The priest said the Mass privately, at the altar, often behind a screen. The people attending Mass said their own private devotions. They could walk around and pray their Rosary (as there were no pews).
The point of attending Mass was not to watch or interact; you tried to grasp at some of the awe, tried to take hold of some of the miracle for yourself.
It was a sensual experience: scents (incense), sounds (bells), visuals (icons).
Popular spirituality was communal--the living and the dead helped each other out. If your aunt died, the living family helped her out by praying for her release from Purgatory. If you needed help with your crops one year, you prayed to your dead relatives and the saints for assistance.
Helping each other out, like was one big living and dead family.
