A generation ago, Catholics were told that the more perfect way to participate in the liturgy was to follow along with the priest in their missals. It was avant-garde to read the prayers of the Mass silently, in translation. It was even better to respond to the priest, aloud in Latin. All this was made possible through the convenience of the vernacular missals that were once very popular. Now, these same people are being told that the use of the missalette is backward, retrogressive, and not in keeping with the spirit of the renewed liturgy.
Many people are confused.
The truth is that the missalette itself may not be the problem. It is the inappropriate use of the missalette that causes the difficulty. The missalette was never intended to become an impediment to active participation in the liturgy. Missalettes are not published to inhibit participation. Missalettes are not published to get people to rivet their attention on the printed page.