How to participate at Mass

The Traditional Latin Mass II

Abbé Prosper Guéranger
Using the texts of the
Liturgy for Prayer
The Liturgical Year
The tradition of
Solesmes
The family of St
Thérèse
Pope St Pius X
First use of the
expression “active
participation”
Revival of Gregorian
Chant
Pope Pius XII
Liturgical movement
changes direction
Mediator Dei to
expound true teaching
and correct error
Emphasis on interior
participation
Vatican II
“Latin to be retained”
No instruction to “face
the people”
The “hermeneutic of
continuity”
Call for full, conscious
and active
participation
Pope Benedict
“The Spirit of the
Liturgy”
Missal of 1962 not
forbidden or
abrogated
“sacred and great for
us too”
Changes to Papal
Liturgy
Pontifical High
Mass
The fullest form of
the Roman Liturgy –
the Ceremonies go
back to the earliest
years of the Church.

High Mass is a “cut-

down” form of the
Pontifical High Mass
High Mass
The celebrant is
assisted by the
Deacon and
Subdeacon.

The “Missa
Cantata” is
celebrated by the
priest alone when
there cannot be a
Deacon and
Subdeacon to
assist.
Missa Cantata
The usual form of
our 10.30am Mass
on Sunday
Low Mass
Sung parts of Mass
are said aloud by
the priest

The server
responds on behalf
of the faithful

A quiet and
meditative
celebration.

This is the usual

form of our Mass on
Saturday morning.
Following the Mass
The words can be
followed in a Missal or
by using the booklets
and leaflets provided
The red booklet gives
some explanation
At the beginning
The choir sings the
Introit and the Kyrie
At the same time, the
priest says the
prayers at the foot of
the altar, incenses the
altar and then reads
the Introit and Kyrie
quietly
The Gloria then
follows
The Collect and Epistle
The priest kisses the
altar, turns to the
people and sings
“Dominus vobiscum.”
He then goes to the
“epistle side” of the
altar and sings the
collect.
Then he sings the
Epistle
Gradual and Gospel
The Choir sings the
Gradual and Alleluia
The priest puts
incense in the thurible
and asks for God’s
blessing
He then goes to the
“gospel side” of the
altar to sing the
Gospel
Creed
The priest intones the
Creed, then says it
himself and sits down
while the choir
continue singing
At the “et incarnatus
est”, everyone kneels
down
Offertory
The beautiful offertory
prayers are said
quietly by the priest
while the choir sing
the Offertorium
The altar is incensed
again and the priest
invites all to pray that
the sacrifice may be
acceptable
Preface and Canon
The Preface is sung
aloud and the Canon
is then begun quietly
as the choir sings the
Sanctus
The consecration is
surrounded by an
awe-filled and
reverent silence
The priest’s communion
The priest sings the
Pater Noster and
prays in preparation
for his Holy
Communion
He is especially
reminded of his
unworthiness in these
prayers
The people’s communion
The servers say the
Confiteor on behalf of
the people
We come before the
Lord as humble
suppliants
The choir sings the
communion antiphon
and a motet or hymn
After Communion
Postcommunion,
dismissal, blessing
The Last Gospel is
usually the prologue
of St John
We kneel in honour of
the incarnation
After Mass
We pray for the Queen
Often there is some
other chant, such as
the Marian Anthem for
the season
Differences at Low Mass
The priest says aloud
the parts that are
sung by the choir at
High Mass
Low Mass is a quiet
and meditative
celebration of Mass
The Leonine Prayers
Ways to participate
It is not necessary to
follow every word
Christ is present in His
mysteries
We can pray the Mass
by meditating on
these mysteries with
the aid of a book or
the Rosary
St Francis de Sales
“How to hear Holy
Mass”
 With the older form of
the Roman Rite, there
are many possible ways
to participate in the
Mass. This is one
possible way from a
saint who wrote a book
on the Devout Life
especially for lay
people.
Beginning
1. From the beginning
until the priest goes
up to the altar, make
the preparation with
him, which consists in
placing yourself in the
presence of God,
acknowledging your
unworthiness and
asking pardon for your
faults
Until the Gospel
2. From the time when
the priest goes up to
the altar to the
Gospel, consider with
a simple and general
consideration the
coming and the life of
Our Lord in this world.
Gospel to the Credo
3. From the Gospel to
the Credo, consider
the preaching of our
Saviour; protest that
you wish to live and
die in the faith and
obedience of his holy
word and in union with
the holy Catholic
Church.
Credo t0 the Pater Noster
 4. From the Credo to the
Pater noster apply your
heart to the mysteries
of the death and
passion of our
Redeemer, which are
actually and essentially
represented in this holy
Sacrifice, which,
together with the priest
and the rest of the
people, you will offer to
God the Father for his
honour and for your
salvation.
Pater noster to Communion
 5. From the Pater noster to the
Communion strive to excite a
thousand desires of your heart,
ardently wishing to be for ever
joined and united to your Saviour by
everlasting love. From the
Communion to the end, thank his
divine Majesty for his Incarnation, for
his life, for his death, for his passion,
and for the love which he shows to
us in the holy Sacrifice, conjuring
him through it to be ever propitious
to you, to your relations, to your
friends, and to the whole Church;
and humbling yourself with your
whole heart, received devoutly the
divine blessing which our Lord gives
you by the ministry of his priest.
Traditional Liturgy for children
Not a constant stream
of words
Children can say their
own prayers
Crying babies are less
of a distraction
The visual cues are far
more striking
Teenagers and the lapsed
Teenagers are able to
participate as
individuals – less
“boring”
There is less pressure
upon those who are
lapsed or unfamiliar
with the Church
There is less focus on
the person of the
priest
Mutual enrichment
Pope Benedict’s
“Marshall Plan”
Recovery of the
sacred
Applies to the modern
rite as well as the
older form
Candles and
crucifix
Seven candles and
a large Crucifix are
the focus.
Cardinal
Deacons
Use of more
traditional
vestments and the
reintroduction of
the Cardinal
Deacons in
Dalmatics
Stole of Pope
St Pius X
Pope Benedict
emphasises
continuity with the
past by using
vestments used by
his predecessors
Holy
Communion
At Papal Masses
now, Holy
Communion is to be
received from the
Holy Father
kneeling, and on
the tongue
“Sacred and great”
“In the history of the liturgy there is growth and
progress, but no rupture. What earlier
generations held as sacred, remains sacred and
great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden
entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It
behooves all of us to preserve the riches which
have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer,
and to give them their proper place.”

Pope Benedict XVI. Letter to the Bishops of the World. 7

July 2007