Question on iPhones during Mass

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Definitely not all churches will have missals with Sunday readings in them. As explained above, it’s a budget thing, what can the parish afford. I have attended Mass at least 50 or 60 parishes around the country around the country and have found on occasion that even parishes in really nice neighborhoods may still not spend the money. But I like being able to read along. So the phone is always in silent mode at Mass, I just bring it out and use the Laudate application to get the readings. Sometimes I get funny looks. Hey, I want the readings in front of me!
 
Also:

“Scripture is fundamentally oral and aural. It is spoken and heard. The lector proclaims it, the assembly listens. This is the mechanism which brings the Word of God to life… The assembly must listen and not follow along in their books (unless hearing-impaired). If the Missalettes are used by the Assembly, people should put the them down and listen attentively during the readings so that this essential dynamic of speaking and hearing can occur.”
http://images.acswebnetworks.com/1/1420/EffLector.pdf
 
Pretty soon we’ll have a thread: “Is it acceptable to follow along with the readings in a missalette?” 🤣
 
Oh, I see!
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First, Second and Gospel Readings Liturgy and Sacraments
Hello, I found out today that when its time for the readings, one is to listen and look to the pulpit, instead of reading or following along in the missal. Is it wrong to follow along and is it wrong when the Gospel is being read, the hold the missal and read along with the Deacon or the priest instead of looking at him the whole time? I have always read along but if I’m in the wrong I would like to correct myself. thanks!
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Loud-living-dogma said:
Oh I see!
First, Second and Gospel Readings
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Actually that link made me think of something.

Earlier in this thread there was a suggestion that parishes print the words of the readings in the parish bulletins. That might work in some places but not in the United States. The readings here are under copyright protection and even parishes are going to need express permission to print them. My guess is that such permission would not be given on a weekly basis.
 
There is nothing the Holy Father says in article you linked which contradicts my post.
On one hand we are told that the translation are to be done with dynamic equivilance so it is easy to understand, ie listening is important. On the other hand we are given lectors who are trained to put too much emotion, speak too slow and it makes it imoosdible to follow because our mind is not used to listening that way.
The Holy Father stresses listening. I can go on a road trip and listen to an sudiin book for hours. A typical lector gets up and reads an I have to strain to stay focused because of how they are trained. I realize I am in the minority on this view, but I know I am right. Most priests and deacons get it right when reading the Gospels. Why are our lectors trained to do it differently than the clergy?
 
Why is an iPad okay and not a phone? One is just a larger version of the other. And a phone, being smaller is more discreet.

And you keep saying most parishes have missals available, that is most definitely not my experience. Of the 5 parishes around me I go to for daily mass, only one has weekday missals with readings.
 
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Readings from the Bible are under copyright protection?

Say it ain’t so!
 
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A pad is larger and obviously not a phone. The OP and I don’t agree on several points.

The OP says it is easier to use a phone than a missal - not flipping through as many pages. I disagree as I actually, in my old age, have a phone and have missals at church; I get two pages of material at a time in far larger type than a phone and there is generally (except for “flipping pages” between the entrance and the readings, and the readings and the Eucharistic Prayers - all of 2 times “flipping”).

To get the type as large on the phone one loses text and is required to scroll (which is not that far from flipping, and will amount to a whole lot more scrolling than flipping in a missal). Even at the normal size of text on a phone, there is less material than in the two pages of a missal (e.g. readings). In short, the phone requires significantly more manipulation than a book. So I don’t agree at all on that point.

The phone is an issue with children and their parents; the OP is not setting a good example.

It is the OP’s personal wish to use the phone, I suggest the issue is far less about the phone, and far more about the general attitude of Millennials, on down in age, that electronics are the “must go to”. They are not. Phones constitute an unnecessary distraction along with the attendant apps in general. The OP is going to give the impression to some around them that the phone is being used for something other than paying attention to Mass. There is no need to give that distraction; and as at least one parent has pointed out, younger people than the OP are easily set off on the path of distraction, a point the parent is trying to deal with.

There have been a whole lot of excuses as to why the phone is okay; I flat disagree.
 
otjm said:
The phone is an issue with children and their parents; the OP is not setting a good example
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When I attend daily mass, there are not many children there. The ones who are, I am not in the least concerned about setting a bad example. Kids can tell if someone is using a phone as a simple reading device or are using it to text, game, browse the net, etc. They know that instinctively, you might not. They do
 
tafan2 said:
There is nothing the Holy Father says in article you linked which contradicts my post.
On one hand we are told that the translation are to be done with dynamic equivilance so it is easy to understand, ie listening is important. On the other hand we are given lectors who are trained to put too much emotion, speak too slow and it makes it imoosdible to follow because our mind is not used to listening that way.
The Holy Father stresses listening. I can go on a road trip and listen to an sudiin book for hours. A typical lector gets up and reads an I have to strain to stay focused because of how they are trained. I realize I am in the minority on this view, but I know I am right. Most priests and deacons get it right when reading the Gospels. Why are our lectors trained to do it differently than the clergy?
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Maybe it’s just your parish or diocese.

The best lectors where I live proclaims Holy Scripture in the same manner of the best priests and deacons: clearly with good intonation, expressing latent emotions that words and phrases have, but not over doing it. They speak in a moderate pace: not fast, but not too slow either.
 
Lifeisbeautiful3 said:
Readings from the Bible are under copyright protection?

Say it ain’t so!
Click to expand...
The Lectionary used in the USA contains scriptures that are most definitely under copyright protection. That is done partly for the monetary benefit but also to limit the possibilities for the text being reproduced incorrectly. It’s generally OK to reproduce a verse or two but when it comes to reproducing entire Epistle or Gospel readings you are supposed to follow very specific procedures.

A parish that wants to regularly have the scriptures available to the congregation is probably going to have to buy missals/missalettes. I don’t know if you can buy a license to print readings off of the the USCCB website. Probably not, because of the way the copyrights are held.
 
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Cor_ad_Cor said:
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phil19034:
Why can’t our Parishes fill our pews with missals (and ideally permanent ones)?
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These aren’t cheap. Some parishes wouldn’t get them without a substantial donation or fund drive*. Then there’s the issue of storage space… not all pews have book racks in the back/underneath. Then, consider the additional maintenance and updating costs - things do change (slowly, but they do).

One of the two parishes where I go has about 20 subscription copies of the disposable seasonal missalettes at the entrances for the 750-800 in attendance because that’s what they’ve determined is reasonable for the budget.

*Consider GIA’s Worship IV which is somewhat standard around here. Pew copy with readings is $16.50 plus shipping. By the time you supply the seating capacity of the church (let’s say 900), that’s more than $15,000. That’s about a third of a staff position for an average parish in the Midwest. Not too much if everyone chipped in or bought their own, but considering we’re pulling teeth to get people to drop $2-5 in the collection… (and this book is Sunday readings only).
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Your argument isn’t very compelling

This can be financed and you don’t have to do them all in one year.

http://www.giamusic.com/sacred_music/hymnals_financing.cfm
 
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Allegra said:
You think that because some other guy uses a missal on his phone, then you have to too? Do you feel this way about people who bring their own paper missals too? There’s any number of reason people might want to use the Missal app. If you don’t want to, you do’t have to.
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Straw man.

I have no problem when people bringing their own missals (books / booklets)

I simply don’t think it’s a good idea to directly or indirectly encourage the use a smartphone for mass.

If a Parish can’t afford to buy missals, then they should promote and encourage people to buy their own… either a permanent 3 year missal or a monthly or annual subscription.

NOW - once again, I’m NOT saying that Father should get up there and say no one is allowed to use a smartphone as a missal. However, if the parish doesn’t supply them, then the parish should do everything possible to encourage people to buy their own and make that easy for them.
 
phil19034 said:
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Cor_ad_Cor:
40.png
phil19034:
Why can’t our Parishes fill our pews with missals (and ideally permanent ones)?
Click to expand...
These aren’t cheap. Some parishes wouldn’t get them without a substantial donation or fund drive*. Then there’s the issue of storage space… not all pews have book racks in the back/underneath. Then, consider the additional maintenance and updating costs - things do change (slowly, but they do).

One of the two parishes where I go has about 20 subscription copies of the disposable seasonal missalettes at the entrances for the 750-800 in attendance because that’s what they’ve determined is reasonable for the budget.

*Consider GIA’s Worship IV which is somewhat standard around here. Pew copy with readings is $16.50 plus shipping. By the time you supply the seating capacity of the church (let’s say 900), that’s more than $15,000. That’s about a third of a staff position for an average parish in the Midwest. Not too much if everyone chipped in or bought their own, but considering we’re pulling teeth to get people to drop $2-5 in the collection… (and this book is Sunday readings only).
Click to expand...
Your argument isn’t very compelling

This can be financed and you don’t have to do them all in one year.

Sacred Music | Hymnals, CDs, Choral Music, Liturgical Music - GIA Publications, Inc.
Click to expand...
But why even consider financing the hymnal books, when one can now download GIA’s hymnal app to their iPad or Android device!

GIA Publications - hymnals application

www.giamusic.com www.giamusic.com

😃
 
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