A Catholic Missal at Mass

[OhMalley]

FYI everyone - I copied this paragraph verbatim from the USCCB, usccb.org/liturgy/girm/bul4.shtml

“The key word in all of this is listening. We are called to listen attentively as the reader, deacon or priest proclaims God’s Word. Unless one is unable to hear, one should not be reading along with a text from a missal or missalette. Rather, taking our cue from the General Instruction itself, we should listen as we would if Christ himself were standing at the ambo, for in fact it is God who speaks when the Scriptures are proclaimed. Carefully following along with the printed word can cause us to miss the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit, the message that the Spirit may have for us in one of the passages because we are anxious to ‘keep up,’ to move along with the reader.”

The more I think about this the more upset I become. I truly find these words to be ignorant and/or politically (in a sense) motivated. In all honesty I really don’t think much of those who cart around missalettes because they feel they are “traditional.” But to dismiss something so important to so many seems almost mean-spirited. It certainly seems seriously ignorant.

The real problem is that people with zero compassion and tact take this information and proclaim that missalettes are NEVER to be used. I have been told NOT to follow a long in a missalette while I serve Mass for example. I quietly ignore the strident demands but it can make for some uneasy feelings.

 

[kage_ar]

Why is it either/or. I do both. Before Mass, I read the readings from the missalette as part of my preparation for Mass. During the readings, I listen to them and they are proclaimed.

Take an extra 5 minutes before Mass and then you can have the best of both worlds!!

 

[mullenpm]

I prefer to use the time before Mass by praying my Rosary and visiting with our Lord for a few minutes; I don’t want to read the Epistles and Gospel yet to come.

I will continue to use my Magnificat to follow along with the Mass and don’t understand why we are all of a sudden debating this practice. I have been using a Missal for 70 years and will not stop now just because one Deacon in some parish other than my own says we may do not it.:nope:

 

[OhMalley]

Why is it either/or. I do both. Before Mass, I read the readings from the missalette as part of my preparation for Mass. During the readings, I listen to them and they are proclaimed.

Take an extra 5 minutes before Mass and then you can have the best of both worlds!!

So true. The person who told me not to follow in a missalette while I served siad I should be reading the verses BEFORE Mass. I asked her “what made you conclude I’m not already doing that?” She had no answer.

 

[kage_ar]

Preparing for mass by reading the readings is something I have been taught for all the years I have been Catholic. Perhaps you might try reading them before you leave for mass, or the evening before. I cannot imagine one could read too much scripture!

 

[mullenpm]

kage_ar, I agree - you cannot read too much scripture. I carry my New Testament with me every where and take any opportunity to stop in at a church when I am in the neighborhood; and, when I go to Mass I read a chapter after my Rosary, generally whatever is the current reading.

I also like to follow up at home by reading the OT for whatever book is currently being read in the Epistles.

Today the reading was from the Book of Genesis and also will be tomorrow so tonight I will read some chapters from the Book of Genesis.

But, I was never taught in Catholic school (1930’s) to read the missal before Mass as preparation. We were always taught to take time to pray the Rosary (never to be prayed during Mass) and to take time to just visit with the Lord in silence, which I do. I always take time before Mass to visit with the Lord.:knight1:

 

[jmcrae]

Why is it either/or. I do both. Before Mass, I read the readings from the missalette as part of my preparation for Mass. During the readings, I listen to them and they are proclaimed.

Take an extra 5 minutes before Mass and then you can have the best of both worlds!!

I do this as well. I find for myself that flipping through the Missal to find the right page during Mass takes my focus off of prayer, and puts it on to “getting it right”.

I am also a visual learner, but to me, reading isn’t a visual activity - if there were a picture illustration of the reading, I would look at the picture, but reading along is the same thing as hearing it, for me, so it makes more sense for me to read it ahead of time, and then listen to it during Mass.

 

[OhMalley]

Why is it either/or. I do both. Before Mass, I read the readings from the missalette as part of my preparation for Mass. During the readings, I listen to them and they are proclaimed.

Take an extra 5 minutes before Mass and then you can have the best of both worlds!!

Why do you set-up the false assumption that those who follow a long in a missalette do not read the readings beforehand? That’s insulting.

I read the readings before Mass AND during Mass. For me that is the BEST.

 

[mullenpm]

I am wondering if there is a correlation to pre-Mass preparation and whether or not one is a convert to the faith. As a child in Catholic school the Nuns taught us to say the Rosary and to take time for Adoration before Mass and this is what I have done for many, many, years.

Perhaps the Rosary and Adoration are not stressed, or even mentioned, at classes for those newly Catholic. I don’t know, so this is a chance for me to find out.

Although reading the Epistles and Gospels before Mass appears to be helpful to some I don’t have any guilt about not doing so. I follow in my Magnificat as the reader reads because I generally cannot hear and/or understand the lay readers and a particular Priest who has a foreign accent.

Also, I do not believe that the OP’s deacon had any right to say it was wrong.:nope:

 

[tcm22]

I am wondering if there is a correlation to pre-Mass preparation and whether or not one is a convert to the faith. As a child in Catholic school the Nuns taught us to say the Rosary and to take time for Adoration before Mass and this is what I have done for many, many, years.

Perhaps the Rosary and Adoration are not stressed, or even mentioned, at classes for those newly Catholic. I don’t know, so this is a chance for me to find out.

Although reading the Epistles and Gospels before Mass appears to be helpful to some I don’t have any guilt about not doing so. I follow in my Magnificat as the reader reads because I generally cannot hear and/or understand the lay readers and a particular Priest who has a foreign accent.

Also, I do not believe that the OP’s deacon had any right to say it was wrong.:nope:

As I convert, I can respond to some of your questions/comments. I do prepare before Mass, either before leaving home or I arrive early enough to review the day’s readings.

This was certainly NOT taught during my RCIA program 20+ years ago. I’m not exactly sure what we were taught, but I do recall that we were all supposed to feel good about it. I’m hoping today’s RCIA programs are a little more substantial. We didn’t spend much time on learning the Faith. Looking back, I’m somewhat amazed at the things we didn’t cover during a year of RCIA instruction. It’s been quite a journey learning the essentials. That’s one reason I’m thankful for this site!

 

[mullenpm]

I think my problem is a difference in definition “preparing for Mass.”

I do not prepare for Mass by reading the Epistles and Gospel before Mass. I leave that for its proper place in the Mass, and as I have said before, I have no feelings of guilt because I follow the readings in my missal. Actually, I follow the whole Mass with my missal and make appropriate responses (except for the Consecration); I do put my missal down during the Consecration.

To me, preparation for Mass is spiritual. As children we were not taught to “prepare” for Mass by reading the Epistle and Gospel ahead of time. We were taught to prepare for Mass by meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary and by spending time in silence before the Blessed Sacrament.

So, I suspect that the Rosary and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament are not a focus of education for prospective Catholics, which is really mysterious to me.

:knight1:

 

[kage_ar]

Why do you set-up the false assumption that those who follow a long in a missalette do not read the readings beforehand? That’s insulting.

I read the readings before Mass AND during Mass. For me that is the BEST.

The earlier poster stated that they did not read the readings before Mass and I was responding to that person.

 

[kage_ar]

Perhaps the Rosary and Adoration are not stressed, or even mentioned, at classes for those newly Catholic. I don’t know, so this is a chance for me to find out.

As someone who has been through RCIA, been a sponsor many times and is part of an RCIA team, all prayer - including the rosary - is much stressed. The Rosary is prayed by the congregation beginning 30 minutes before Sunday Mass.

Our Church has perpetual adoration, so, this is also of great importance in our Parish.

We also stress the daily readings.

These things are in no way mutually exclusive.

 

[TerryLynn_SeKr]

I have been following everyone’s comments on reading the missal before, during and after the mass with great interest. I am pre-catholic. My sponsor gave me a gift of 'Living with Christ" which I believe is the missal you are speaking of. I read it before mass, use it to keep my place during the mass itself and then reread it later to help me really understand all I have heard. It is a wonderful thing for me to study as I begin my journey home to the Church. Just as this site is a wonderful font of information. Bless you all.

 

[OhMalley]

I prefer to use the time before Mass by praying my Rosary and visiting with our Lord for a few minutes; I don’t want to read the Epistles and Gospel yet to come.

I will continue to use my Magnificat to follow along with the Mass and don’t understand why we are all of a sudden debating this practice. I have been using a Missal for 70 years and will not stop now just because one Deacon in some parish other than my own says we may do not it.:nope:

Now that is rather odd. Many people don’t want to make the effort to read the readings before Mass, but I don’t know anyone that actually does not want to read them on purpose.

 

[bpbasilphx]

As children we were not taught to “prepare” for Mass by reading the Epistle and Gospel ahead of time.

---

**Far be it from me to question the teachings of childhood, as Rhett Butler said, or to suggest that what is appropriate for children might not be all that adults need.

However, I recall that the instruction material in MY SUNDAY MISSAL by Fr. Stedham said that the entire proper should be read over before Mass starts by the individual.

If this is not “preparing for Mass,” what is?**

 

[mullenpm]

bpbasilphx, nor was I, and I don’t understand those posters who, for some reason, believe that is the only way to prepare for Mass.

O’Malley, Why do you think it is an absolute that the Epistles and Gospel should be pre-read before Mass and why do you appear to object that I don’t chose to do so.

I said, that as a child, being taught by good and holy Sisters, in Catholic grade school:nun1:, we were taught to prepare for Mass by praying our Rosary and meditating on the mysteries of the Life of Christ, and by spending moments in silence in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Please, pre-read the readings if that is what you chose to do.

Catholics have been using the Missal to follow the Mass for generations. Before VII, almost everyone in church used the missal to follow the Mass because our missals had Latin on one side of the page and English on the other. I never heard anyone at that time say that one should pre-read the Epistles and Gospel, but this is a new era and other devotions are not as popular as they were before VII.:knight1:

I am pleased to find that some RCIA classes do teach the Rosary and, more importantly, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; but, I don’t want to highjack this thread by dwelling on that aspect of preparing for Mass.

 

[mullenpm]

bpbasilphx, sorry I mis-read your post; thought it was odd that you were agreeing with me.

 

[OhMalley]

bpbasilphx, nor was I, and I don’t understand those posters who, for some reason, believe that is the only way to prepare for Mass.

**O’Malley, Why do you think it is an absolute that the Epistles and Gospel should be pre-read before Mass and why do you appear to object that I don’t chose to do so. **

I said, that as a child, being taught by good and holy Sisters, in Catholic grade school:nun1:, we were taught to prepare for Mass by praying our Rosary and meditating on the mysteries of the Life of Christ, and by spending moments in silence in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Please, pre-read the readings if that is what you chose to do.

Catholics have been using the Missal to follow the Mass for generations. Before VII, almost everyone in church used the missal to follow the Mass because our missals had Latin on one side of the page and English on the other. I never heard anyone at that time say that one should pre-read the Epistles and Gospel, but this is a new era and other devotions are not as popular as they were before VII.:knight1:

I am pleased to find that some RCIA classes do teach the Rosary and, more importantly, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; but, I don’t want to highjack this thread by dwelling on that aspect of preparing for Mass.

No I just think the following viewpoint is odd (emphasis mine):

I do not prepare for Mass by reading the Epistles and Gospel before Mass. I leave that for its proper place in the Mass…

 

[jmcrae]

I do both. I read the readings at home before I come to the Church - I read them attentively so that even if the person proclaiming them has an accent or is mumbling, I still know what the person is saying (since I remember what I read), and then when I arrive at the Church I pray my Rosary and spend a few minutes in Adoration.

I just find it so much easier to pray along if I have it in my head, rather than reading along. Reading along activates my left brain, but I want my left brain to be quiet when I am praying - I pray in my right brain, and so for that reason, I want my whole focus to be in my right brain, during Mass. By not reading along, it keeps my left brain quiet, so that I can focus completely on prayer.