Lectors

The Lector in most cases in parish life is an Extraordinary Minister who fulfills the duties ordinarily held by Instituted Lectors. The lector is instituted to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture, with the exception of the Gospel. He may also announce the intentions for the Universal Prayer and, in the absence of a psalmist, recite the Psalm between the readings

The Church requires that those laypersons who assume this responsibility “are truly suited to carrying out this function and carefully prepared, so that by their hearing the readings from the sacred texts the faithful may conceive in their hearts a sweet and living affection for Sacred Scripture." (cf. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 99-101)

It is essential that a Lector be prepared for the proclamation of the readings at Mass or other liturgies of the parish. As such, it is advisable the the lector begin preparation well in advance of arriving at the church for Mass.

The Lector’s Workbook, available for each lector at the parish office, offers each reading for the Sundays of the liturgical year, a pronunciation guide for difficult and/or uncommon words, and occasionally reflections to aid the proclamation of the reading in front of a congregation.

It is always a good idea to check with the priest or deacon if there are any questions about inflection, pronunciation, or speed. He’s always happy to offer guidance.

The Lectionary is the book that contains the readings from the Bible that are used at the Celebration of The Mass and other liturgies.

To make sure the right readings are marked for the liturgy, consult the ordo to determine the day and week of the liturgical season or the feast, solemnity, memorial, votive or ritual. If there are several options, please check with the priest to determine which readings to use.

(Occasionally the priest may have certain readings he wishes to use for the homily, like the longer form or an optional text, and failure to prepare the proper readings may make for a disjointed homily!)
 

The Essential Role of Silence

The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favor meditation, and so any kind of haste such as hinders recollection is clearly to be avoided. In the course of it, brief periods of silence are also appropriate, accommodated to the assembled congregation; by means of these, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the First and
Second Reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the Homily.