To proclaim God’s Word to the assembly is the beautiful task of the Minister of the Word.  Serving as Lector is a unique opportunity for the baptized Christian, not only to deepen one’s own faith through prayer and preparation, but also to communicate that faith through the proclamation of God’s Word to the assembly at the Eucharist.

Time Commitment:  Lectors read at the Sunday Eucharist, after their own prayer and preparation of the sacred texts. They serve at Mass on a rotating basis.

From the Spring 2001 Edition of Clippings Magazine

Views: The Role of Lector

by Bill Lawrence

In the infancy of civilization, religion and theater were intertwined in ritual dramatic performances that exemplified the spiritual beliefs of the times.  In spiritual ceremonies, ancient peoples danced, chanted and sang while circling a sacrificial altar.

Religion and theater are close cousins.  With that historical perspective, today we incorporate elements of song, ceremony, lights, music and the spoken word, to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in the Mass.  The celebration is truly a spiritual and dramatic experience on an exalted level.

With this in mind, is it possible to improve the quality of the readings at Mass?  Could closer attention be given in lector preparation to the tone, content, meaning, emotion and author intent of the readings?  I realize that some people may feel suspicious of ‘actors’ as part of a religious experience.  I would have you consider the following: When someone remarks that an actor was marvelous in a role, it usually means that the actor was convincing.  The actor’s performance created an intellectual or emotional response in the audience.

The same can be said of gifted speakers, such as President John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Bishop Fulton Sheen or a most admired parish priest.  A similar response may be achieved by a gifted lector at Mass.  Consider the rich material the lector has – its range, variety and its inherent literary and dramatic challenges – for example, the thunder of Jeremiah, the poetry of Isaiah, the majesty of Exodus, the wise counsel of Paul, the compelling narratives of Luke, the drama of Genesis.

Such literature would certainly demand readers with some dramatic talent, i.e., the ability to verbally convey the character, emotion and tone of the author. Isn’t that what a talented actor does?

A workbook published by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine is a very helpful tool used by many lectors in preparing for readings.  The book is rich with insightful suggestions for the lector, to assist him or her to convey the power and beauty of the spoken work.

Notes in the margins of various readings suggest that there should be joy, excitement, enthusiasm, wonder and even sadness and disappointment expressed by the lector in the reading. Helpful hints include "to convey the reverence and awe of this climactic moment" and "this sentence builds in intensity as it progresses".

An effective lector, like an effective actor, is someone who is believable, and who is aware of the tone, pitch, emotion and meaning of the words he uses.  Knowing how to read English is not enough.