“When it enters us, the Word transforms our hearts and minds; it changes us and leads us to direct our lives to the Lord…Here is Jesus’ invitation: God has come close to you; recognize His presence, make room for His Word, and you will change your outlook on life.”      (Pope Francis)

The Liturgy of the Word takes place after the Collect (Opening Prayer) of the Mass.  In it the Word of God is proclaimed, responded to, explained and accepted. In the readings the treasures of the Bible are opened to us. When we gather for the Mass, we hear our story – God’s story of His love for us – through Sacred Scriptures. The Scriptures reinforce what we believe, to whom we belong, and our relationship with God and with others. Hearing the Word proclaimed in the midst of the assembly is a communal experience. We listen together.  In the act of listening, we experience not only unity among themselves but also the presence of Christ speaking to us through the Word. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the scriptural writings, also enables the listener to hear the message that Christ has for each person. Of course, there is a difference between hearing and truly listening. The structure of the Word lends itself not just to hearing the Word of God, but to listening. To listen, we need an active, engaged mind and heart that is focused on the Word of God.

Proclamation of the word of God is truly a service to the Church. Readers bring the living word of God to the assembled faith community. When the Scriptures are read in the Church, God Himself speaks. The ministry of the Word, therefore, should be treated with great dignity.

Who Can Serve as a Minister of the Word?
According to the ancient tradition and the teaching of the Church, the proclamation of the readings apart from the Gospel is ministerial not presidential. Therefore, the readings are proclaimed by a lay minister and the Gospel by the Deacon, or in his absence, by a priest. Effective proclamation involves the delivery of the message with clarity, conviction and appropriate pace. The Word of God is not merely read, it is proclaimed. Proclamation ministry presupposes faith and rouses faith in those who hear the word proclaimed

What do I need to do in order to be a Lector?
Lectors require skill in public reading, knowledge for the principles of liturgy, and an understanding and love of the scriptures. Readers are baptized Christians whose lives witness to the Word in which they proclaim.

How to Prepare to Proclaim the Scriptures?
It is necessary that those who exercise the Ministry of Word, even if they have not received institution, be truly qualified and carefully prepared so that the faithful may develop a warm and living love for Scripture from listening to the sacred texts read. Preparation as a reader must be spiritual, scriptural, liturgical, and technical.

SPIRITUAL - Pray over the reading and ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight. Ask what God is saying to you through this reading. What are the implications of this reading for the local community? What are the implications for society at large? - Ask God to reveal which aspects of the reading to emphasize. Pray for the community who will hear you and ask for God’s help in your ministry.

SCRIPTURAL - The purpose of biblical formation is to give lectors the ability to understand the readings in context and to perceive by the light of faith the central point of the revealed message.  Spend time with the reading and read the Bible regularly. Never read publicly what you have not read privately. - Use a scriptural commentary to understand the context and help you discern the message for today.

LITURGICAL - The liturgical formation ought to equip the readers to have some grasp of the meaning and structure of the liturgy of the word and of the significance of its connection with the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The liturgy of the Word should make us hungry and thirsty for God, especially in the form of His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. - Hearing the scriptures prepares the assembly to take part in the transformation of the bread and wine of the Eucharist and to be transformed into the ecclesial Body of Christ.

Being heard!
The single most common complaint is not being able to hear or understand the reader. This may be because you are reading too fast or not projecting into the microphone. The microphone will amplify enough if you have it positioned properly. Try to position it directly in front of your chin. This way as you are reading your mouth will then be directly in front of the microphone.

The Word of the Lord
When the lector finishes a reading, and looks up at the congregation and says “The Word of the Lord,” something wonderful has happened. The mystery of God’s interaction with us has been recalled, revived and renewed. That is, we have once again heard God reveal the divine intention to love, redeem and reclaim us. The promise that God has made with us has been written on our hearts again. The unfathomable love God has for us, the love that God is for us, has been made flesh again.  The lector does what any good minister does: comforts us in our faith and encourages us in our discouragement. To proclaim the good news from the sacred text is ministry par excellence.

If you would like information on the Ministry of Lector, please contact [email protected]