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 you and I pray our ministry well. What do I mean? In the Lector Guideline which Fr. Sorgie distributed at the Lector Meeting we read:
"
Lectors should thoroughly prepare themselves to proclaim the Word of God through study, prayer, and practice."
How? What do we need to do?
Study
We read: "
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 you in your ministry a note will be sent each week providing you with the next week's Mass Readings. My hope is this will provide you time for:
One website I highly recommend for Study is
The Sunday Webstie 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 o Know the Readings
- Music
- General Intercessions
The first three will soon become your favorite places to visit.
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 received your First Holy Communion and Confirmation, as well as leaading 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, or contact Sr. Cora at the Rectory, 914-961-3643, to set up an appointment either via phone or in person