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“Always…Christ is Present in his Word”
(LM, 4)
In proclaiming the word
of God, readers exercise their responsibility in mediating the presence of
Christ. God speaks to the assembly through the readers of the Mass.
Their reverence toward the sacred Scriptures is important because the Church
sees an intimate link between “ the table of God’s word” and “the table of
the Eucharist.” From the one, the divine covenant is announced and the
Church grows in wisdom; from the other, the covenant is renewed and the
Church grows in holiness (LM, 10).
Those who proclaim God’s
word in the liturgy are ministers. When you answer the call to be a
minister of the word, you enter a deeper relationship with God revealed in
Scripture. A reader has the awesome duty and privilege of bring the
printed word to life, making it flesh. Your proclamation enables God’s
word to achieve the purpose for which it was sent. In short, you
become a prophet, one who speaks for God. John the Baptist is your
model, preparing the way of the Lord, making crooked ways straight, and
rough places smooth. Finally you join yourself to the Jewish tradition
which sees prayerful study of God’s word as the worthiest of all endeavors.
And as a Christian you believe that God’s words find their fullest
expression in that one perfect Word – Jesus, the word made flesh.
The Proclaimer
The reader proclaims God’s word to the assembly from the
ambo, the table of the word. Although the ministry is a simple one,
that does not mean it is easy to do well or requires little energy or
effort. The task itself is quite challenging. Not everyone is
equal to it. The reader’s proclamation determines whether his or her
service will help or hinder the hearers of God’s word. Those who take
on the the ministry of reader are presumed to be confirmed Catholics in good
standing with the Church, registered members of the Cathedral parish, of
good faith, eager to serve and willing to engage in on-going formation.
It is not presumed that they are particularly holy, exceptionally gifted, or
highly skilled orators. Basic abilities, however, are required.
The ministry of reader is
a charism for the building up of the faith community. It requires
certain abilities such as an adequate vocal instrument, confidence,
maturity, poise, and sensitivity to the diversity within the assembly.
Such qualities can be enhanced in a formation program, but should already be
present to a certain degree in the potential reader. Like all
ministries in the Church, the proclamation of the word is an awesome
responsibility to which one is called and into which one is formed.
Fifteen hundred years ago St. Benedict wrote in his Rule: “They
should not presume to read who by mere chance take up the book...Only those
who are to discharge these duties who can do so to the edification of the
hearers.
The Proclaimer’s Book
The lectionary (from the
Latin lectio meaning “reading” or “lesson”) is a collection of Bible
texts arranged for proclamation according to the Church’s liturgical
calendar. The proclaimer has a reverence for this holy book as the
medium through which God’s word is lavished upon the assembly. The
most obvious feature of the lectionary is its organization of readings
within the liturgical seasons. There is a three year cycle (A, B, C)
of readings for Sundays that begins with the season of Advent. The
first Sunday of Advent always begins a new liturgical year. The
weekday readings are set up on a two-year cycle (Year I and II). The
odd years are Year I and the even years are Year II. No reading is
ever isolated from the others at a given celebration. Each is
carefully chosen for its relevance to a particular season, its relationship
to the other readings at the same liturgy, or its appropriateness for a
particular solemnity or feast day.
The Hearer of the Word
Hearers of
the word should prepare as well. It is helpful if the Sunday readings
are first read at home from your Catholic bible. The parish bulletin
or the Cathedral web site always lists the readings for the upcoming
Sundays. When the faithful come to the liturgy with a sense of how the
readings unfold then the readings and homily can engage them more fully as
participants.
Both the proclaimer of
the word and the hearer of the word are constantly sending signals.
The difference in the two is the proclaimer is sending verbal signals,
whereas the hearer is sending non-verbal signals. The effective
proclaimer must remain alert to this feedback. Readers must be aware
of how the hearers are responding. Are they attentive? Are they
nodding off? Are they distracted? Are they searching for the
printed text of what they can not hear?
The Proclaimer’s Tools
Aside from
the readings in the lectionary, the first section of the lectionary is
called the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass. The Lectionary for
Mass; Introduction is a valuable liturgical document first appearing in 1970
after the Second Vatican Council, revised in 1981 and again most
recently in 1994. The Introduction is a tool that allows the reader to
study the how and why of proclaiming the word. Other valuable tools
are the Reader’s Guide to Pronunciation and the Workbook for Readers.
If you are interested in
sharing your gifts of time and talent in the Ministry of Reader please
contact Paulette Purvis
in the parish office at 347-9702 for more information
Christ is Present in the Word
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