Do you use the missalette?

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hannajomar

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Normally, I just use the missalette Mass for the readings and songs. Since the new translation I’ve been using the little cheat sheet in the cover of the book.
However, my father-in-law uses the missalette for the entire Mass. He even quietly recites many of the prayers that only the priest says. He’s in his 80’s and seems to be developing some memory issues. He just seems more comfortable with the book. Because of this, my husband usually follows in the missalette as well so he can more easily help him out if FIL looses his place/page (DH is a wonderful son!).

Today, husband wasn’t there, so I was using my missalette through the Mass. I thought it would not be as beneficial* to me* as it was. I didn’t realize how much of the Mass I don’t truly listen to, don’t truly hear. One example, I am usually very engaged during the consecration, but for the prayers that surround it, I predominantly just zone out. These are beautiful prayers that I have been missing out on for way too long. I don’t know that I will always use the missalette for everything, but when I am more distracted I now have a tool to help me stay focused.
 
I always used one until I bought a Missal. I go to daily Mass a lot and it’s nice to read the readings beforehand.

But yes, we should be praying the prayers of the Mass along with the priest.

"The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even the highest prayer that exists. It is the Sacrifice, dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the altar. If you wish to hear Mass as it should be heard, you must follow with eye, heart and mouth all that happens at the altar. Further, you must pray with the priest the holy words said by him in the Name of Christ and which Christ says by him. You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens at the altar. When acting in this way, you have prayed Holy Mass."
St Pius X
 
I didn’t use to but for the last year I’ve found it impossible to do without for the responses, the Creed and the Gloria. I never use the missalette for the readings or the Eucharistic Prayer.
 
Since the parish recently purchased songbooks with money given as a designated gift by a deceased parishioner we no longer have “missalettes”.

The books do have regular mass parts and responses but no readings.

Now if people want to follow along with the readings they have to bring their own hand missal or use an electronic device to look them up online.
 
When I re-verted I did … Then I joined the choir and became preoccupied with following the director’s que’s (our Priests sing many of the prayers) … Now I have a little girl 1.5 & another little girl 5 months … It will be a long time until I can focus in mass again. I’m grateful for the time God gave me to focus; and grateful for the distractions too.

Yeah, my husband and my FIL read the miss. During mass … They’re very devout.
 
I have a magazine The Word Among Us which comes on regular basis that provides the Complete Mass and Daily Meditations. Usually they cover a month but then again they will cover a season like lent. It is a very valuable aid for the Mass. The only thing is they do not provide the responses. I know I should know them but I don’t.
 
Used to use roman missal, but have found kindle order of mass and daily lectionary much easier to carry!
 
Our local church moved to the songbooks without readings long ago and I missed the missalettes. As reading along engages the sense of sight as well as hearing, this change hurt my ability to participate as fully as I had earlier.
Fortunately, our church kept a few of the old missalettes for the hearing impaired, and some Spanish /English missalettes for those for whom English was not a first language.
I borrow unused copies when I assist locally and it makes such a difference for me.🙂
I bring a missal to the Latin mass or borrow one of the red books.
If he who sings prays twice, I wonder if she who reads and sings prays thrice?👍
 
hannajomar said:
Normally, I just use the missalette Mass for the readings and songs. Since the new translation I’ve been using the little cheat sheet in the cover of the book.
However, my father-in-law uses the missalette for the entire Mass. He even quietly recites many of the prayers that only the priest says. He’s in his 80’s and seems to be developing some memory issues. He just seems more comfortable with the book. Because of this, my husband usually follows in the missalette as well so he can more easily help him out if FIL looses his place/page (DH is a wonderful son!).

Today, husband wasn’t there, so I was using my missalette through the Mass. I thought it would not be as beneficial* to me* as it was. I didn’t realize how much of the Mass I don’t truly listen to, don’t truly hear. One example, I am usually very engaged during the consecration, but for the prayers that surround it, I predominantly just zone out. These are beautiful prayers that I have been missing out on for way too long. I don’t know that I will always use the missalette for everything, but when I am more distracted I now have a tool to help me stay focused.
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I bought a Sunday missal ten weeks ago (it’s neat I can know that from the missal:)) and like you I’ve discovered a whole new layer to the Mass. I had no idea there was so much I could follow along with or reflect on. I absolutely love having the missal at Mass and even more having it at home so the Sunday readings and all the other prayers of the Mass available for reflection.
 
Don_Jackson said:
Used to use roman missal, but have found kindle order of mass and daily lectionary much easier to carry!
Click to expand...
Yes! With a few apps, Liturgy of the Hours, the Mass with readings, and nearly every prayer and devotion, spiritual classics (entire books!), and even the Rosary and a holy candle … all fit in the palm of my hand. They’re stored on the device and don’t require wifi.

I first used iMissal just last Sunday at a church that doesn’t have missalettes.
 
Our parish doesn’t provide missalettes but each year we bring in the Novalis annual Sunday Missal and sell it cheaply to those who want it. They get it for $5 when it would cost them almost $13 with shipping if they ordered it themselves. Unfortunately, the Sunday Missal, true to its name, does not include major feasts and Vigils - not too surprising considering the only Holy Days of Obligation in Canada are Christmas and the *Feast of Mary, Mother of God *on Jan. 1.
 
I use it from the Gloria up to the Creed. The Gloria is normally sung so I know it when I sing it but it still trips me up when it said at the mass with hymns.
 
marleelynn said:
I use the Magnificat … my parish doesn’t have missalettes
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I too use my Magnificat. But my parish does have missalettes that change about 3 or 4 times a year with the seasons.
I use my Magnificat for the entire mass, I love it. It’s nice to read the readings before mass to be able to understand them better.
 
I got myself the St Joseph 2013 missalette which has the Sunday Mass readings, holy days of obligation plus some prayers & hymns for around $2 or $3 on Amazon. Its small and easy for me to place in my purse as some churches I go to either project the new responses we have had for a year now, other churches still use the pew cards, and of course people some like using missalettes.
 
I really like to read along with the readings and Eucharistic Prayer. It helps me to focus. One local parish prints the readings and music selections on cards for the Sunday night Mass (not sure if they do it for the other Masses as I’ve never been to them) and they print at the bottom that the text of the readings is only for the hard of hearing and that you should be prayerfully listening if you aren’t hard of hearing or something like that. So I guess they don’t want you reading along 🤷 I’ve always thought that was weird and kind of dumb.
 
The presidential prayers are reserved to the priest, so the faithful shouldn’t really be reading them aloud, but clearly if you just follow along mentally, there is no problem in that.

Our parish distributed a card to all parishioners with the new translation on it. I still have to use it for the Nicene Creed. The Gloria I sing from sheet music (we use the Roman Missal chant setting). Otherwise I do not use a missalette in English Masses. In my parish, we just deployed copies of the Lumen Christi Missal, which we use for the Liturgy of the Word Scripture readings and we are supposed to be using the antiphon chants as well (but see my thread for the latest news on how that is going…)

I definitely pick up a copy of the missalette when attending Spanish Masses. I am proficient at Spanish but I of course do not have all the responses memorized, and I wouldn’t dream of responding in English when I know Spanish well enough, so I like to follow in the missalette.

And I have never attended a Latin Mass (gasp!) but I am sure I would like to use a hand missal to keep track of what is going on there.
 
My church doesn’t have missalettes. I don’t think they exist in France as I have never seen them in any French church. I have a missal for Sunday Mass and I use Magnificat during the week. I follow along from the beginning of Mass until the Our Father. French is not my native language and it helps me to have the text of both the order of Mass and the readings. I once forgot my Magnificat at home and was surprised at how lost I was. :sad_yes:
 
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