop trying to follow what is being said and stress about what I don’t understand, and just enter into the moment. At Eucharistic adoration we don’t fuss about what we are doping or saying when we sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance, we just ‘be’. Why shouldn’t we do the same at Mass, while we kneel at the foot of Calvary?

 

[retire_early]

As a child in the old days when that’s the only Mass we had, we all had missals and just followed along, reading the missal and watching the priest’s actions.

…and learned a bit of Latin along the way! :yup:

 

[Joe_Kelley]

There was a story from Vatican I where a Cardinal was asked the proper position of the laity at mass. Supposedly he answered [sarcastically]:" I thought everyone knew that - On their knees with their rosary in one hand and their collection envelope in the other. "

 

[GraceUnderFire]

I am praying the mass, using my missal (this is true whether I attended the TLM or NO). I am following along and reflecting on the readings. A lot of folks at my parish are just watching the priest. I think my mind would wander if I wasn’t following along in my missal.

Mass is the highest prayer so I disagree with praying the rosary or Divine Office during mass.

 

[Brendan]

Pope Emeritus Benedict wrote a great book , “The Spirit of the Liturgy”

Part of what he discussed is the role of the laity at Mass.

What the faithful are supposed to DO is actually the same at both Masses.

He noted that the Liturgy has two parts, two ‘actia’, the Liturgy of the Word, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This is the same in both Masses ( and even among all the Easter Catholic and Eastern Orthodoxy Divine Liturgies)

During the Liturgy of the Word, the faithful are to listen attentively to the Word proclaimed and the Homily.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the faithful are to offer themselves to God along with the Sacrifice being offered at the altar by the priest.

 

[CrossofChrist]

I think the problem is that because we are used to the OF Mass we are conditioned to think that we need to make certain responses at certain times, and follow every word, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The first few times I went to an EF Mass I felt a bit lost and felt I needed to follow every word and try to understand what each word meant, so I was fussing about with a missal, trying to find the right place, trying to follow the Latin, trying to simultaneously read the English translation, and trying to ‘keep up’ with any responses.

Describes me quite nicely @ the EF Masses I’ve been to.

I’ve since realised that this isn’t necessary. I would now rather just stop, forget what’s in the missal, stop trying to follow what is being said and stress about what I don’t understand, and just enter into the moment. At Eucharistic adoration we don’t fuss about what we are doping or saying when we sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance, we just ‘be’. Why shouldn’t we do the same at Mass, while we kneel at the foot of Calvary?

Good insight.