ALCYON. The halcyon days of my life were unquestionably when I was an Altar boy serving Mass. Those were the moments I was happiest and (I suspect) holiest. I especially enjoyed the weekday Masses on evenings in the countryside; they were spectacularly peaceful. I served so frequently, I was appointed as M.C. (“Master of Ceremonies”) while still in my teens.1
A Boy’s Gift • When I was a boy, someone gave me a ‘cheat sheet’ for Altar servers with phonetic pronunciation underneath each word. That was one of the most useful gifts I ever received, and it helped me commit to memory the required responses for serving at the Altar. We have attempted to create something resembling what I had back in those days:
* Softcover • “LOW MASS: Making the Responses” (33 pages)
—Eligible for AMAZON PRIME • For Training Altar Boys • Traditional Latin Mass.
Stumbling Blocks • We have tried to clearly indicate common stumbling blocks, such as the infamous ‘changing endings’ in the CONFITEOR: “beáto Joánni Baptístae” vs. “beátum Joánnem Baptístam.” Etc.
Help Them Along! • This would make a splendid Christmas gift for boys attempting to learn their Mass responses. In today’s world, young boys need all the help they can get. Please consider giving them a helping hand!
1 I was given the unforgettable opportunity to serve as M.C. when the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter—FATHER JOSEF BISIG—visited from Switzlerland. Several years later, I was chosen to serve as M.C. for his successor, FATHER ARNAUD DEVILLERS.