What happens at a Tridentine Mass?

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We went to our first TLM/Tridentine Mass last night; it was High Mass for All Saints’ Day.

Wow.

I knew there would be singing, and I knew there would Latin, but I did not know there would be SO MUCH of each and hard (at times) to follow in the Latin/English Missal.

The choir was beautiful, with both men and women with voices like angels from the loft.

The scriptures were in Latin first, then read (quickly) in English. The litany to the saints at the end was also sung in Latin. Those are the responses especially I wish I knew.

I was not used to having so little participation, but it was very interesting. My husband said he could go on a somewhat regular basis, but I don’t know that I could.

I was glad that there was extra scarves/mantels in the lost/found, otherwise, I’d have been one of two women there without one.

The children (there were many of all ages!!) in this parish were VERY well behaved; much better than the regular Mass we attend. The people were nice, too. This parish is dedicated as a Latin Mass parish, and has both high and low masses.
 
ccmcmg said:
We went to our first TLM/Tridentine Mass last night; it was High Mass for All Saints’ Day.

Wow.

I knew there would be singing, and I knew there would Latin, but I did not know there would be SO MUCH of each and hard (at times) to follow in the Latin/English Missal.

The choir was beautiful, with both men and women with voices like angels from the loft.

The scriptures were in Latin first, then read (quickly) in English. The litany to the saints at the end was also sung in Latin. Those are the responses especially I wish I knew.

I was not used to having so little participation, but it was very interesting. My husband said he could go on a somewhat regular basis, but I don’t know that I could.

I was glad that there was extra scarves/mantels in the lost/found, otherwise, I’d have been one of two women there without one.

The children (there were many of all ages!!) in this parish were VERY well behaved; much better than the regular Mass we attend. The people were nice, too. This parish is dedicated as a Latin Mass parish, and has both high and low masses.
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I’m glad you had a good experience! I, too, took a long time to get used to all the Latin and the form of the liturgy, and it was somewhat difficult to stand it at first, but after a few months I was completely used to it and loved it. 🙂

If you want to learn more about the mass/get some help with using a missal, ask a priest, a secretary, or someone you know in the parish. Usually they are always very glad to help anyone out who is new to it all.
 
One thing you will find is that the texts and prayers are very different. I tried to see if I could find a side-by-side comparison of them. This was the best I could find, but it looks like the Novus Ordo text must be the old translation, which I am unfamiliar with. Nonetheless, if you are familiar with the current translation and bear that in mind, it should be a helpful comparison.

lms.org.uk/resources/comparison-between-the-traditional-and-novus-ordo-missals
 
QNDNNDQDCE said:
One thing you will find is that the texts and prayers are very different. I tried to see if I could find a side-by-side comparison of them. This was the best I could find, but it looks like the Novus Ordo text must be the old translation, which I am unfamiliar with. Nonetheless, if you are familiar with the current translation and bear that in mind, it should be a helpful comparison.
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You’re right. You can’t use translations to make comparisons of the originals. The Latin Glorias, Crecos, Sanctus, etc. are exactly the same in the EF and OF.

Choose and Compare the Latin here.
 
Nonethess, with a little discretion, someone without knowledge of Latin can still compare the two and notice differences like the absence of the Munda Cor Meum for instance, even if it would not be useful to compare exact wordings.
 
Hello,

one could also visit the ICRSS web site –

institute-christ-king.org/news/news-interviews-and-press-coverage/

– and view two Solemn High Masses online.

+++

With celebrant Canon Apple:.
institute-christ-king.org/news/122/110/EWTN-Solemn-High-Mass/

With celebrant Canon Lenhardt:
institute-christ-king.org/news/72/110/Online-Video-of-Institute-s-Mass-on-EWTN/

amsjj

+++
Jesus, God and man,
imprisoned by love in Thy most holy Sacrament,
have mercy upon us.
  • Blessed John Henry Newman, December 22, 1851
Tú y yo sabemos por la fe que oculto en las especies sacramentales está Cristo,
ese Cristo con su Cuerpo, con su Sangre, con su Alma, y con su Divinidad,
prisonero de amor.
  • San Josemaría Escrivá, 1 junio 1974
… Our Lord Himself frequently said; and it is recorded as an Apostolic tradition from Him
by St. Justin the Martyr. He says ‘Jesus often said, “They who are near Me are near a
fire”’.
  • Abp. W. B. Ullathorne, August 1st 1886
 
bben15 said:
In the TLM, you don’t make the responses, the altar server does. You just observe. The priest’s back is turned to you, and the Mass is entirely in Latin. I can’t explain it all. You just have to experience it.
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Hi bben, I’m NOT picking at your post, but it is misleading as are others on the thread. I’m just quoting yours because it’s the first one.

First of all, the laity do make responses. All of them are not audible, but some are.

And, the laity is to do much more than “just observe” the TLM. Pope Pius X said it best…

**The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even the highest prayer that exists. Is is the Sacrifice dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the Altar. If you wish to hear the Mass as it should be heard, you must follow with eye, heart, and mouth all that happens at the Altar.

Further, you must pray with the priest the holy words said by him in the Name of Christ and which Christ says by him. You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens on the Altar. When acting in this way, you have prayed Holy Mass. **

And that is why we have missals 🙂 I’d say that with the TLM, there is actually just as much if not more participation as found in the Ordinary Form. If one is using the missal as he/she should be, believe me, one is focused on the Mass and nothing else. Again, there is just less audible participation. Audible participation simply creates an illusion of more participation.

While it’s technically correct to claim the priest’s back is to the laity during most of the Mass, a more correct description would be to say the priest faces the altar and does so as to focus on Our Lord. Describing the orientation of the priest as “turning his back to the people” is actually a very negative and selfish way to describe it. With most all High Altars having the Tabernacle centered on them, it only seems fitting the priest faces the altar rather than “turning his back to the Tabernacle”.

Anyhow, yes the TLM requires effort and a good missal in order to follow along and pray the Mass as the great Pope Pius X suggested. It requires attendance at a few Masses to be able to keep up with the priest. And the Latin, it’s no big deal. The responses, including the non-audible ones, are not that many in number and are quite brief and simple to learn really. How many times must one the English translation of Dominus vobiscum to learn it means " the Lord be with you " ?

Considering the suffering Our Lord endured for us during His Passion, such effort required in learning to follow along with the priest praying the TLM seems not so much to endure ourselves imo.
 
I think perhaps that you can find videos of Tridentine Masses on Youtube. I am not certain about that though. You might try searching for such a video on Youtube and then watching it.

That said, I can’t really tell you anything else because I have never been to a Tridentine Mass and I would say that I am just as clueless about what goes on as you, if not more so. :o I do know that the Tridentine Mass is in Latin though. To be honest, that’s one of the main reasons why I haven’t yet visited one. I don’t know but maybe one or two words in Latin and so I would be completely and totally lost at a Tridentine Mass. :o
 
Saints_Alive said:
If one is using the missal as he/she should be, believe me, one is focused on the Mass and nothing else. Again, there is just less audible participation. Audible participation simply creates an illusion of more participation.
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Indeed.

I notice that one of the comments in those red missalettes states as follows: “The … [Secret in this case] prayer is said inaudibly because here the priest acts as a mediator speaking directly to God on behalf of man.”

I suppose one can extend this same argument for the canon and ad orientem posture. It’s unfortunate that the modern mindset is one which wants all this worship to be so transparent microphones and amplification and ad populum have been introduced to undermine the mentioned principle.
 
I have attended some High Masses said in Latin. They are absolutely beautiful. The Gregorian Chant is lovely. There were booklets that had the Latin words on one page. On the opposite page were the English words.
 
I have and still use what you are talking about. They are available for purchase on this site I believe. Mine is the 1962 St Josephs Missal with the Latin on one side, and English on the other.
Beautiful, absolutely moving and beautiful.

Don, Vegas
 
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