Close to the Mass - 2

Lector 101
When I arrived at the St. FX chapel in September, 1963, I received a mild shock.
They were removing their high altar in favour of a backdrop, and there stood a bare wooden table at the front of the Sanctuary, where Father would preside at Mass -- facing the Congregation.
Guess that was the rumoured 'new direction' for the Mass, so I decided to immerse myself in it!
I began by serving at morning Mass, mostly with seniors from New England who had attended Catholic schools and served for 15+ years. I picked up a lot of skills from serving with them, especially details and nuances.

One of the new duties was that Father, Monsignor Bauer, began directing one of us servers, in turn, to go to the pulpit and read the English text of the Epistle and Gospel to the Congregation while he read the Latin text at the altar.
That appeared to be my first introduction to serving as Lector.
Later on, as new changes were introduced by Vatican II, a group of us were asked to work at private Masses with some of the older, veteran priests, to help them prepare for the transition to celebrating to English.
It was pointed out to us, Dear Reader, that some of them had celebrated Mass in Latin every day -- for 40+ years!
On the First Sunday of Lent, 1965, when the Mass switched over to English, we felt were ready.

Close to the Mass

Altar Server: 101
I always wanted to be 'close to the Mass.'
And so, just before my eighth birthday, I was accepted into the ranks of Altar Servers in my parish.

Preparation, in those days, was not as easy as it sounds (today, it's so much easier!):
Here are some of the skills you had to master:
-- memorize and recite in unison (you were always assigned a partner) a long series of prayers ... in LATIN!
-- all the ceremonial rites, and how to walk reverently in processions.
-- how to carry large missals, candles, Communion plate, censor, holy water fon6, etc.
-- look after and wear a long black robe / sutane / cassock, with a white surplice.
The Latin presented the highest degree of difficulty.
Although you could read the prayers from a laminated card in front of you, they were written in a language you had never heard (except at Church), and you had to recite them without hesitation at a rate dictated by the Father.
If you are Catholic and 'of an age,' Dear Reader, you will easily remember some of the prayers of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Every Mass began with the "Prayers at the foot of the altar" (which were dispensed with, thank heavens, by 'Vatican II'):
-- 'Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.' / To God, who gives joy to my youth.
-- 'Confiteor Deo omnipotento, beatae Mariae semper Virgini ...' / I confess to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary ever Virgin ...