Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question that is not on this list, feel free to ask!
Why doesn’t the priest face the people?
Why do we receive communion kneeling and on the tongue?
I don’t understand Latin. How can I follow along during the Mass?
How should I dress for Mass, and why does it matter?
Why does everyone stay to kneel and pray after the Mass is ended?
Why do women wear veils/head coverings?
Why does the priest pray in a quiet voice I can barely hear during part of the Mass?
Why are there no altar girls?
Why doesn’t the priest face the people?
In the extraordinary form the of the Mass, the priest faces “ad orientem”, which is Latin for “to the east”. This is to signify that he, along with the people, is facing the altar where God is present, and all our attention is to be focused on Him. Pope Benedict XVI once said (while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger) that: “…a common turning to the east [the traditional position, wherein the priest and the people face eastward, and not each other]…remains essential. This is not a case of something accidental, but of what is essential. Looking at the priest has no importance. What matters is looking together at the Lord.” (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – The Spirit of the Liturgy – The Altar and the Direction of Liturgical Prayer)
Why do we receive communion kneeling and on the tongue?
In Catholic Churches prior to Vatican II, an altar rail was present at the front of the Church for people to come up and kneel to receive communion. We receive on our knees to show our humility in the presence of Our Lord, as we prepare ourselves for the most intimate union with Him that is possible on this earth. After all, if we genuflect when we enter the Church, and genuflect before we enter our pews, why would we not be on our knees as we prepare to receive Him into our body?
Communion is received on the tongue out of reverence and respect for Our Lord. Unless we are a priest, our hands are not consecrated. Another problem is that particles of a consecrated host can fall out of our hands and onto the floor. Remember, the entire consecrated host, down to the smallest particle, is fully and completely Our Lord. So you can imagine the problem that occurs when we receive communion in the hand and allow those consecrated particles to fall onto the floor. Receiving communion on the tongue eliminates that problem, and also reinforces our belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
I don’t understand Latin. How can I follow along during the Mass?
If you don’t understand or speak Latin, don’t worry, you’re not the only one! Fortunately, you can easily find a Latin missal that has an English translation, which should make it easy to follow along. One that is often used is the 1962 Roman Missal, which can be found online and from many Catholic bookstores.
How should I dress for Mass, and why does it matter? Doesn’t God look at our heart, not the external?
First of all, yes, God does indeed look at our heart. However, remember that Our Lady of Fatima told Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco that “certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much”. From that sentence alone we can see that externals do play a part when it comes to reverence and respect, and that modesty in dress is also very important.
For example, if you were to attend a friend’s formal wedding, or were to go to a job interview, would you show up wearing shorts and a tank top? Would you show up wearing your “Go Cowboys/Brown and Gold” sports attire? Probably not, because you know it would be disrespectful. Why, then, do we think it is okay to show up to Mass, where God is present, dressed that way? There are obviously circumstances where a person has no choice but to come to Mass dressed in less than their best. But if you are able to come to Mass wearing nicest clothes for Our Lord, then that is what is recommended. Not only does this show respect for God, but it also helps to reinforce the fact that Christ is truly present on the altar.
Why does everyone stay to kneel and pray after the Mass is ended?
To give thanks to Jesus for making himself available to us in the Eucharist, for atoning for our sins, and for just about anything else you want to pray about. Coming to Mass early to pray in preparation, and staying afterwards for a little to pray in thanksgiving, are all done out of respect and love for God.
Why do women wear veils/head coverings?
It is a sign of modesty and chastity, and is also a sign of respect for God. It also symbolizes humility and obedience to Christ. St. Paul also refers to this in 1 Corinthians in chapter 11. In verses 4-6, he clearly says,
“4 Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame upon his head.
5 But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head shaved.
6 For if a woman does not have her head veiled, she may as well have her hair cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should wear a veil.”
Prior to the Second Vatican Council, it was the norm for women to wear hats or veils during Mass, and the Catholic Church has never done away with the wearing of veils or head coverings.
Why does the priest pray in a quiet voice I can barely hear during part of the Mass?
These are known as the “secret” prayers, and are said by the priest to ask God to accept the offering of the Mass, and also to sanctify all the faithful who are there. These prayers are meant to be between the priest and Our Lord, which is why they are said so quietly.
Why are there no altar girls?
Although it is a practice that has become commonplace in many Catholic Churches throughout the country, female altar servers are actually an exception to the rule. Traditionally, only men assisted the priest at the altar, and even after altar girls became permissible, it was still strongly encouraged to use altar boys. One of the major reasons for this is to encourage priestly vocations. As Cardinal Antonio Maria Javierre Ortas mentioned in the Vatican Communication on Female Altar Servers by the Congregration for Divine Worship, “the Holy See wishes to recall that it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar. As is well known, this has led to a reassuring development of priestly vocations. Thus the obligation to support such groups of altar boys will always continue.”
From this document we can see that altar girls were only to be allowed under certain circumstances, and that the use of altar boys is still the norm. Since Christ reserved the role of the priest for men, it makes sense to have men assisting the priest at the altar.