A Catholic Missal at Mass

[DebChris]

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.

I generally do not read the readings in advance, unless it is my turn to proclaim the Word.
In my family, the rosary was recited after supper, not before Mass. Nevertheless, the period before Mass was to be a period of quiet meditation.
I do like it when the rosary is recited publicly before daily Mass.
As another poster has already pointed out, Catholics carried their individual missals to Mass pre-Vatican II. That seems so much more environmentally friendly than subscriptions to missalettes.
When I was at Conyers, the community I stayed with read the Mass readings for the next day following Vespers.
I like how you mentioned activating both the right and left brain since we are called to worship the Lord with all our mind, body, and strength.
I am looking st some notes I have from St. John of the Cross. We cannot pray without thinking first. The Reading is the Lesson, our thinking meditation, and orison is praying.
As Westerners, it is difficult for most of us to “keep our brain quiet,” a prerequisite to listeniing.
It is especially difficult when we don’t give ourselves enough time before Mass to settle our mind and body. Thankfully, I am able to walk to church which give me quiet reflective time.

 

[Beachcomber]

It always amazes me what people will come up with. The OP’s deacon had no cause to say that; it looks like the deacon was feeling a bit self-important with those comments.

I always follow along in the missal for the readings because frequently in my parish the lectors aren’t very clear. Why they end up reading is beyond me.

 

[jmcrae]

Why they end up reading is beyond me.

Because they said “Yes” when someone asked them to.

What frustrates me is the number of people in the pews who criticize, and then won’t help out when they are asked.