1Before Mass
Set the wine and water cruets, the lavabo dish and the towel on the credence table, on the Epistle side.
Open the missal on its stand at the Epistle corner of the altar, ribbons hanging down. Leave the card for the prayers after Mass on the second altar step on the Gospel side.
When it’s time, ring the sacristy bell and lead the priest to the altar.
At the foot of the altar, take the priest’s biretta and genuflect with him. Where the Blessed Sacrament is not reserved, he bows and you still genuflect.
Lay the biretta on the priest’s bench. Return to the altar and wait at his left, a little away from the centre, while he sets the chalice, opens the missal and comes back down.
Kneel on the lowest step when he comes down, and make the sign of the cross with him.
2Prayers at the foot of the altar
P.In nomine Patris, et Filii, ✠ et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
P.Introibo ad altare Dei.
Psalm 42, from Judica me down to the second Introibo, is left out in Passiontide and at Requiem Masses.
P.Judica me, Deus … ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me.
P.Emitte lucem tuam … et in tabernacula tua.
P.Confitebor tibi in cithara … et quare conturbas me?
Bow your head with the priest:
P.Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Straighten up and answer straight away:
P.Introibo ad altare Dei.
Sign yourself with the priest:
P.Adjutorium nostrum ✠ in nomine Domini.
Kneel upright while the priest bows low and says his Confiteor.
P.Confiteor Deo omnipotenti … orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.
Turn your head slightly toward him with a moderate bow:
P.Amen.
Bow your head and shoulders deeply toward the altar and say your Confiteor:
Still bowed, turn toward the priest:
Face the altar again:
Strike your breast lightly three times:
Turn toward the priest again:
Face the altar:
Stay deeply bowed while the priest prays:
P.Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus … ad vitam æternam.
Kneel upright:
Sign yourself with the priest:
P.Indulgentiam, ✠ absolutionem et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum … Dominus.
Bow your head moderately for the versicles:
P.Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos.
P.Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.
P.Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Oremus.
3Introit and Kyrie
As the priest goes up the steps, lift the front of his alb slightly if he wants you to.
Stand, move across to the Gospel side and kneel on the bottom step, facing the altar.
Sign yourself as the priest begins the Introit, and bow simply at its Gloria Patri.
P.Kyrie, eleison.
P.Kyrie, eleison.
P.Christe, eleison.
P.Kyrie, eleison.
P.Kyrie, eleison.
4Gloria and Collect
During the Gloria, bow whenever the priest bows, and sign yourself at the last line.
P.… Cum Sancto Spiritu ✠ in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
On days without a Gloria, the next dialogue follows straight after the Kyrie.
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Oremus.
Simple bow.
P.… Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum …
Simple bow at the Holy Name.
P.… per omnia sæcula sæculorum.
There may be more than one collect. Answer Amen to each.
5Epistle
P.Lectio Epistolæ …
When the priest lays his left hand on the altar, the Epistle is over:
6Gospel
Rise and cross to the Epistle side, genuflecting as you pass the centre.
When the priest steps aside, go up on the Epistle side, take the missal on its stand, bow to him and carry it to the Gospel side, genuflecting at the centre on the bottom step.
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Sequentia (or Initium) sancti Evangelii secundum N.
Sign your forehead, lips and breast with the priest, then bow moderately.
Come down on the Gospel side, cross back to the Epistle side (genuflecting at the centre) and stand facing the priest.
When the Gospel ends:
If there is a sermon, genuflect with the priest and go to your seat. If not, kneel at once on the Epistle side.
7Credo
Bow simply when the priest bows, including at simul adoratur.
Bow deeply at Et incarnatus est while the priest genuflects.
Sign yourself with him at the end:
P.… Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum. ✠ Et vitam venturi sæculi. Amen.
On days without a Credo, the Offertory follows straight after the Gospel.
8Offertory and Lavabo
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Oremus.
Simple bow.
When the priest unveils the chalice, rise and go to the credence for the cruets: wine in your right hand, water in your left.
Go up on the Epistle side. Hand the priest the wine cruet, take it back with your left hand, then hand him the water.
Take the water back, bow, come down and set both cruets on the credence.
For the Lavabo, hang the towel over your left arm, hold the dish in your left hand and the water cruet in your right.
Go up again. When the priest comes to you, pour a little water over his fingertips into the dish. He takes the towel, dries his hands and gives it back.
Bow, come down, put everything away and kneel again on the Epistle side.
P.Orate, fratres …
Wait until the priest has turned back to the altar and finished his sentence, then say:
9Secret, Preface and Sanctus
The priest says the Secret quietly, then:
P.… per omnia sæcula sæculorum.
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Sursum corda.
P.Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
When the priest says Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, ring the bell three times.
P.Benedictus ✠ qui venit …
Sign yourself with him.
10Consecration
When the priest spreads his hands over the offerings at Hanc igitur, ring the bell once.
Take the bell, go up and kneel on the top step just behind the priest, on his right.
At each consecration, of the Host and then of the Chalice:
Bow deeply and ring once as he genuflects.
Kneel upright as he lifts it high. Raise the back of his chasuble a little with your left hand and ring three times.
Ring once more as he genuflects again.
After the second consecration, take the bell back down to the bottom step at the centre, genuflect, and return to kneel on the Epistle side.
P.… Nobis quoque peccatoribus …
At the end of the Canon the priest lifts the Host and Chalice slightly and genuflects:
P.… per omnia sæcula sæculorum.
11Pater Noster
P.Oremus. Præceptis salutaribus moniti … Pater noster … et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
P.Amen.
The priest breaks the Host over the Chalice:
P.… per omnia sæcula sæculorum.
P.Pax ✠ Domini sit ✠ semper vobis✠cum.
12Agnus Dei
The priest genuflects and says Agnus Dei three times. Strike your breast lightly each time he does.
Fetch the communion paten from the credence and return to your place.
When the priest says Domine, non sum dignus three times before his own Communion, ring once at each.
13Holy Communion
Stand with the bell in your right hand and the paten in your left, go to the centre, genuflect, then go up and kneel on the top step at the priest’s right.
When he drinks the Precious Blood, bow deeply and say the Confiteor for the people’s Communion.
The 1962 Missal allows this second Confiteor but doesn’t require it. Follow your priest’s custom.
Still bowed, turn toward the priest:
Face the altar again:
Strike your breast lightly three times:
Turn toward the priest again:
Face the altar:
Stay deeply bowed while the priest prays:
P.Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus … ad vitam æternam.
Kneel upright:
Sign yourself with the priest:
P.Indulgentiam, ✠ absolutionem et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum … Dominus.
At the priest’s Domine, non sum dignus for the faithful, ring the bell three times.
During Communion, hold the paten under the chin of each person receiving.
Afterwards, give the paten back to the priest to purify. When he returns it, genuflect, turn right and go to the credence. Leave the paten and take the wine and water cruets.
14Ablutions
Once the Blessed Sacrament is back in the tabernacle, go up on the Epistle side.
First ablution: at the centre, as the priest tilts the chalice toward you, pour in a little wine. Bow, turn right and go back to the Epistle corner.
Second ablution: when he comes to you, bow moderately, pour a little wine over his fingers, then as much water as he signals.
Bow, come down and return the cruets to the credence.
Cross to the Gospel side (genuflecting at the centre), take the missal, bow to the priest and carry it back to the Epistle corner, genuflecting at the centre.
Take the chalice veil, bow, and carry it over to lay it on the altar at the priest’s left, genuflecting as you pass the centre.
Bow to him, come down on the Gospel side and kneel there.
15Postcommunion
The priest reads the Communion antiphon, then comes to the centre.
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Oremus.
Simple bow.
P.… Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum …
Simple bow at the Holy Name.
P.… per omnia sæcula sæculorum.
There may be more than one postcommunion. Answer Amen to each.
16Dismissal and Blessing
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Ite, missa est.
If a procession follows, as on Corpus Christi, he says Benedicamus Domino and you still answer Deo gratias. At a Requiem he says Requiescant in pace, and you answer Amen.
Kneel for the blessing and sign yourself:
P.Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, Pater, et Filius, ✠ et Spiritus Sanctus.
17Last Gospel
Stand, facing the priest at the Gospel corner.
P.Dominus vobiscum.
P.Initium sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.
Sign forehead, lips and breast with him.
Genuflect with the priest at Et Verbum caro factum est.
18After Mass
If the prayers after Low Mass are said, kneel at the foot of the altar beside the priest and pass him the card. They are usually prayed in the local language.
When the priest rises, fetch the biretta, genuflect with him at the foot of the altar, hand him the biretta and lead him back to the sacristy.
In the sacristy, bow with him to the cross, then help put things away.