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Why are Bibles not supplied for Mass?

Question:

Why are Bibles not supplied for Mass? In fact, at my parish, no printed copies of the readings are supplied. Why?

Answer:

Catholic parishes usually supply missalettes, which contain both the prayers for the Mass and the Scripture readings of the day. Bibles are not supplied for Mass because they are not usually used at Mass. Some parishes prefer that congregants listen only to the lector rather than silently reading along with the lector, and they encourage this by not providing missalettes. Still, providing a missalette makes available one more means by which the assembly can participate in the liturgy of the word specifically and in the Mass generally.

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