Electronic forms of media for prayer life, Mass

[jab42483]

I am a pretty traditional Catholic. I have a library full of orthodox books, the four volume Liturgy of the Hours, beautiful editions of Sacred Scripture, hand Missals…though now I find myself turning more often than not to my tablet or smart phone for my prayers, LOTH and for the Mass readings. Anyone else feel that way?
We have four kids, just bought a dog, I work 50+ hours a week and we go to daily Mass. Free time is virtually non existent and when I do catch a few minutes to read, I generally don’t have the physical books at hand, but my Google Play Books keeps them all in one place. Not to mention the Catholic apps I use which allow me access to a plethora of prayers, etc.
Thoughts, comments?

 

[pnewton]

I am a pretty traditional Catholic. I have a library full of orthodox books, the four volume Liturgy of the Hours, beautiful editions of Sacred Scripture, hand Missals…though now I find myself turning more often than not to my tablet or smart phone for my prayers, LOTH and for the Mass readings. Anyone else feel that way?
We have four kids, just bought a dog, I work 50+ hours a week and we go to daily Mass. Free time is virtually non existent and when I do catch a few minutes to read, I generally don’t have the physical books at hand, but my Google Play Books keeps them all in one place. Not to mention the Catholic apps I use which allow me access to a plethora of prayers, etc.
Thoughts, comments?

I bought the four volume LOTH at the cusp of the app revolution. A few years later I find myself with a tablet, using apps and the books gathering dust.

 

[jab42483]

I bought the four volume LOTH at the cusp of the app revolution. A few years later I find myself with a tablet, using apps and the books gathering dust.

I LOVE praying with the books, but I can’t count the number of times I get half way through the Office of Readings only to realize it is a feast or I have missed the proper Psalms or readings. The app is so convenient.

 

[DaveBj]

I have no problem with it. I don’t have any devices that support those kinds of apps, but my wife does. There was a time when the printed page was a brand new innovation, and there will come a time when the electronic tablet will be an out-dated gadget that only the most traditional of curmudgeons will be using.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Are you asking if there is something wrong with electronic readings vs. books? Why would there be?

 

[dee_burk]

Funny story about electronics being used for prayer.

I decided i wanted to learn to pray the Divine Mercy and was excited to find an app for that for my cell phone. I downloaded it but didnt try to use it until the next week when i had some free time in town so i went to Adoration. For some reason thesmall Adoration Chapel was closed so Adoration was in the church. I excitedly went all the way up to the front pews, pulled my cell phone and tapped the app to begin. This deep electronic voice echoed through the rafters of the church “IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON…” I couldnt get it turned off at the time so i jumped up and ran out the back of the church with about 8 older ladies giving me the skunk eye as they turned their heads following my mad dash out. I couldnt go back in that day.

 

[jab42483]

Are you asking if there is something wrong with electronic readings vs. books? Why would there be?

No there is nothing wrong with using electronic books. Just wondering if anyone was crazy like me and thought about the issue lol.

 

[andy4d]

I have the same thoughts. Luckily we have a youngish priest and a seminarian on an extended placement, who both use a kindle for prayers as well. I got a few funny looks at first, but when I told a couple of people what i was doing, after adoration of course, they understood. I kind of prefer my tablet to books in some ways but it’ll never completely replace a good book though.

 

[DJJG]

I use " The Word Among Us" on my Kindle, for Sunday and weekday masses. It is much better than most missalettes; it contains the Gloria and Creed on Sundays and Holy days and the mass propers every day. Plus it has quite a few extras.

 

[KCT]

I use both.

Once, the priest was following Daily Mass readings on his phone. My mom thought he was texting.

 

[AugustineFL]

I prefer the physical books for praying the LotH, but I use the internet for most of the hours simply because that is what I have at hand. When I’m at home I almost always use the physical book.

Neither is better, in my opinion; but the bound codex seems more fitting for prayer for some reason to me, even though I use the electronic form more often. I think it is that I can picture centuries of people praying from printed or hand written books and feel more in touch with the Church through time when praying from a page. It’s the same reason I like to use a little Latin here and there; to use the same exact words in the same language that centuries of western Christians used.