Correcting Lector During Mass

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Our Lectionary is always set by the sacristan who is very good at her job. The only time there might be a question is when there is an option for a short and long version of a reading.

I used to always opt to read the long version because often Father used the entire reading in his homily. Saw that a few weeks ago when Father opted to read the short version of the Gospel and then referred to the long reading thus in the homily: “In this section from the Gospel of X., which we didn’t read, this happened…” 😃
 
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At the churches that I’ve been to, the lector doesn’t open the lectionary for the readings. It is already opened for them. Most lectors will know when they get up there if it is the correct reading or not, as they are supposed to have prepared for it ahead of time. I’ve only seen an incorrect reading done once. She got up there, noticed it was the wrong reading, flipped back and forth a few pages, was unable to find the correct reading, and went ahead with the reading that was placed in front of her. It’s most likely not the lector’s fault.
 
The Mass (at least in the U.S.) is on a three-year schedule of readings. I’m sorry, I can’t remember this early in the morning what these are called, but they are A, B, or C.

Missalettes and other paperback Mass guides will only have either A, B, or C, depending on the year. But hymnals will have all three settings, and I believe that the book used by the lector has all three settings.

So it’s possible that the reader IS reading the correct readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (or whatever), but is not reading the correct A, B, or C! So even if you did hold up a sign, the reader might think that you are the one who is wrong!

it really needs to be made clear to the readers!

it’s up to whoever recruits, trains, and schedules lectors to let them know which setting they will be reading. In our parish, that is the Minister of Music and Liturgy, which is a paid position on the parish staff.

My suggestion to the OP is to find out who is in charge of this ministry (recruiting, training, and scheduling lectors) and let them know what is happening with this reader.

The person in charge of lectors might be one of the priests, or it might be a paid staff member, or it might be a volunteer, depending on the size and budget of your parish. But find out (it might be listed in the parish weekly bulletin, or on the parish website). and let them know.
 
PetraG said:
Yes, just imagine expecting to hear a reading that started with “ For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven .” and instead getting “ It is widely reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans—a man living with his father’s wife .”
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😱😱😱😱😱😱😱 I can’t even imagine!
 
Volunteer to help set up/mark the readings prior to Mass.

Volunteer as a lector.
 
Dacinom said:
I imagine this lector is embarrassed, and now has a lot of anxiety before Mass. Please show them Christian love, and pray for them to have peace of mind about their mistakes.
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I can agree with that, but after the first “embarrassment,” one would hope that the lector would learn and not repeat the same error 4 more times.
 
TheLittleLady said:
Volunteer to help set up/mark the readings prior to Mass.
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Yes, was going to suggest that also. Speak to your priest and offer your services to set up the Lectionary each weekend, marked correctly with the ribbons.
 
The pastor of your parish has the responsibility for the liturgy…and the authority to carry out his responsibility.

Make sure your pastor is aware of the situation. If he is, then let it go and be at peace. If he is not, then once you have informed him, let it go and be at peace.

It’s up to him to make sure the liturgy is celebrated correctly.
 
Peeps said:
The Mass (at least in the U.S.) is on a three-year schedule of readings. I’m sorry, I can’t remember this early in the morning what these are called, but they are A, B, or C.
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You are correct. Sunday Masses are on a 3 year cycle: A (mostly Matthew), B (mostly Mark and John), and C (mostly Luke). Daily Mass readings are on a 2 year cycle: 1 and 2. Like I said before, I have to place binders with the Universal Prayer that I write at the Ambo, the Priest’s Chair and the announcements at a separate podium each week. I usually do that Friday or Saturday before the first Mass I direct at 4:30 pm. Since I am there, I usually set up the Lectionary too.

You bring up a very good point: Some Lectionaries have all 3 year cycles in them. I now remember back many years ago, a Lector asking me, what year we were in!

Today, we have 3 separate Lectionaries: one for A, one for B, and one for C. If you get the date and Mass correct, no guessing at the year.

Nonetheless, a Lector should be prepared before Mass. Me, as music director, plus other duties, we have separate coordinators to lead, teach, or whatever, ushers, lectors, EMs, and Altar Servers. Every lector gets a practice book for the year. It is a useful tool for pronunciations, pauses, stress words, etc.

To help the OPs church, they should invest in separate cycle Lectionaries, buy the practice book each year, and have a Lector coordinator, assuming that they might not have all of these already, similar to what you mentioned too.
 
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Is the lector possibly using last year’s lectionary? Maybe he’s on the wrong cycle?
 
Allegra said:
Is the lector possibly using last year’s lectionary? Maybe he’s on the wrong cycle?
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Anything is possible. Our pastor keeps each book in his office and the new one comes out only for Advent 1. Hopefully all 3, if they use 3 separate cycle books, are not easily attainable.

Well, it’s almost 12:30 pm here; off to set up the mics and make sure the Lectionary is set!!!
 
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Glennon_P said:
The pastor of your parish has the responsibility for the liturgy…and the authority to carry out his responsibility.

Make sure your pastor is aware of the situation. If he is, then let it go and be at peace. If he is not, then once you have informed him, let it go and be at peace.

It’s up to him to make sure the liturgy is celebrated correctly.
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Although this is true overall, in a large parish a pastor cannot make sure that the music is coordinated with the theme of the Mass, the Lector is prepared and the Lectionary set correctly, enough ushers have showed up, the altar servers are all there, and the EMs know their stations at all Masses. To celebrate correctly, there must be leaders of all these ministries to do their job to make sure that the entire Mass runs smoothly with help from others.
 
Joy, you sound like my clone! LOL! Good job! The communion items are, however, the EMs responsibility and the vestments, the priest’s. However, he wore white instead of green a couple week’s ago! And, no, it was not a Solemnity, just an ordinary ordinary time!
 
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I agree with you…the pastor shouldn’t have to handle all of those details.

You make a good point. I’m talking more about the chain-of-command, I guess. Whomever is in charge of lector needs to be aware of this problem. If that’s the pastor, then go to him. If it’s someone else, go to them.

Let the person who has the responsibility and authority over lector address this problem. I don’t think the OP should make signs to hold up, correct the lector during Mass, or approach the lector individually. If I were in charge of the lectors I would want to know if there was a problem, especially one that seems to be more than a one time mistake.

So…to update my previous post…report it to the person in charge - pastor or otherwise - and be at peace.
 
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That’s great. Bless you. Sometimes, I wish I was in a very small parish like it was 36 years ago. One Catholic church in our area then, no more than 300 families. Now 3000+ families and 2 more Catholic churches within 4 miles of each other.
 
If the mass is said licitly, if Christ becomes present in the Eucharist and is received in a worthy manner, if the proper prayers are said by the celebrant, does anyone think the Lord is truly offended by a misplaced reading?
Two rules in life.
#1 Don’t sweat the small stuff
#2 Everything is small stuff.
Enjoy the Lord’s coming to you in the Eucharist. That’s why we go to mass.
 
True Joy. My thought was that sometimes we get a little caught up in the relatively unimportant things in life. Sort of a collective mild form of OCD maybe?
 
I guess…i just have never been disappointed in hearing any of the Word.

Rejoice in the lord always!

Pax et bonum.
 
El_PAso said:
Hi,

5 out of the last 6 weeks the lector has read the wrong readings! That’s worse than usual which is usually only half the time!

It’s beyond ridiculous! Last week I was so ready to stand up but I know the priest KNEW it was wrong because he commented on the readings at the beginning and he did nothing…

Hand signals? A sign I can make and hold up? They should put a “wrong one” sign we can hold up in each pew at this place!

Thanks.
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I could use some clarification here. It it the same lector each week, or a different lector each week? Is it during the Sunday Mass or a weekday Mass?

In either case, there’s not much one can do once the Mass has started. What does need to be done at your parish is that someone needs to check and verify that the Lectionary on the Ambo is opened to the page with the correct readings for the Mass. At my parish, that responsibility is placed squarely on the lector. It’s his or her duty BEFORE Mass (preferably 10 minutes or more before Mass) to verify that the lectionary is opened up to the correct readings.

Any minister of the Mass can go to the Ambo and verify that the lectionary is opened to the correct reading. If you’re not a minister, you could still go up discretely to the Ambo before Mass and verify that the lectionary is set to the correct reading, but if it’s not you should inform the lector and have him or her change the page of the lectionary to the correct readings (don’t do it yourself).
 
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