What drew you to the Latin Mass?

[ajpirc]

Thank you, Will

I will check these links.

Why do you (or anyone else who might be following this link) suppose the Pope and the Church are trending back toward Latin? There must be something other than asthetics, or being uniquely-Catholic, or being better-than the vernacular Mass.

I wonder if we will retain the option of English Masses in the future…

Thanks again,

Glennonite

I think that Pope Benedict XVI, who has been very traditional himself, has seen how much the Faith of the Catholic faithful has severely dropped since Vatican II’s reforms. That is why I think he is doing it.

I think that once people see the beauty of the Tridentine Mass, the Novus Ordo and the vernacular will be taken away. But, I’d say this’ll happen in about 50 to 100 years.

 

[Will_S]

Thank you, Will

I will check these links.

Why do you (or anyone else who might be following this link) suppose the Pope and the Church are trending back toward Latin? There must be something other than asthetics, or being uniquely-Catholic, or being better-than the vernacular Mass.

I wonder if we will retain the option of English Masses in the future…

In the long run, I think we’re more likely to have the traditional Mass in English than the modern Mass in Latin.

That is, I suspect the traditional Mass or something like it will be largely restored, but I don’t think the vernacular will be abandoned.

The differences between the traditional Mass and the modern Mass are far greater than just language.

 

[ProVobis]

Why do you (or anyone else who might be following this link) suppose the Pope and the Church are trending back toward Latin? There must be something other than asthetics, or being uniquely-Catholic, or being better-than the vernacular Mass.

Pope John XXIII explained it well here, issued just a few months before he convened Vatican II.

papalencyclicals.net/John23/j23veterum.htm

That was met with fanfare back in 1962, by the way.

 

[GunnerQuick]

"In the long run, I think we’re more likely to have the traditional Mass in English than the modern Mass in Latin.

That is, I suspect the traditional Mass or something like it will be largely restored, but I don’t think the vernacular will be abandoned.

The differences between the traditional Mass and the modern Mass are far greater than just language."

I think that the traditional latin mass said in english would be a decent place to end up, a compramise perhaps? Just looking at the translations of the prayers from latin to english, the NO misses so much that could be used.
An example I can think of off the top of my head, is recieving communion, as we all know the priest says " The body of christ" and we say “amen” if you translate the latin to english in the TLM, when recieving the Eucharist the priest intones “May the body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep my soul unto life everlasting. Amen.” I don’t know about you but this is such an amazing difference that I think if said to the people in english would mean alot more to people spirtually. Personally I think that if a priest said this to me when I came up it would make the average pew sitter really think about what he/she recieving as opposed to " the body of christ".

 

[ProVobis]

I think that once people see the beauty of the Tridentine Mass, the Novus Ordo and the vernacular will be taken away. But, I’d say this’ll happen in about 50 to 100 years.

I don’t have the list of all the vernaculars used in the Mass (probably several hundred of them) but I heard some have already been obsoleted. Polish and Spanish will probably remain but as we’ve already seen, English will have to be retranslated every so often to keep it in synch with the unchanging Latin. It’s very expensive to keep retranslating and at some point the Church will have to decide whether it’s worth the effort. Despite the popularity of the English Mass on CA, the percentage of English-speaking people who actually attend Catholic Mass isn’t that high when compared to some other languages.

 

[utah_rose]

I know my own reasons for finding solace in the Latin Mass range from the consistent reverence in accordance with the sanctity of the Real Presence to actual sacred music, but I am always interested in why other people have either 1) stayed with it after growing up attending Latin Mass or 2) chosen it of their own free will.

My heart used to skip a beat when the choir sporadically sang ‘Agnus Dei’ at the NO parish I attended, and when someone informed me that was common practice at the Latin Mass parish, and that I could have that heartbeat-skip with *every song *at ***every mass ***at the Latin Mass parish … I was hooked.

I was raised in the Latin Mass and like the reverence. However, unlike you, only a Low Mass is offered. I belonged to a choir where we would sing (in harmony) the various classical Latin Masses, and I really miss them.

The NO parish I belong to will once in a while throw in the Agnus Dei, or even the Kyrie sometimes, but not often. And all in all there isn’t the reverence shown as at the Latin Mass.

However, I do like both, and its interesting that the Canon is almost the same as the NO Mass, however a few things have been changed like the “sign of peace”.

It shows the “universality” of the Mass, and I just can’t comprehend why some bishops (like ours) reluctantly let it be celebrated, or why priests dislike it other than having to learn the Latin.

 

[zab]

What drew me to the Latin Mass of my youth still draws me to the Mass in the Ordinary Form today; the Presence of our Eucharistic Lord, the sacredness of our worship,

 

[Sanctifiable]

I was drawn to it because of all of the abuse I see at NO mass and a strong desire to be as reverent and sacred as possible at mass. In all of the NO churches I went to or joined I was always distressed at the lack of reverence towards the Eucharist, the talk and chatter before and after mass, the poor dress, alter girls, the lack of a male presence on the alter(other than the priest). I have a Latin mass community in my diocese which is over 50 miles one way for me but after putting it off for so long I finally went and fell in love. I felt cheated for not having or knowing of this mass in my 47 years but now I am grateful for having it and now travel the long distance every week. It has reinvigorated my faith. I feel like I traveled back in time. People dress real nice, women wear veils men wear nice clothes and suits and the biggest thing I notice is large families with lots of children. Its awesome and I’m truly blessed to have this. My life is changed forever.

 

[Sanctifiable]

I would also like to thank EWTN for having a an EF high mass on one time and it was so beautiful all I could think was why are not all masses like this. Ever since I felt a calling to the Latin mass.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Despite the popularity of the English Mass on CA, the percentage of English-speaking people who actually attend Catholic Mass isn’t that high when compared to some other languages.

Thank you for pointing this out. As a non-native english speaker I find it incredible that people here actually refer to the Mass in vernacular as ‘English Mass’. English is still a minority language in the church. I understand that most posters on the forum are American, but still, more awareness about the world would be nice.

 

[ajpirc]

Despite the popularity of the English Mass on CA, the percentage of English-speaking people who actually attend Catholic Mass isn’t that high when compared to some other languages.

Many people, including my Grandma , only go to the ‘English Mass’ because they think Latin would be too hard to understand. In my opinion, Latin is a pretty easy language to understand if you’re just listening to someone speak it. Speaking it yourself is another thing.

 

[Monica4316]

Many people, including my Grandma , only go to the ‘English Mass’ because they think Latin would be too hard to understand. In my opinion, Latin is a pretty easy language to understand if you’re just listening to someone speak it. Speaking it yourself is another thing.

well we do use missals with the translation

 

[ajpirc]

well we do use missals with the translation

They help too.

 

[ajpirc]

One reason why I think the Tridentine Latin Mass is ‘making a comeback’ is because of the NO. I’m going to use a metaphor using two high school girls:

A popular girl usually befriends a girl that she thinks isn’t very pretty. This is so that when they are talking together in the hall and a guy comes up to ask one of them to the prom, the prettier one looks even prettier compared to her friend.

It’s the same with the Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo. When people are deciding on which Mass to attend, after spending their entire lives at a Novus Ordo Mass, they will choose the one that is more beautiful, the Latin Mass.

I’m pretty good with metaphores, aren’t I?

 

[Seamus_L]

Another thing that really impressed me was the dedication of my mother, my aunt, and other relatives and friends. Back in the days when we had very very few Latin Masses, if they were told the only Latin mass available was on an island in Lake Michigan, they’d be hiring a boat to take them to it. They never bought the idea that one Catholic Church was just as good as another.

 

[latingirl]

Originally to be honest, I was not Catholic (yet) and began atending latin Masses so I could learn Latin better. God kind of met me there and slapped me in the face. Now I am Catholic and I’d love to go to Latin Mass because of the reverance and historicity (is that a word LOL?)…

One could say it was the Latin Mass that led me into the church.

 

[ProVobis]

well we do use missals with the translation

Problem is that many use those missals only for the translation. IMO, it seems one can get much more of the EF Mass if they try to follow the Latin and then glance at the suggested translation. Two (name removed by moderator)uts instead of one. (Sort of like an Italian opera.) However, it’s understandable if this can’t be done for the first-timers or they’re not familiar with the Missal. One will also get more from the Mass (of either form, for that matter) if they prepare themselves with the propers somewhat before the Mass. But that goes without saying.

 

[TrueLight]

Problem is that many use those missals only for the translation. IMO, it seems one can get much more of the EF Mass if they try to follow the Latin and then glance at the suggested translation. Two (name removed by moderator)uts instead of one. However, it’s understandable if this can’t be done for the first-timers or they’re not familiar with the Missal. One will also get more from the Mass (of either form, for that matter) if they prepare themselves with the propers somewhat before the Mass. But that goes without saying.

I find it helpful to read the prayers that are in fact inaudible so that I am adding my prayers to that of the priest. I have the missal that have the Latin and English side by side.

 

[ProVobis]

I find it helpful to read the prayers that are in fact inaudible so that I am adding my prayers to that of the priest. I have the missal that have the Latin and English side by side.

That should work. For the inaudible parts, one has to look for all the rubrics (sign of cross, bowing, kissing the altar, folded hands, etc.) to determine where the priest is in the Mass. (Say the black, do the red.)

As Trent specified in Session 22:

CHAPTER V.

On the solemn ceremonies of the Sacrifice of the Mass.

And whereas such is the nature of man, that, without external helps, he cannot easily be raised to the meditation of divine things; therefore has holy Mother Church instituted certain rites, to wit that certain things be pronounced in the mass in a low, and others in a louder, tone. She has likewise employed ceremonies, such as mystic benedictions, lights, incense, vestments, and many other things of this kind, derived from an apostolical discipline and tradition, whereby both the majesty of so great a sacrifice might be recommended, and the minds of the faithful be excited, by those visible signs of religion and piety, to the contemplation of those most sublime things which are hidden in this sacrifice.

 

[robert7685]

I was drawn to the Latin Mass (and the traditionalist spirituality) since before I became Catholic last year. As an outsider, I was stunned by the beauty of it all. Of course, I was unaware of the FSSP run parish in my hometown until a little before this past Christmas. After the crazyness of the holidays, I called their office because I was in need of a ride (I don’t own a vehicle). I was floored by the office assistant’s dedication to getting me there on only a few day’s notice. The guy actually came and got me himself that Sunday. From the following week onward till now, I’ve been riding with a member of the choir. The parish itself is very vibrant, with something going on every single week. Truly, I have grown much there. One final thing to mention is that it has led me to explore a vocation to the priesthood. Naturally, I intend to join an order that uses the 1962 books exclusively if God wills it. That’s my story.