God bless you for sharing your gifts and participating in the important Lector ministry! What you do and what God does in and through you is of immense importance! We hear in Sunday's Alleluia verse:
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
Others can only hear the voice of God at Mass if the ministry is proclaimed well. What does that mean? As written in the Lector Guidelines which Fr. Sorgie distributes to all lectors:
"Lectors should thoroughly prepare themselves to proclaim the Word of God through study, prayer, and practice."
How? What do we need to do?
Study
"Familiarity with the text, its role within the context of the whole of sacred scripture, and its relationship to the other readings for the day should be carefully considered."
Prayer
"The lector should set aside a time for prayer with the text to be proclaimed."
Practice
"As well, the proclamation of the readings should be practiced aloud prior to the celebration of Mass, and special attention should be paid to the pronunciation of difficult words or phrases."
To help in your ministry, a lector will be provided with a workbook containing all Sunday Mass Readings for the liturgical year. The workbook provides the opportunity to Study, Pray, and Practice.
One highly recommended website to use for Study is The Sunday Website of St. Louis University
Here you will find a wealth of information to study and inspiration with which to pray. Once you click on the Sunday's date you may choose one of five options:
- Praying Toward Sunday
- Spirituality of the Readings
- Get to Know the Readings
- Music
- General Intercessions
The first three give great insight into proclaiming the Word of God.
Are You Considering the Ministry of Lector?
1. Do you love the Word of God?
2. Do you proclaim the readings well in your family?
3. Do you think God is calling you to lector?
Requirements
1. Are you at least 14 years old?
2. Have you been Baptized and received your First Holy Communion and Confirmation, as well as leading a life of faith in keeping with the function of a lector?
3. If you are married, have you been married in the Church?
If so, please, call Fr. Sorgie at the Parish Office, 914-961-3643, to set up an appointment either via phone or in person