What do I “do” at a Latin Mass?

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MarthaSo

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Hi everyone,

I’ve been to one Latin Mass in my life and I loved it so much but it’s been a while and I just found out that a local parish has started offering the Latin Mass every Sunday. (I punched pillows I was so excited).

I checked previous threads before asking but aside from following the lead to kneel and stand is there anything I should be aware of such as responses to learn, songs or printouts to follow. Is there a pamphlet that explains what the lay person can expect. Should I bring a rosary? Should I buy a veil? It’s all so new I’m so excited because the last time I went, I can’t describe it, I felt like I was in Heaven.
Thank you
 
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MarthaSo said:
Is there a pamphlet that explains what the lay person can expect. Should I bring a rosary? Should I buy a veil? It’s all so new I’m so excited because the last time I went, I can’t describe it, I felt like I was in Heaven.
Thank you
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😍 I’m so glad you loved it!!!

Veiling is nice, but not required. Still, it’s a pious practice, whether it’s for Mass or Adoration, so I’d recommend it either way! I like the veils made here, personally:


Rosaries are also optional. Bring what helps you pray! Although most EF parishes that I’ve been to pray the rosary as a community before Mass, so it sure wouldn’t hurt! As for posture and responses, it mostly depends on how solemn the Mass is and if there are servers. A general guide to the Mass:

http://www.divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/missa/missa.pl

And this!


I hope these help you! ☺️
 
Thanks so much for all the information!!! I look forward to reading everything! I’m really very excited to start going. God bless you!
 
God bless you and your journey into the TLM! You’re in for a treat! Oh! A bit of advice. Try not to follow every single thing the priest is doing or saying, because you’ll get lost. Focus, at least initially, on the choir. They set the “mood” for what’s currently going on in the Mass. Follow what they’re chanting and meditate on their words! Then once you’re used to the form, you can link the choir’s singing to the various parts of the Mass!
 
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I attended the Extraordinary Rite “Traditional Latin Mass” for years in addition to the Novus Ordo until the priest who always read Mass in that rite was given other duties for health reasons.

I found the traditional rite a fair bit quieter than the new rite, and a great source of spirituality (older theological basis).
 
Is this going to be high (sung) Mass or low (spoken) Mass? They are quite different experiences.
 
What a great question, I don’t know because the bulletin only states EF.

May I ask what is the difference?

Thank you!
 
we do not pray the rosary at any mass, Latin or vernacular. There is no requirement to veil at latin or vernacular mass. Just go, copy others and follow the mass. you probably won’t hear much of what the priest is saying, but you must be there and engaged.
 
just going to repeat this, WE DO NOT pray the Rosary during Mass.
 
Low Mass is spoken Mass, no music at all or a couple of hymns, but the actual prayers of the Mass are spoken, not sung. High Mass is where the prayers are spoken by the priest but also sung by the choir.

My advice would be:

Watch Latin Mass on YouTube to understand what’s going on. I believe there are also videos on YouTube that explain the Mass.

Bring a Latin/English missal, ideally one that explains what’s going on. Often a red book is provided that has the ordinary (prayers that are the same at each Mass). That’s a good start because a full Sunday missal that also includes the readings is expensive. You could also download iMass which is an electronic missal, and it includes the ordinary and the propers (prayers of the day and readings). Eventually you’ll probably buy the missal.

Follow along as much or as little as you’d like. You don’t have to understand every prayer; feel free to meditate on the mystery of God’s sacrifice - Latin Mass has a lot of quiet time that allows you to do this. Remember that the priest is the one who offers the Mass; we are present at the foot of the cross and participate by meditating on the mystery and being actively aware of what’s happening, not so much by responses out loud.

There are some short responses the faithful say, which will be in the red missal, and you may find it helpful to read through them in advance, but don’t feel like you are doing something wrong if you don’t respond in the beginning.

Go more than once. It takes several times or even more to get comfortable with it. I hope it’s a transforming experience for you!
 
One more thing. In my experience, if it just says EF and doesn’t specify High Mass, it’s more likely a Low Mass, though not always I’m sure. You could call them and ask, too. My point is, a Low Mass can feel very simple or even sterile in the beginning, with no bells and whistles, no music like you may be used to at your church. It took me a while to get used to it. Focus on the meaning of the prayers and use the quiet to pray and meditate. Don’t expect the same experience you get at a solemn Mass with Gregorian chant, incense, etc.
 
Thanks for the information, I felt this but remember seeing old black and white photos of women at the Traditional Mass with rosaries in their hands. They looked so beautifully reverent. I love that we learn by asking those more knowledgeable in our faith, God bless!!
 
Thank you so very much! What a wealth of information you have, i really appreciate it it. It sounds like the mass I went to before was a High Mass. I love the incense, the chant and the quiet, that is so ‘me’ in the spiritual sense. In either case i’m so excited! God bless and thank you again!!
 
And that is one reason the Mass in the vernacular is so beneficial to us. People put down their Rosaries and started participating in the Mass.

Mass is about participation in what’s happening, not about praying a private devotion, which is what the Rosary is. Pray the Rosary outside Mass.
 
Roseeurekacross said:
And that is one reason the Mass in the vernacular is so beneficial to us. People put down their Rosaries and started participating in the Mass.
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Oh good gravy. Just because the Mass is not in the vernacular does not mean you cannot understand it or participate in it. How do you know they were not participating in the Mass while praying the rosary? How do you know the decade they were praying on was not related to what was going on? The TLM has more time in it to allow for such reflection as opposed to the OF.

Generations of Saints participated in it just fine. We can figure it out in this day and age.
 
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I will not be saying it and am very much looking forward to immersing myself in the Latin Mass. I do understand how some people with some limitations on mental focus might have in the old days prayed the rosary, it might have been their way of focusing on Jesus versus their mind going everywhere else if they didn’t understand what was going on. I think in those instances it’s noble.
 
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Thank you so much for this! I completely understand how it received approbation from a pope. People are worshipping the best way they are able.
 
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