Learn the Mass Settings at St. Robert!

Do you love to sing along in Mass but feel that there is not enough time before or during Mass to really catch on to new music? On this page you will find some resources to help aid you in learning the ordinary of the Mass.

What’s the ordinary of the Mass? The Ordinary of the Mass is the text in the Roman Missal that generally does not change, such as the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy), the Amen, or the Lamb of God. The texts that do change (the antiphons, for example) are called the Propers because they change to reflect the psalm and gospel acclamation proper to each day (i.e. that are prescribed each day in the Lectionary).

When we change a Mass setting (from A Community Mass to Mass of Jubilation, for example) we do not change anything of the text or order of the responses. We are simply changing the musical adaptation, theme, or motif of the musical setting of the text. This is important because it helps us to take a deeper look at how music lends itself to the sacred nature of the liturgy.

So, when we know that we are preserving the correct translation of the Ordinary, we can look for the musical aspects that help to serve each specific liturgy. This may look like changing the musical setting from one liturgical season to the next, or doing a different musical setting for an important feast day like Corpus Christi or Pentecost.

On this web page, you will find two things:

1.) the Order of Mass pdf with all the responses, and

2.) a video/videos of the Mass setting we will be using for the current or upcoming liturgical season. 

Mass responses: The Order of Mass