Priest Discourages Reading

[dcr]

As a re-vert from evangelicalism, I have so appreciated the Church calendar and daily readings at Mass. I just purchased a 3 year subscription to “Magnificat” and enjoy following along with the readers at daily Mass.

Tonight our priest said he doesn’t like publications like the “Magnificat” because the word of God is meant to be heard not read. He also sated that the Church discourages reading along at Mass. If this is true, I will not continue to bring the Magnificat because I want to be obedient to the Church. It would be sad however because I find that it is a great help to me. Does the Church have an official stand on this?

 

[Struggling]

That’s ridiculous. Go ahead and read.

 

[LilyM]

Do as I do - get the best of both worlds by reading the readings in Magnificat BEFORE you go to Mass. Then you’re free to listen, being obedient but still getting the benefits of reading the readings

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Hi dcr!

I thnk you bring up an interesting question (I sometimes read the readings during mass too. . .)

Here is something from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Committee on the Liturgy, on the subject:

nccbuscc.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.
I’m not sure if this would be considered dispositive, but it does certainly seem to coincide with your pastor.

And here is an explanation form the Congregation for Divine Worship commenting on the previous General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM. Note, there is a new 2003 GIRM, but this comment still seems applicable).

ourladyswarriors.org/liturgy/girmnote1975.htm

1. QUERY: Are hand missals still needed?

REPLY: Since reform of the liturgy the usefulness of hand missals for the faithful is often questioned. All now understand the words spoken at Mass; what is more, as far as the biblical readings are concerned, all ought to be listening attentively to the word of God.

The comment goes on to say that the missal readings should normally be used before or after the liturgy.

For reference, the current GIRM 29 states:

1. When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his own word, proclaims the Gospel.

Therefore, all must listen with reverence to the readings from God’s word. . .

What do you think?
God bless you,
VC

 

[Vox_Borealis]

As a re-vert from evangelicalism, I have so appreciated the Church calendar and daily readings at Mass. I just purchased a 3 year subscription to “Magnificat” and enjoy following along with the readers at daily Mass.

Tonight our priest said he doesn’t like publications like the “Magnificat” because the word of God is meant to be heard not read. He also sated that the Church discourages reading along at Mass. If this is true, I will not continue to bring the Magnificat because I want to be obedient to the Church. It would be sad however because I find that it is a great help to me. Does the Church have an official stand on this?

Sorry to disagree with Struggling, but your priest is essentially correct. From the GIRM:

1. When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his own word, proclaims the Gospel.

Therefore, all must listen with reverence to the readings from God’s word, for they make up an element of greatest importance in the Liturgy. Although in the readings from Sacred Scripture God’s word is addressed to all people of every era and is understandable to them, nevertheless, a fuller understanding and a greater effectiveness of the word is fostered by a living commentary on the word, that is, the homily, as part of the liturgical action.

And

1. After the Collect, all sit. The priest may, very briefly, introduce the faithful to the Liturgy of the Word. Then the lector goes to the ambo and, from the Lectionary already placed there before Mass, proclaims the first reading, to which all listen. At the end, the lector says the acclamation Verbum Domini (The word of the Lord), and all respond, Deo gratias (Thanks be to God).

Then, as appropriate, a few moments of silence may be observed so that all may meditate on what they have heard.

(Likewise for the second reading.)

While these directives do not necessarily preclude reading, the implication is that the Word is to be proclaimed, and that the faithful should listen to the Word. The best solution is to read ahead of time, either at home or in the minutes before mass, then listen to the readings during mass. I even try to listen to the psalm w/o having to look at the response. I find that listening without reading (looking up rather than down) opens up the liturgy to me in new ways.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

All of this is lumping everyone into one sort of class.

That is there are those who are visual learners, those who are auditory learners and those who are tactile learners.

I am one that learns best if I hear it and read it at the same time.

There is also the fact that some readers change the words that are in the Lectonary. So I read to be sure that I am getting the Word of God as written and also so that I get it fully as I have a hearing problem.

So I guess for me, reading is ok.

 

[Island_Oak]

How about those of us served by priests with such thick accents we wouldn’t know the gospel from the funny pages is we had to rely on listening alone? I’m beginning to wish we could have a text version of the homily!

 

[chicago]

We had a good discussion on this topic during the period from when threads disappearred.

There is something to be said for listening, but then the “readings” aren’t always particularly enticing as stories being told, either, in the way which they are put forth. No one who reads along in the missellete is ultimately failing to listen. They are just reinforcing what is being heard. There’s nothing wrong with that. Some people who prefer to focus on “hearing” the Word get a little radical about never reading along, though.

 

[gelsbern]

Trust in the Word of God to reach you by listening only. You will be amazed what will sink in.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

I always read along in the Missal. I find that I get more out of it be both hearing and reading the Word. And, as one other person has stated, some like to change the words in the readings so I want to have the correct words in front of me.

At my previous parish, the Missal did not have the actual readings so I would bring my own missal along.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

How about those of us served by priests with such thick accents we wouldn’t know the gospel from the funny pages is we had to rely on listening alone? I’m beginning to wish we could have a text version of the homily!

Not only this but there are readers who will read three words and then pause and then another three words and then pause and so on until the end.

Very annoying.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Trust in the Word of God to reach you by listening only. You will be amazed what will sink in.

This is a companion argument with those who say you can read and pray at the same time.

I find it hard to believe that people actually think that if you are reading the exact text that is being read that you are not listening.

You would be amazed at what will sink in if you read what is being read to you at the same time.

 

[hilde_the_dog]

I find it interesting that we should not follow the readings in a missal. At my parish church for dailey mass we have a box in back that contains the daily readings and reponsorial psalms in a small magazine. And at Sunday mass readers, like me, must read “the order for mass may be found at page one-one-eight (the priest does not want us to say one hundred and eightteen) in the ritual song book, let us all stand sing for the processional number …”. We are in essence encouraging the reading along.

 

[Cristiano]

As a re-vert from evangelicalism, I have so appreciated the Church calendar and daily readings at Mass. I just purchased a 3 year subscription to “Magnificat” and enjoy following along with the readers at daily Mass.

Tonight our priest said he doesn’t like publications like the “Magnificat” because the word of God is meant to be heard not read. He also sated that the Church discourages reading along at Mass. If this is true, I will not continue to bring the Magnificat because I want to be obedient to the Church. It would be sad however because I find that it is a great help to me. Does the Church have an official stand on this?

I thinks that he is discouraging the read along during Mass, I agree with that. The Magnificat is a wonderful publication, and I buy a children version for my son. In my mind what we shoud be doing is to read the Magnificat before Mass and have our own perception of what the scriptures are telling us. Then during Mass the priest/deacon will proclaim the Gospel, and at that point we will have an even better insight based on the proclamation. I like to listen to the proclamation because it is the Word of God and I think that it should be listened to and not read at that point in time. I realized that when I focus on just listening after having read the Gospel in advance, I have the best experience in letting the Word fill my soul and my mind.

 

[Cristiano]

How about those of us served by priests with such thick accents we wouldn’t know the gospel from the funny pages is we had to rely on listening alone? I’m beginning to wish we could have a text version of the homily!

The speaking in tongues is a divine gift. Just read the Gospel ahead and then let the proclaimed Word sink into your soul.

When it comes to the homiliy you are 100% on the spot. I wish that every parish would have it on line just after Mass. That could be a good source of mediation for the rest of the week, and as a reference when talking to the family and try to remember what father said. We have that privilege and we use it in our family.

 

[Damascus]

My priest is understanding of some who feel they need to read along. He makes no judgement of those who do.

I think he knows that its something he cant police anyway.

As far as speakers that are not understandable, I feel sorry for those that must endure that problem. For a short time our parish had a Priest that no one understood at all. Except the few who spoke his native tounge. It was very hard but after a while I was able to understand his accent I guess. Not everyone could though. He would say things though that sounded like other words that were- profanity but he was not swearing, it just sounded like he was due to the accent. Some of the kids would laugh at him and I felt bad for him.

 

[SMHW]

I think this is another case of what the ideal ought to be.

(Those living in the real world may occasionally need to adapt.)

In the best of worlds, everyone would have read the readings at home before hand, the people would have no hearing problems, the reader/lector/deacon/priest would clearly proclaim the Word, the readings would be in the native language of those in attendance, there would be no distractions or ‘dead sound’ spots, etc.

In other words, in most parishes, most people should be listening attentively. In some parishes, or in certain individual cases, it may be necessary for those in attendance to read in order to understand.

This also brings up another question/issue… Does the procaimed Word of God have real ‘power’ such that just listening to it *proclaimed *has the power to bring about change in the person hearing it in a way that cannot be achieved by studying it privately?

 

[rr1213]

All of this is lumping everyone into one sort of class.

That is there are those who are visual learners, those who are auditory learners and those who are tactile learners.

I am one that learns best if I hear it and read it at the same time.

There is also the fact that some readers change the words that are in the Lectonary. So I read to be sure that I am getting the Word of God as written and also so that I get it fully as I have a hearing problem.

So I guess for me, reading is ok.

I would agree. But are you being disobedient to legitimate authority if your parish priest tells you not to read?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Can someone explain to me why they think that one can not listen when they read along?

I find that I retain more if I read along while I listen.

 

[mommyof4]

I am one that learns best if I hear it and read it at the same time.

So I guess for me, reading is ok.

I’m the same way. I’ve tried just listening, but I don’t get as much out of if. I do way better in mass if I read along with the reader. I’m too ADD to depend on my “listening” skills.

No offence to the Bishops who came up with the “rules” for this, but I really don’t think they took into consideration the different learning styles of their congregations.