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Lectors Ministry
The proclamation of the Word of God is truly a ministry in the Church. Lectors, in taking the Word and proclaiming it to the assembly, are, in large measure, responsible for the extent to which the people of God grow in their faith. They are the medium through which the living Word of God is received and absorbed by the faithful. This ministry of the Word is practiced with the highest level of reverence and dignity.
Whenever possible, it is recommended that a person serve in the ministry of lector for three years. The purpose of this recommendation is to ensure that others will have a chance to enter into this ministry. At the same time, a time-limited term allows lectors the opportunity to serve in another liturgical ministry or to retire, if desired.
The actual reading of the Word of God is critical to the celebration of the Mass. God’s Word is, above all, proclaimed; that is, it is presented to the assembly with the power, conviction, interpretation and seriousness which the Word demands. For the liturgy of the Word to be truly effective, lectors must be well prepared, for their ministry. This preparation is threefold: spiritual, technical, and exegetical.
The focus of spiritual preparation is the acknowlegment of one’s role as a proclaimer of God’s Word, and involves prayer over the text and reflection on its message.
Technical preparation involves practicing delivery of the readings aloud, attending to matters of articulation, emphasis, inflection, pace, and mastering difficult words and pronunciations. In technical preparation, care is always taken that the manner of proclaiming is never in any way dramatic or theatrical, since this would draw attention to the one reading, and take away from the content of the Word being proclaimed.
Mary Malkasian
Lector Coordinator
St. Andrew Church
