Falling in love with the Latin Mass

How I fell in love with the Latin Mass

• Falling in love with the Latin Mass was not a fast process for me. I was raised Catholic but had never attended a Latin Mass until I met my husband. He both studied theology and went through RCIA and he had much to teach me. The Tridentine Mass is said in Latin mainly in hushed tones by the Priest. The congregation can follow along with Missals or in quiet prayer. The choir sings the Introit, Collect, Kyrie, Gloria, Creed, Sanctus, etc. At some Latin Masses the congregation responds in Latin and at some the priest/servers say the responses for the congregation. It follows the same essential structure as the Novus Ordo, but there are differences especially in the content of the prayers throughout.  
• There were a few things that were intimidating to me at first. Giving responses at the Tridentine Mass has required me to speak Latin for the first time! I received communion on the tongue for the first time. I was afraid that I would touch the priest’s hand with my tongue and that the consecrated host might fall. It was also a change in the habit which I had for years. It took some adjusting, but now I would never go back to receiving in the hand. Once I got the hang of the flow of the Tridentine mass, I genuinely came to appreciate and prefer it.

My first trip to the Latin Mass

• On my first trip to the Latin Mass I started off excited which quickly turned to frustration. (I created a guide for going to the Latin Mass for the first time.) There are several differences between the Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo. Because the priest has to say all the parts of the Mass himself even when they are also sung by the choir, the choir doesn’t always match where the priest is in the Mass. Also, because a lot of the Mass is said at low voice, there are very few oral cues that are loud enough to know where you should be in the Missal. Never mind the fact that these cues are in Latin making it harder to recognize! I struggled with knowing when to kneel, sit and stand as it is slightly different from the Novus Ordo. I persevered and now that it is second nature to me; I think the Traditional Latin Mass is awesome!

What exactly is the Latin Mass?

• The Latin Mass is also known as the Tridentine Mass, the Traditional Latin Mass, the Extraordinary Form, and Usus Antiquior (Latin for “the older use”). The basic elements of the Latin Mass can be recognizably traced back at least 1500 years.  It began being referred to as the Tridentine Mass following the Council of Trent (Latin: Concilium Tridentinum) when Pope Pius V issued the Papal bull Quo Primum in 1570 in order to standardize the text and usage of the Mass throughout the Latin Church. The Extraordinary Form is both a valid Mass (in which the sacrifice of Christ’s body and blood truly takes place) and licit (allowed by Church law), despite the Novus Ordo being more widely offered–as Pope Benedict XVI stated, referring to the Traditional Mass, in a letter to the bishops:  “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…”

Why is the Latin Mass important? 

• Beauty

  • Architecture

    • One of the first times I attended the Latin Mass was at a beautiful Catholic Church in New Orleans – St. Patrick’s. The church is so stunning inside. There is elegant artwork and there are stained glass windows, murals, and statues. The wood has intricate carvings and there is a large wood carved shell at the ambo. There is a solid altar with an elaborate Tabernacle of gold. It is obvious that there was a strong focus on attention to detail in constructing the church. If you are fortunate, your local Latin Mass will take place in one of these older, more traditional churches, which were designed for it.

• • Latin Chants

    • The music at St. Patrick’s was lovely and harmonious, echoing in the large church, giving me goosebumps. They did Gregorian chant and everything was sung in Latin. It was so uplifting without being distracting. There is time for personal prayer during the Latin Mass and if the music is playing, it still allows you to focus on your thoughts and prayers.

  • Vivid language

    • The language is vivid and reminds me of how much of a sinner I am and how much I need to repent and grow closer to Jesus.
    • Here are a few quotes from the Missal.
      • “Cleanse my heart and my lips, O Almighty God, Who didst cleanse the lips of the prophet Isaias with a burning coal; and vouchsafe, through Thy gracious mercy, so to purify me, that I may worthily proclaim Thy Holy Gospel.”
      • “May Thy Body, O Lord, which I have received, and Thy Blood which I have drunk, cleave unto my inmost parts; and grant that no stain of sin may remain in me, who have been refreshed with pure and holy mysteries.”

  • Traditional Missals/Prayers

    • I am a visual person and I like that many people follow along with the missal during the Tridentine mass. Whereas during the Novus Ordo few use a missal and if they do it is often just for the readings. I feel more focused and engaged when I can read along. It makes me more comfortable that others are using one as well. The missals also contain many other traditional prayers that can enrich your prayer life. 
    • At the end of low Mass, the Leonine prayers are said in English which include the Salve Regina and St Michael the Archangel prayers.

  • Incense 

    • There was liberal use of incense at St Patrick’s, which isn’t always included during Mass. Many churches only use it for special holidays. Some people find the smell unpleasant, but I think one can get over that pretty quickly when one is reminded that the smoke represents our prayers lifting up to heaven. 

• Modesty and Reverence

  • • Most people there were dressed in modest attire and maintained reverence during the Mass. I didn’t see any people wearing jeans or their sports uniforms ready to do the Judas Shuffle and carry on with their activities. I saw women wearing chapel veils scattered throughout the church. It was not something I was accustomed to seeing, but I knew I wanted to start wearing one! 
    • One of my favorite things that drew me to the Latin Mass was the positioning of the priest. For the entire history of the Church, church buildings were generally built with the altar and tabernacle in the east.  During Mass, both the priest and the faithful would pray facing towards the east because the rising sun was taken as a symbol of the expectation of the Second Coming of Christ.  Instead of seeming like a show with the priest (and sometimes an entire choir!) facing you, both you and the priest face the same direction and pray to God TOGETHER! It makes a HUGE difference. 
    • Seeing Mass in a more peaceful and reverent atmosphere made me want to try to go regularly to the Latin Mass.

• • Chapel Veils!!

    • I LOVED my chapel veil as soon as I got it. I wear it inside the house while praying, to Mass, to confession, and to adoration. I feel more prayerful and less distracted by activity around me while wearing one. At the Tridentine Mass, many of the women wear one and I was excited to wear a chapel veil without sticking out like a sore thumb. However, I felt self-conscious about wearing it to a Novus Ordo Mass where I was one of the few, if not the only person wearing one. I struggled with this and spoke with a priest who said it was edifying to wear it and not to worry about what others thought. This gave me the confidence to wear my veil even when I am unable to attend a Latin Mass. I got my chapel veil from a shop on Etsy. 

• Time for quiet prayer

  • The Tridentine Mass gives you time for prayer, reflection, and silence. Especially when attending with young children, there are many distractions. During Mass, I am able to follow along with the Missal, and even if I sometimes fall a paragraph (or two or three!) behind, I can catch up. The priest isn’t speaking loudly into the microphone and the chants are in Latin so the Missal makes following along possible. After communion, there is a good chunk of time for prayer while the priest finishes distributing Communion and performing the ablutions. This is a great time for husbands and wives to take turns with the kids and get some quality time with God.

• A word of caution

  • I have a word of caution about stereotypes and women at the Latin Mass. It is sometimes unspoken (and sometimes spoken loudly!) that women should be the stay at home parent and dress only in skirts or dresses. I am not one of those women; I work and, although I always dress modestly, sometimes wear pants (though never to Mass) and it is fine! I can still reap all of the benefits of attending the Latin Mass. Sometimes it can feel like Catholics versus Traditional Catholics when we should all be part of the same team. As a priest friend once said, “I prefer to see Catholics with a love for Tradition as … Catholics”

• Richer

  • I am a big fan of dark chocolate (substitute your candies of choice!) Eventually I found that attending the Tridentine Mass is like dark chocolate- rich and worth finding. The Novus Ordo Mass is like milk chocolate, it’s valid and licit, it still tastes good, but something is lacking. 
  • The Latin Mass is a great way to deepen your faith through beautiful chants, vivid language, traditional prayers, and peaceful prayer time! So what are you waiting for; find a Tridentine Mass near you and give it a try next Sunday!