Would you like to be a Lector ?

“...and entering the synagogue on the Sabbath as he was in the habit of doing, he stood up to do the reading...”  (Lk 4:16-17)

As in so many ways in our lives, Jesus is the role model for those members of our community who exercise the Ministry of Lector or Reader. The Ministry of Lector for liturgical assemblies has its roots in the earliest days of the church and as you can see from the above quote from St. Luke’s Gospel, the ministry certainly predates the Christian Era.

Early Christian liturgies always included some readings from the Old Testament (The Torah) and the retelling of incidents in the life of Christ, i.e. the New Testament Gospels. Generally a member of the local Christian community would act as the reader and then the Presider would teach the assembly how those readings ought to apply to their daily lives.

Eventually, the Ministry of Lector became formalized and only those men who were preparing for ordination to the priesthood could exercise this ministry. It was one of several minor orders which the person received  prior to ordination to the deaconate and the priesthood.

With the advent of the Second Vatican Council, many changes were made in the celebration of the liturgy so that the worshipping community could take a more active role in the Mass. One of those changes was the institution of the Lay Office of Lector. We read the following from one of the councilor documents: “...lectors exercise a genuine liturgical ministry. They ought therefore, to discharge their office with sincere piety and decorum demanded by so exalted a ministry and rightly expected of them by God’s people... they must be deeply penetrated with the spirit of the liturgy...and must be trained to exercise that function in a correct and orderly manner. (Sacrosanctum Concilium)

As you can see, being a lector is not just a matter of reading from a book at mass. Lectors must be properly disposed to their ministry and understand the importance of proclaiming God’s Word to their brothers and sisters with understanding and reverence. With Jesus as their role model, it  should be easy for them to participate in liturgical assemblies with the same love and devotion that Christ certainly exhibited when he read in the synagogue.

Because the Minister of the Word is a special ministry in the Church, the person who wishes to be a lector must be a baptized and confirmed Catholic and if married, living in a valid marriage. They should have a deep reverence for Sacred Scripture. And of course, they should be confident in their public speaking ability so that when they exercise their ministry, the Word rings loud and clear to the members of the community who are listening.

If you are interested in becoming a lector and have that special love for Sacred Scripture, please contact either our pastor, Father Hutchins or Deacon Joe Iannucci. Being a lector is a very special ministry and it is a wonderful way to participate at mass and so serve your community.