On taking Bible to the Church.

On taking Bible to the Church.
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It is a very good practice to take the Bible with us when we go for  Holy Mass.

But we must remember one thing : participating in the Mass  must be our primary duty, all the  other things,  including keeping the Bible open and reading it, are secondary in importance.

By participation I mean offering  Mass together with the Celebrant.

We are not spectators, but participants; as such our eyes and hearts must be on the  altar together with the priest.

We must listen to the words that come from the altar, with our eyes on it,  not look  at the  Bible in our hands.

You may ask 'what is wrong with our reading the Bible together with the priest'.

Nothing wrong.

But while listening our whole  concentration is on what we hear, but while reading it is divided between our  eyes and ears.

Some people spend more time for searching for the page to be read than to reading itself.

During Mass our eyes must be  on the altar, the celebrant and on  what he is doing.

Our main concern must be offering our Lord to  our Heavenly Father as a sacrifice as amendment for our sins.

Our attention must not be diverted by any other thing even though it may be good in itself.

We must attentively listen to the words of the celebrant that come in the form of  Mass readings,  sermon,  offering prayers  and instructions to the faithful.

My experience as a social science teacher has taught me this lesson: My words won't enter the ears of the students when their eyes are on their  books.

So before beginning my  lesson I would say,  "Keep your books closed.  Look at  me. Both your eyes and ears must be on me, nowhere else."

I used to keep watching their eyes while teaching to see if they keep my words.

If I allow  them to keep their books open they would leave their ears disconnected from my spoken  words.

Bible reading and meditating on what is read is a very good and pious thing.

During Mass we must listen to what is read in a meditative mood.

We have plenty of time  outside Mass to  read it ourselves opening the book.

During Mass our only duty is offering the sacrifice united with the celebrant.

Lourdu Selvam.