Monday 12 October 2009

Technology

Celebrating High Mass at Arundel Cathedral yesterday, I was surprised by a Salve Regina at the end of Mass, for which nobody had the text for the collect. But then I remembered; pulling up my alb, I rummaged in my cassock pocket and drew out my iPhone. As the Salve was progressing, I dialled up the excellent Divinum Officium website (of which more about some other time) and found Compline, then the Salve, then the collect. Just in time. And over the stifled chortles of deacon and subdeacon, the collect was delivered just as it should be.

10 comments:

Fr Ray Blake said...

Technotrad!

Anonymous said...

LOL! I didn't notice anything!

gemoftheocean said...

:-D I guess having your back to the congregation can have certain advantages.

Not too long ago, I'd forgotten to pack my missal in my computer bag, as per usual, and I was going to Mass that evening. I wasn't too worried about the ordinary of the Mass, but I did come up with a new way to follow the propers.

Annie said...

ROFL!

Idle Rambler said...

Oh, this struck a chord with me too. We were in Prague recently (just before the Holy Father's visit)and attended Mass near our hotel. Naturally the Mass was in the Czech language and when it came to the Liturgy of the Word I was sorely tempted to surreptitiously take out my iPod and remind myself of the readings in English courtesy of iMissal.

pelerin said...

A great story! and yet another reason for ad orientem worship. I do like Fr Ray's new term of 'Technotrad.'

K. Kimtis said...

This post is circulating my seminary - sub rosa (of course) - and we LOVE it!

I can just imagine myself doing the same...

Vernon said...

Excellent use of technology in the service of the Lord - but it does rather presuppose that the church is equipped with Wi-Fi.

I can just see all those bored kids at a N.O. 'yoof' Mass playing interactive games on their iPods instead of attending to the Mass!

Pastor in Monte said...

Actually, Vernon, no. There was no wi-fi at the cathedral (that I could use, anyway). iPhones can use a mobile phone signal to access the Internet if necessary. And children have been using electronic games for years at Mass.

Father Cory Sticha said...

Divinum Officium is great, but there's also Officium Divinum. OD focuses on the 1962 Breviary exclusively, making it easier to use for those of us who are following the provisions of Summorum Pontificum. Only down side is that he hasn't added Matins yet, but Divinum Officium works well for that Office.