Latin Missal Quick Start
This was difficult for me but after a few Masses and some research it became very easy.
Around the middle of your missal is the “Main” part of the missal that you primarily use during the Liturgy. I put the "Red" ribbon marker there. It begins with the sign of the cross and you just follow along at a "medium" pace reading the missal and follow Father as he prays the Liturgy in Latin.
After the sign of the cross, he recites Psalm 42...Judica Me, then the Confiteor, (His public confession), then the server recites the Confiteor, representing us (our public confession) then the Priest goes up to the Altar as it says in the missal.
The way the missal is used is; you flip from the “Main “part of the Mass to the “Propers of the day” then back again to the “main” section. The “Propers” being, The Introit, Collect, Epistle, Gradual, Gospel, Preface, and Communion verses. The Propers change but not the main “Order of the Mass”
After Father goes up to the Altar he goes to the "Epistle" side (The right side) to read the Introit and that's our cue to flip to the propers of the day to the "Introit" That’s where I place my "green" ribbon marker. There are many “visual cues” if you try to be aware of Fathers movements and many audible cues, “Dominus Vobiscum” (The Lord Be with You) “Oremus (Let us Pray) servers responses, and of course the “bells” at the "Sanctus (Holy,Holy,Holy) and at the Elevations.
After the Introit ,you hear Father pray the "Kyrie Elison",then the Gloria, you just keep reading along as he is reciting in Latin, you eventually learn the pace that Father goes ,so after a few Masses you follow along pretty easily. After the Gloria, it’s time to flip to the “green" marker again and read the 'Collects" for the day, then the Epistle is read, followed by the "Gradual”.
Then Father then goes to the "Left "side of the altar to read the Gospel and when done Father goes to the Ambo and reads the Epistle and The Gospel in English and gives announcements and a "Sermon" After the Sermon the Credo is said (back to the Red ribbon)
Then comes the next part of the Mass "The Mass of the Faithful" Most of the rest of the mass is in the main red ribbon section except for the Preface (I put my Purple marker there) and the Communion verses. If you just read along the English parts in the missal and be aware of the "cues" after a few Liturgys you'll be a pro. You will be “Praying the Mass” following Father as he is Praying the Mass in Latin.
Some just use their Missal for the “Main” part of the Mass; others flip only to the Epistle and Gospel readings to follow along but not to the other propers for the day. I love my Missal and use it to Pray every part of the Mass. As far as standing, sitting, kneeling, just follow what everyone else does, this also will come natural after a while.
This is a very rough and abbreviated explanation but it will at least get you started on what's going on. My first Latin Mass was totally strange to me and I thought I would never go again but after I understood it, it is "The most beautiful thing this side of Heaven."
I downloaded the “Full Mass” from the link below and put it on my mp3 player, to “practice” and tune my ear to the Latin. I followed along reading my missal while listening to it and it really helped me.
The readings (Propers) are from Trinity Sunday (The first Sunday after Pentecost) in your missal. (Baronius Missal page 738, Angelus Missal; page 696)
http://www.latinmassireland.org/thelati ... audio.html
Propers for Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days can be found here
http://uvoc.org/Propers/Propers_2008..._Calendar.htmlWeekday Propers are found in the front of the Missal in the “The Liturgical Calendar”
Hope this helps someone to understand what an absolute treasure our Catholic Mass Missal is.
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