As a Lector, would you ever

[Simca]

Well then, arrive early and ask the priest. If he says, “I don’t care” then say, “I think I’ll read the short version then. Ok with you Father?” And leave it up to him to nod, grunt, or do nothing. Those would be signs of concurrence in my book.

I think I will probably do that.

 

[PacoG]

The standing rule at my parish is to do the short version, unless the one preaching (priest or deacon) that day gives prior notice.

Technically, it’s the presider’s option, but I leave it to the one preaching, for obvious reasons.

When a short form is given, it’s usually because the long form is just that “long” but quite frankly, often “too long.”

The standing order in our Parish is to do the long version unless we get specific orders from the Pastor…not the In-Residence Priest, a visiting priest or one of the deacons, but directly from the Pastor. Only he has the authority to authorize it.

 

[FrDavid96]

The standing order in our Parish is to do the long version unless we get specific orders from the Pastor…not the In-Residence Priest, a visiting priest or one of the deacons, but directly from the Pastor. Only he has the authority to authorize it.

No. He does not have that authority.

The authority rests with the priest who is the main celebrant at that particular Mass, as I had just explained in the post which you quoted.

Of course, in practical terms it’s often wise for the main celebrant to defer that decision (especially a very minor one like that) to someone else, or to the circumstances, or some other method. Still, the final decision rests with the celebrant.

 

[peter26]

Sometimes people end up reading at the last minute. As a regular server, I often end up having to read if the person scheduled to read is away because I’m sitting next to the ambo. In this case, I would have to make the decision myself if there were two options. I’d probably go with the longer one if there was a choice to be safe. Where there are two Gospel acclamations, I’ll read the first one unless I’ve been told otherwise.

 

[Melissa]

Where I am, the long form is the default (there will be a note tucked in on the page if we’re to go with the short form, as Father is frequently rather rushed, since he has another Mass a few miles away just before ours, so there’s not a whole lot of time to ask–but then I’m a Sunday morning reader, I don’t know if there was a discussion before Saturday evening).

 

[Dove1]

When in doubt (no explicit instructions), I just ask the priest. In Sunday masses, we have a processionals and he’s positioned just behind me. So I just ask him.

 

[utah_rose]

I would never consider it the lector’s choice to make. The priest is the authority.

The priest or the Deacon makes this decision, but they usually op for the first one. It’s always confusing for me why there are 2 in the first place.

 

[utah_rose]

Maybe it’s just because I don’t live in America, but the readers always get to pick between two Alleluias, both on Sundays and during the week. No one would ask the priest which one to read, it’s always just up to us.

We as lectors never do the Alleluias before the Gospel, but the cantor does. If there’s no choir, the Deacon does this. However, we do read the Prayers of the Faithful in our parish and do a formal greeting before Mass begins. We’re also required to wear black robes while the EM ministers wear white. Like this because no pressure as to what to wear.

 

[speters33w]

I always ask the presiding Priest in the Sacristy before Mass.

(Except of course if it’s Fr. Joe. Then it will be long form. Always. )

That is really what you MUST do.

This is a related aside:

There’s a couple readings where choice may be by solemnity ABC or by individual year readings. Here I prepare both readings prior to Mass.

If the Priest requests the ABC reading and you are not cantor, you’ve got to let the cantor/musicians know so they can proclaim the correct Psalm.

Holy Family and Baptism of our Lord our examples.

If their Psalter doesn’t include the correct Psalm for ABC, usually the Year A (2014) Psalter will have the right stuff. A quick check of the Lectionary will confirm. Felix Just has a good list where you can look up where the cantor and musician can find the Psalm if required. I’m making a big deal out of this because I’ve been there, done that. They’re also in Appendix III of my Lectionary.

 

[pianistclare]

Actually, the priest emails the lectors involved those weeks that have “options”.

 

[ProVobis]

How many answers are there to this simple yes-no question? Is this a poll?

 

[FrDavid96]

How many answers are there to this simple yes-no question?

Yours makes 30, so far.

Just look at the top right corner of every post and it will tell you how many people have responded so far.

Yours was 31. Not counting the original question, that makes 30 replies.

Of course, since your post was not really an answer, that might make it 29 answers so far. Depends on how one wants to look at it.

 

[ProVobis]

Yours makes 30, so far.

Just look at the top right corner of every post and it will tell you how many people have responded so far.

Yours was 31. Not counting the original question, that makes 30 replies.

Of course, since your post was not really an answer, that might make it 29 answers so far. Depends on how one wants to look at it.

I was ready to delete my post but said “Nah. That would decrease my own post count.”

 

[speters33w]

Actually, the priest emails the lectors involved those weeks that have “options”.

That would be nice… but it doesn’t happen where I am. We currently borrow a lot of visiting priests.
I find out about 15 minutes before the procession.
I’ll assume you are one of the musicians who might have to do some digging in the organ bench if this happened to you?
We use “Respond and Acclaim.” Owen Alstott’s stuff is pretty easy for a last minute switch.
But usually the ABC Solemnity stuff is a common Psalm you’ll be familiar with.
I’d prepare both in those situations prior to Mass, I think there are only two or three in the entire year.
Except maybe Our Lady of Guadalupe, or some of the other Marian solemnities, where there’s a bunch of optional Commons of Mary that may be used. I’d have to look it up to figure out which ones. But it’s really an easy search.

@ProVorbis

How many answers are there to this simple yes-no question?

One.

Fr. David already said the answer:

The authority rests with the priest who is the main celebrant at that particular Mass, as I had just explained in the post which you quoted.

Of course, in practical terms it’s often wise for the main celebrant to defer that decision (especially a very minor one like that) to someone else, or to the circumstances, or some other method. Still, the final decision rests with the celebrant.

 

[Sunbreak]

No, I wouldn’t read a shorter version unless the priest requested it.

 

[marytk]

First. I was going to say that I always ask the priest whether iit is a choice of a long version or short or if there is a choice at weekday Mass for the first reading. (sometimes for Feasts or Memmorials there is an option) there are times he says to let me choose or “ask the Deacon he is preaching”

But the I remembered the days of Ordinary time when we read form Daniel and the storiy about Daniel and the woman where the short version is two pages long. This is for 6:45 AM Mass where many are rushing to work so as a Reader I did make the last minute decision to read the short version
But for the most part in our Parish it is assume it is the long version unless told otherwise.

 

[FrDavid96]

…
@ProVorbis

One.

Fr. David already said the answer:

All kidding aside (my little joke about post counts), there responses really do vary widely.

If we get overly literal here, then the answer must be “yes” because the question asks “would you ever?” So, if someone read the short form just once, in 1975, but never again, the response would still have to be “yes.” Of course, anyone worthy of proclaiming the readings would use the short form if the priest said “today, I want the short form, and it’s very important that you do it today.” But that’s if we’re being over literal.

I think the original post is not so much about literally answering the question as it is about starting a discussion on using the long or short forms, or trying to get a feel for how often either is chosen, or what method is used.

I’m actually very interested in reading the responses here—so I don’t feel that there is only one possible answer.

I have my own thoughts on the long/short versions and I’m genuinely curious to hear what happens in other places.

The final decision rests with the individual priest-celebrant, but that doesn’t mean that it always happens that way in practical terms. Just because he can, that doesn’t mean he always makes an active choice.

Many priests feel that the revised Lectionary has too many readings that are simply too long. Right now, early in Ordinary Time, year 2, I think that the Old Testament readings at daily Masses should be seriously shortened. Even though they don’t have short-options, I’m still curious to know what happens in other places when the option is given.

 

[pianistclare]

All kidding aside (my little joke about post counts), there responses really do vary widely.

If we get overly literal here, then the answer must be “yes” because the question asks “would you ever?” So, if someone read the short form just once, in 1975, but never again, the response would still have to be “yes.” Of course, anyone worthy of proclaiming the readings would use the short form if the priest said “today, I want the short form, and it’s very important that you do it today.” But that’s if we’re being over literal.

I think the original post is not so much about literally answering the question as it is about starting a discussion on using the long or short forms, or trying to get a feel for how often either is chosen, or what method is used.

I’m actually very interested in reading the responses here—so I don’t feel that there is only one possible answer.

I have my own thoughts on the long/short versions and I’m genuinely curious to hear what happens in other places.

The final decision rests with the individual priest-celebrant, but that doesn’t mean that it always happens that way in practical terms. Just because he can, that doesn’t mean he always makes an active choice.

Many priests feel that the revised Lectionary has too many readings that are simply too long. Right now, early in Ordinary Time, year 2, I think that the Old Testament readings at daily Masses should be seriously shortened. Even though they don’t have short-options, I’m still curious to know what happens in other places when the option is given.

Our pastor almost never chooses the short option.

 

[Phemie]

OK, since you ask, I default to the long version unless the priest celebrant requests the short and I can’t recall any who’ve requested that even if they, themselves, may opt for the short version of the Gospel.

 

[FrDavid96]

I have mixed feelings on it.

I think that when a short form is given, it’s because the reading was too long in the first place.

I like the short form for the Epistles.

For the Gospels (although not the topic of the thread), about half the time, the short form omits the more important part—sometimes, not always.

I do think that, in general, the revised Lectionary uses too many readings that are simply too long. The current weekday readings are an example of that: Old Testament readings that seem to go on forever.