“The Lord has
given me a well trained
tongue, that I may speak to the weary a word that will rouse
them”. (Isaiah 50:4) Ministers of the
Word are referred to as ‘proclaimers’ to emphasize that there is
more to the ministry than simply reading the scriptures aloud to the
liturgical congregation. We know that God’s word is special so we
want to share the special skill that this ministry deserves.
When an individual answers the call to be a Minister of the Word,
they enter a deeper relationship with the word of God as revealed in
sacred scripture. They take upon themselves the duty and
privilege of bringing the printed word to life – making it flesh, so to
speak. This ministry, as a lector or proclaimer, gives voice to God’s
healing and strengthening word as it goes forth irrevocably to the ends
of the earth, achieving the purpose for which God sent it.
The Minister
of the Word proclaims the first and second readings at a Sunday
Mass. They also lead the “prayers of the Faithful”. The Minister of the Word
may, when a Cantor is not present, read the Responsorial Psalm.
The Minister
of the Word must have an ability to read well and the desire to
prayerfully prepare the readings during the week prior to the
Mass. The parish provides workbooks to assist with the
preparation (such as word pronunciation). The Minister of the Word
should be dressed appropriately and arrive 10 minutes prior to Mass to
mark the Lectionary and to review the readings and “prayers of the
faithful”.
The Minister
of the Word also meets in the Sacristy prior to Mass to
participate in prayers prior to the procession. The Minister of the Word
enters with the procession and if the Deacon is not present, the Minister of the Word
carries the Gospel and places it on the Altar.
Expectations for
Ministers of the Word Come when scheduled. This is by
far the most important thing. If you are unavailable for your
scheduled time, call another of your fellow Lectors and ask them to
take your schedule. Remember if you do it for them, they will
also do it for you. Call to make
arrangements with someone else, just as SOON AS YOU KNOW you cannot
make your time. If an emergency crops up just before Mass
starts, please call either the parish hall or the rectory and attempt
to let someone know.
Be prepared. The Lectors schedule is placed on the Web Site one
month in advance. Take a look at the schedule. If you know
in advance that you have swapped your time with someone else, please
let the Secretary or the Cantor know so that they can change the
announcement during the greeting at each Mass.
Please try to arrive at Mass at least 10 minutes early. The
Lectors should meet with the other Ministers in the sacristy for
prayers prior to the procession.
Following the procession, remember to sit in the sanctuary until after
the Prayers of the Faithful. You may then join your family but
please have them sit very close to the front of the church so that you
may be a part of the recession with very little disruption.
While we greatly appreciate your willingness to serve your parish as a
Lectors, you must under-stand the pressure it placed on others involved
in the Mass if you do not show up or arrive at the last minute.
Last minute substitutes cannot adequately prepare, and this detracts
from the quality of our Mass.
Guidelines for
Ministers of the Word Remember that this is the Word of
God. Your job is not just to read the words written in the
Lectionary; you must proclaim them so that the people in the
congregation are inspired to go out and live the Word. Don’t be
afraid to inflect your voice to convey emotion or tone.
Be prepared. The Minister of the Word schedule is placed on the
Web Site at least one month in advance. Begin preparing the
readings several days before you are scheduled to be a Minister of the
Word. Think about what message the readings are trying to convey.
What parts seem confusing? If it is hard for you to understand
right away when you are reading it, it will be even harder for someone
hearing it for the first time to understand. As you read it
aloud, remember awkward phrases and sentences. Practice reading
them slowly and distinctly, with appropriate inflections. A copy
of the Lector Workbook of the Readings can be found in the
sacristy. This can be helpful in determining the proper tone and
in identifying key words to emphasize. It also help with the
phonetic pronunciation of difficult words that may be found in the
readings.
When you practice, go very slowly. You will speed up when you get
nervous, so really pace yourself when you practice. Practice so
much that you can remember most of it. You’re not suppose to
memorize it per se, but you should be familiar enough with the text so
that you feel comfortable looking out at the congregation
periodically. If you have a tape recorder, tape record yourself
and listen to the tape. What sounded jumbled? What was too
fast? Do you need more inflection? If you do not have a
tape recorder, practice in front of someone and have them critique your
readings.
This may sound like a lot of work but the amount of effort you put into
the readings will be evident to the congregation.
Please try to arrive at Mass at least 10 minutes before Mass begins and
meet in the sacristy for prayers prior to the procession Father will
let you know in the sacristy if you are to carry the Book of the
Gospels in the process. The Minister of the Word sits in the
sanctuary from the procession through the Prayers of the Faithful.
The Minister of the Word is always a part of the procession. If
the deacon is not present, the Minister of the Word will carry the Book
of the Gospels during the procession and place it on the altar.
If the deacon is present, the Minister of the Word will not carry the
Book but will still be a part of the procession.
Following Mass, the Minister of the Word is part of the
recession. You should join Father and the altar servers to bow
before the altar and then become part of the recession from the church.
Readings for the
Month Click on the following link to connect
you to the web site that includes the readings for the month: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
