A few times each year priests of the regions of the Christchurch diocese meet to reflect, discuss and pray together. These regional meetings hear from and report to the Council of Priests of the diocese. The company is always good as it was this afternoon when the priests of the northern region (which includes the Hurunui where I serve) met.

With our commitment at ordination to pray the Prayer of the Church (the Divine Office), priests begin their meetings praying the appropriate Hour of the day. Today our meeting began at 1.30 so we prayed the afternoon hour.

But you would have laughed  as we all did the moment we reached for our breviaries to begin the prayer.

Normally when the prayer is announced we each reach for the appropriate volume of our well-worn breviaries. (Today in the heart of the Easter season we use the Lent  / Easter volume).

But the laughter came today when instead of reaching for our books, we all (from the most recently ordained Chris to one of the oldest active priests 85 year old Jack) reached for smartphones with their “breviary apps.”

I knew you wouldn’t believe me – so I took a photo: