One of the beautiful features of the traditional Roman Rite are the prayers that begin each Mass. Commonly called the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, these prayers allow us to properly enter into worship and give us the proper mindset to celebrate the sacred rites of the Church.
Those who regularly attend the Traditional Latin Mass, or what’s also called the “Extraordinary Form” are likely familiar with these prayers and their deep symbolism. The priest begins Mass with the familiar, “In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. Introibo ad altare Dei” Or, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. I will go in unto the altar of God.” Immediately we are snapped into focus, we are aware of what we are doing, and as the servers respond, “Ad Deum qui lætificat juventutem meam” or, “to the God who giveth joy to my youth” we are made present to the sacredness of this action.
The priest is specifically not standing at the altar but away from it, preparing himself before he ascends to the holiest of holies and the mercy seat on which our divine King sits. The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar begin with the antiphon and response as quoted above and then move into the recitation of the first five verses of Psalm 42/43 alternated by the Priest and the Servers. These verses are below:
P: Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me.
S: Quia tu es, Deus, fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti, et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus?
P: Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua.
S: Et introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.
P: Confitebor tibi in cithara, Deus, Deus meus quare tristis es anima mea, et quare conturbas me?
S: Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus mei, et Deus meus.
These verses are a beautiful display of humility. The first verse reads in English: “Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.” This verse makes the celebrant call to mind and remember his unworthiness, he asks for judgment and for God to accept his petitions and requests. After the psalm comes the traditional penitential rite. The celebrant makes his Confiteor first, he invokes the Virgin Mary, Michael the Archangel, John the Baptist, and the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul all twice each both before and after beating his breast at the Mea Culpa. The important and striking thing about the traditional Confiteor is that the celebrant says it first and by himself. He confesses his sins and his unworthiness alone which signifies his unique role In Persona Christi and signifies extreme humility as he confesses his sins to the flock that he leads. The servers and congregation then follow with their Confiteor which follows the same pattern with the saints invoked.
After this the Priest gives a minor absolution before him and the servers have a small verse and response. Then the priest finally ascends the altar while saying two more prayers. He says the prayer, Aufer a Nobis, while ascending the steps, and the prayer, Oramus te Domine, while kissing the altar. These two prayers are written below:
Take away from us our iniquities, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may be worthy to enter with pure minds into the Holy of Holies, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We beseech Thee, O Lord, by the merits of Thy Saints, whose relics are here, and of all the Saints, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to forgive me all my sins. Amen.
Born and Raised to Jewish parents in New York City, Kai Breskin is a recent convert to the Catholic Faith. A member of the Boston College class of 2026, he is studying Political Science, Philosophy, and History. His intellectual passions include Christian theology, history, and liturgical study. His hobbies include sailing, playing the piano, and singing, with a specific focus in Gregorian Chant.
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