Me & My Iphone, Updated: A Moment of Grace Thanks to Technology

There is a lot of chatter lately about how the Vatican has approved priests to use an iPad to use an iPad to say Mass.

Cay has a great post about this, terrifically named, "The Weight of an Ipad," a rift on the The Weight of a Mass book.

I have to say, that I don't think it is appropriate to use an iPhone at Mass.   I think people multi-task too much on their mobile devices to make it worthwhile.  I don't really have a problem with priests using an iPad to say Mass, because it's rarely the priest whose mind wanders at Mass, but those of us in the congregation.

I would not consider an iPhone in Mass, for two reasons: one, I don't want people to think that I am checking Facebook, the New York Times, the Weather Channel, or playing Bejeweled Blitz (some of my other heavily used apps), and second, I don't want to be tempted to check Facebook, the NY Times, the Weather Channel or play Bejeweled Blitz.  One doesn't need to read along with the Mass readings to participate in Mass, so it's not really necessary in any way.

However, as I've written before, one of my most-used "apps" on my iPhone is Universalis, which has the Liturgy of the Hours, Mass readings and other information, for each day.  I consider it indispensable.  Several weeks back, my husband and I were out to dinner with a visiting priest, and I found it difficult to make my case that I could actually pray with my iPhone.  Yes, it's better to be able to pray with a prayer book or Scripture itself, but why can you not pray as well with an electronic device?

I have used Universalis on occasion during some quiet prayer time in a mostly empty church.  And this past week I discovered the Divine Mercy Chaplet App and downloaded it.  You can actually click on the beads as you say the prayers.  But I hadn't had the chance to use it yet.

Yesterday, my oldest daughter and I bicycled up to our parish for confession time.  After a few minutes in line, (we were the only ones in line at that point), I remembered that I had promised to say a Divine Mercy Chaplet for a friend's intention.  Then I noticed my daughter seemed a little nervous, remembered I had my phone with me, and opened up the App.  (Many people, myself among them, help distract the inevitable pre-confession nerves with saying a decade of the rosary or some other calming prayer, but I hadn't remembered telling her about this.)  So I showed her how it worked, and together we prayed through the beginning couple of "decades" (are they called that in the chaplet?) before it was her time.  There were a few people starting to come in for Saturday night Mass, and I had a moment, what if they think I'm showing her some fun website or game?  But I had to assume those people would not automatically think the worst of me.

So for the two of us, a moment of grace made possible by technology.

A Biologist's Mother's Day Song, for Father's Day

I just found this extremely funny.  I'm still grateful for the contribution of dads, of course, and so grateful for my dear husband on this Father's Day.  But who knew moms give slightly more than half?

How a 15K Leaves Me Laughing....

I finished the Steamboat Classic, a local 15K race today.  The question I'm wondering, even now, hours after the race, is why do I feel better--in everyway-- after running long distances than before?  I started the race kind of tired, and finished strong (more about that) and then couldn't stop smiling. There must be something about those endorphins.

It was a funny race, so I had many opportunities to laugh and smile.  There was a much bigger 4-mile race that started the same time and course as the 15 K for the first 2 miles.  

 The 4-mile was pretty much flat, and the 15K had a brutal hill portion through Glen Oak Park.  I don't like hills and hills don't like me. I usually silently pray a Rosary and a Divine Mercy Chaplet to start off longer runs (and races, though this is only my second long race this year), and I was just finishing up the Fatima prayer for one of the decades while heading up the first hill, and heard myself in my head saying, "save us from the fire of hills" and then laughing out loud.  Strange looks from the runners around me.

During the Glen Oak Park portion--two loops of the same hills and flats-- I walked through the gatorade station to rehydrate and rest a little.  On my second time through, I asked one of the gatorade distributor volunteers (what are they called?) to take a snap with my iPhone.  I asked him to be sure he got my headband since my 9-year-old made it by sewing on little silk flowers to one side of it.  He said, "Don't you want me in the photo, too?"  because this station was manned almost entirely by beefy high school boys--perhaps a football team.  Probably not the best idea to ask them for help.  No, Mr. High School Boy, I don't want you in my photo!   But thanks for making me smile again.

May I clarify that I am NOT holding a beer cup here.  Why, you might be thinking, would I need to clarify that?  Because on the front of the race bibs are two "beer ticket" tickets.  When I attached it to my shirt that morning I was thinking, "Beer ticket?  Why is it not a Starbucks ticket? Cause that and a lot of fruit is what I'm going to want after this race."  I assumed the beer tickets was to get runners to come back for the Steamboat Festival going on all weekend, and offering a couple of free beers might help them come back later.

But no!  After the race, as I was milling around looking for water and fruit, people are drinking beer! At 9 a.m. in the morning.   And keep in mind probably about 70 percent of the people had finished before 8 a.m., since they were doing the 4-mile.  Yikes!  I told a friend I ran into there that I want a beer tonight, not 9 a.m.  Hmm.  Fortunately, there was still a little fruit left and water of course.  

The course was very hot but very shady because it went through older downtown neighborhoods that were once grand but now a bit faded.  I was grateful for the shade.   On the last mile the course passed our local Cathedral.  It was beautiful to see it while running past:

Finishing the race was also funny.  Other than a little walking on some of the hills, I kept a fairly steady pace.  For the last 3 miles of the race, however, several runners around me kept passing me and then walking or slowing down so I would pass them.  And I kept thinking, I'm pretty sure I'm not varying my pace here, especially since I'm not walking.  There was one 20something girl, very cute, who kept passing me and then having to walk.  She was probably thinking, I can't believe I can't run faster than a gray haired lady (Remember, though, I'm going for the "cute LL Bean/Lands End gray-haired model" look, not "your grandmother" look.  Perhaps she was confused).  I wanted to say, honey, I've been there, but don't worry, you're running and that's fantastic!  Do not compare yourself to the people around you.   I remember when I was about 19 or 20, on a family vacation on Martha's Vineyard, and while runnig one afternoon being passed by a man way older than my dad (who was in his 50s at the time).  I was so sad and told all my sisters when I got back, and they happily laughed at me, but my mom said, "Oh honey, at least you were running."

Anyway, we were nearing the finish, and the 20-year-old girl was passing me and falling back, etc., I was coming up on an older man.

I remember this vey funny article from Runner's World magazine about a runner blowing past an older man at a race finish, and the embarrassment that ensued, I thought, that won't be me.  But I really felt about 100 meters from the finish that I could sprint (for me).  So I kind of started but then held back, and the announcer (who was announcing all our names as we passed near the finish), said, "Go for it! You can go faster!" And I thought, oh, what the heck.  So I did it, and I finished ahead of both the older man and the 20 year old.  Not that I'm keeping score or anything.  Then there was the beer, and more laughing and smiling.  I still have my beer tickets, by the way.

I finished in I think about 1:57, which puts me at well under 13 minute mile pace.  Yay me!  To me, slow, slow runner, I am amazed and awed, because of the hills and the heat.  I think the crowd helped me to run faster and I so enjoyed it.   I had thought I would come in about 2:10, perhaps later; the course was open for

I would really like to do more long races, because it gives me such a boost.

Venerable Matt Talbot | Saint of the Day | AmericanCatholic.org

Venerable Matt Talbot | Saint of the Day | AmericanCatholic.org

I get the saint of the day email from this site, and was pleased to see Matt Talbot listed for today.  What an inspiring man!  I look forward to the day when he is beatified.  Truly, he is a saint for our times and so many, many people.  Even for those who do not struggle with addiction, the message to take life "one day at a time" is so important and healing.

David Mitchell Writes - Dear America...

I had to share this.  There is not a day when I don't need  great laugh, and fortunately I did have this one, today.