The Three Tones of Voice in the Dominican Rite Mass

1. The Clear Voice (vox clara et intelligibils):
   Loud enough to be heard and understood by the friars in choir or, in a parish church, by the people near the front.  (If several priests are saying Mass at the same time, they should soften their voices.)
2. The Moderate Voice (vox mediocris):
   Loud enough to be easily heard and understood by all in the sanctuary.
3. The Low Voice (vox secreta):
   Only heard by the one uttering it – not audible to the server.

The Three Bows in the Dominican Rite Mass

Bows are not the same at the altar as in choir.  At the altar, there are three bows:

1. The Slight Bow (paululum caput inclinat):
   A small inclination of the head with only the slightest bending of shoulders.
2. The Moderate Bow (inclination capitis, reverential capitis, reverenter, etc.)
   Bending the head, shoulders and body to a moderate degree.
3. The Profound Bow (inclination profunda):
   Head and body are bent far enough so that the fingers could touch the knees.

How to Elevate and Extend the Hands in the Orans position

The Orans position in the Dominican Rite is unique.  With his elbows separated the width of his body, the priest holds up his hands with the fingers held straight, extended and joined.  The palms of his hands should face forward, parallel to his breast.  His hands should be held out a little beyond the shoulders, just enough to be visible from  behind, while his fingertips do not exceed the height of his shoulders.  The palms do not face each other, as in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite. 

Low Mass at an Altar where the Blessed Sacrament is Reserved

This training guide’s rubrics presume that a Low Mass is being celebrated on an altar where the Blessed Sacrament is not reserved.  Should a Low Mass be celebrated at such an altar, a few things change.  Thus, instead of pivoting around towards the people in front of the book (to say Dominus vobiscum before the collect, for example), the priest goes to the center of the altar to make this turn.  Further, whenever the priest turns towards the people at the center of the altar, he must take care never to turn his back directly to the tabernacle.  Consequently, at every turn, the priest must pivot towards the people by moving a bit towards the Gospel side as he turns.  (This pivot is demonstrated in the training video.)