Book of the Gospels & Lectors

[Needanswers]

I have several questions regarding the Book of the Gospels and lectors:

1. Who is supposed to carry the Book of the Gospels in procession? Are only deacons supposed to do that or are lectors allowed to do it as well?
2. Where should the Book of the Gospels be placed after the procession is over? On the altar? And how?
3. Where are lectors supposed to be seated during Mass? Are they allowed to sit in the sanctuary?
4. Are lectors supposed to wear liturgical vestments?
5. Are lectors supposed to be part of the procession?

References will be very helpful.

Thanks and God Bless!

 

[benedictgal]

According to the GIRM:

A lector, who may carry the Book of the Gospels (though not the Lectionary), which should be slightly elevated;

The lector is only a part of the procession if he is carrying the Book of the Gospels (and there is no deacon). Otherwise, the lector(s) stay(s) in the pew.

Here is where the Book of the Gospels should go:

In addition, the candlesticks are placed on the altar or near it. It is a praiseworthy practice that the Book of the Gospels be placed upon the altar.

In our parish, we have something like a book stand where we place the Book of the Gospels. We also ask our lectors to wear their Sunday best (clean, neat modest dress) and to sit in the pews until it is their turn to go up to proclaim the readings. They don’t need to wear an alb.

If there is only one lector, that lector stays seated in the sanctuary because he has to proclaim the second reading (unless, he winds up having to recite the psalm–in our parish, the psalm is chanted by the cantor). After the second reading, the lector returns to his pew. If there is no deacon, then, the lector returns to read the General Intercessions.

 

[Needanswers]

Thank you so much. Just some clarification. Lectors are not supposed to sit in the sanctuary? Also, is the Book of the Gospel supposed to be upright when placed on the altar? And finally, if the lector carries the Book of the Gospels in procession, must he or she wear an alb?

Thanks and God bless!

 

[benedictgal]

Thank you so much. Just some clarification. Lectors are not supposed to sit in the sanctuary? Also, is the Book of the Gospel supposed to be upright when placed on the altar? And finally, if the lector carries the Book of the Gospels in procession, must he or she wear an alb?

Thanks and God bless!

They sell upright book stands. The Book of the Gospels should be upright, although in some of the Papal Masses, the Book of the Gospels lays on the altar. A lector does not need to wear an alb in order to carry the Book of the Gospels.

The lectors really should not sit in the sanctuary, especially if the space is too small in the first place. Their function is to only proclaim the readings. After they have finished their duty, then, they return to their pews. At least that is how it is done down here in many of the parishes. Other than the priest and the deacon, the altar servers should be the only ones up there, in my opinion.

 

[Neil_McFhane]

I have several questions regarding the Book of the Gospels and lectors:

1. Who is supposed to carry the Book of the Gospels in procession? Are only deacons supposed to do that or are lectors allowed to do it as well?
   GIRM 120. Once the people have gathered, the priest and ministers, clad in the sacred
   vestments, go in procession to the altar in this order:
   …
   d. a lector, who may carry the Book of the Gospels (though not the Lectionary), which should be slightly elevated;
2. Where should the Book of the Gospels be placed after the procession is over? On the altar? And how?
3. Where are lectors supposed to be seated during Mass? Are they allowed to sit in the sanctuary?
   GIRM 311. Care should be taken that the faithful be able not only to see the priest, the
   deacon, and the lectors but also, with the aid of modern technical means, to hear
   them without difficulty
4. Are lectors supposed to wear liturgical vestments?
   GIRM 339. Acolytes, lectors, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable
   vesture that is lawfully approved by the Conference of Bishops (cf. no. 390).
5. Are lectors supposed to be part of the procession?
   Answered in question 1.

References will be very helpful.

Thanks and God Bless!

However these Come from t he UK GIRM in referernce to Lectors, I’m not sure about non-insituted readers. I’d guess similar would apply, but I’ve never seen reader join procession or wear an alb or cassock myself. Hope this helped abit

 

[benedictgal]

However these Come from t he UK GIRM in referernce to Lectors, I’m not sure about non-insituted readers. I’d guess similar would apply, but I’ve never seen reader join procession or wear an alb or cassock myself. Hope this helped abit

Down here, lay readers (for lack of a better word) do not wear the alb. The only ones I’ve seen are on EWTN (TV), but, these are instituted lectors.

Now, the lay readers do carry the Book of the Gospels when a deacon is absent.

 

[Catholicben]

“Up here”, a deacon carries in the book of the gospels, places it flat on the altar (probably because they do it that way in Rome), and if no deacon, it is put there before mass. No albs, but sanctuary seating. At the last ordination, we did have instituted lectors (seminarians who were in town) and they were in cassocck/surplice/rabat/fascia

 

[Digitonomy]

The Book of the Gospels should be upright

I would assume this is a personal choice on the part of the celebrant or pastor, or perhaps a sacristan or whoever else makes these decisions when the priest has no preference. Is there an instruction stating that the Book of Gospels should be upright?

 

[GwenL]

At our (cathedral parish) Sunday Mass, a reader carries the book of the Gospels in the procession and places it flat upon the altar. The readers stay in the pews until it is time to go read, then they return to the pews. We have a different reader for the first and second reading, and a cantor sings the Psalm in between.

However, at weekday Mass, the reader reads the reading, then the Psalm, then is seated in the sanctuary, in a little nook behind/beside the ambo and out of view of most of the congregation. After Father proclaims the Gospel and gives the homily, the reader goes back to the ambo to read the prayers. It would be distracting and would center too much attention on the reader to return to the pew after the Psalm, only to go back to the ambo after the homily.

No albs here for readers (who are not instituted lectors). We also don’t have a deacon at the parish, except the Bishop always seems to come with one when he celbrates Mass.