Traditional Latin High Mass (Catholic, of course!)

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19 JAN Sun 2020

10:30 AM 12:00 PM

Event ended

Traditional Latin High Mass

Epiphany of Our Lord is Tampa's Center for the Traditional Latin Mass. We are a parish of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg.

High Mass (also called the Sung Mass) Sunday 10:30 am and Monday through Friday 6:30 am.

At the High Mass, everything Father prays aloud is chanted. The choir (large on Sunday, very small on weekdays) chants or sings as well, and the congregation can join them for the Mass parts if they know how to sing. As at the low Mass, all prayers addressed to God are said silently by Father. The weekday Sung Mass is a simple Mass without incense. The Sunday is much more elaborate in ritual and sacred ministers, and always includes incense and up to 19 altar boys. On rare occasions, we have 3 priests and are able to have a Solemn High Mass.

Low Mass (silent) Sunday 7:30 am and Monday through Saturday at 8:00 am

The Low Mass is entered into silently by the congregation. There is no singing or music or chanting. In fact, the congregation makes no responses at all until Mass ends and then they join in the Leonine Prayers (Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, St. Michael prayer, etc.). During the Mass, only the altar boy(s) make any necessary responses to prayers. Father speaks out loud only when addressing the people, but says the prayers addressed to God in a silent voice. Full, active, conscious participation takes place through prayer, spiritually uniting oneself to the Lord as He offers Himself to the Father through the hands of His priest in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

But what if I don't know Latin?

Don't worry. This form of the Mass was celebrated for over 1500 years by missionaries going throughout the world and they managed to convert countless numbers of people who could not understand Latin! We have the added advantage of having hand missals for your use, with the Mass in Latin on one side of the page and an English (or Spanish, if you prefer) translation on the other side. The sermons are in English!

Does the priest have his back to the people?

Yes and no. Both the priest and the people face the same direction, East (or, as at Epiphany, where the church is not situated in this traditional manner, toward the tabernacle directly behind the altar, which is then considered "liturgical east"), towards the rising sun, in anticipation of the Rising Son at His Second Coming. The priest leads the people in prayer much as a general leads his troops into battle. Do you remember the term Church Militant? That's us, the faithful still alive and battling evil in this world. The Mass, properly celebrated and prayed, is our best weapon against Satan and his demonic army. Lead on, fearless leader, faithful priest standing in persona Christi, in the person of Christ! The battle cry is sounding and the troops are following you, properly prepared through this Mass for spiritual warfare.