Have any of you read for the Christmas Midnight Mass before?

[CatholicZ09]

Or if it’s not Midnight Mass at your parish, the equivalent? I have to read the first reading at the Midnight Mass at our parish tonight, and I’m really scared. Does anyone have any good techniques for me to calm myself? It’s exciting yet terrifying.

 

[YoungTradCath]

It sounds kind of bad, but I always approach these kinds of public speaking opportunities with a, “Who cares, I don’t care, this is unimportant and pointless,” attitude, and it always works out flawlessly. It really works for me and I always do very well when I approach with that attitude, to be completely honest. It makes it feel natural and spontaneous rather than contrived, and thus it sounds better.

 

[TheMc]

It sounds kind of bad, but I always approach these kinds of public speaking opportunities with a, “Who cares, I don’t care, this is unimportant and pointless,” attitude, and it always works out flawlessly. It really works for me and I always do very well when I approach with that attitude, to be completely honest. It makes it feel natural and spontaneous rather than contrived, and thus it sounds better.

Nice…we should burn you at the stake for such a flippant attitude towards the words of Almighty God.

 

[CatholicZ09]

It sounds kind of bad, but I always approach these kinds of public speaking opportunities with a, “Who cares, I don’t care, this is unimportant and pointless,” attitude, and it always works out flawlessly. It really works for me and I always do very well when I approach with that attitude, to be completely honest. It makes it feel natural and spontaneous rather than contrived, and thus it sounds better.

I love the attitude. It’s sort of how I try to approach it, then I just freak out and get nervous but end up doing fine anyways. I’ve read before, and it was not this bad, but I guess since it’s one of the biggest parts of our liturgical year and that there will be a lot of people, I don’t want to mess this up. I studied the reading continuously, so I think I will be able to have it flow smoothly.

 

[TradAvenger]

Or if it’s not Midnight Mass at your parish, the equivalent? I have to read the first reading at the Midnight Mass at our parish tonight, and I’m really scared. Does anyone have any good techniques for me to calm myself? It’s exciting yet terrifying.

Perhaps some prayer and quiet meditation on the words of our Savior beforehand?

Take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

And remember how good you have it. You’re reading it in a language you can understand. Would you prefer to be chanting it in Latin?

 

[Phemie]

I approach it with the idea that no Mass is more important than another so I have to do as well at a daily Mass as at the Midnight Mass or the Easter Vigil. Works for me.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Or if it’s not Midnight Mass at your parish, the equivalent? I have to read the first reading at the Midnight Mass at our parish tonight, and I’m really scared. Does anyone have any good techniques for me to calm myself? It’s exciting yet terrifying.

I was very nervous the first time I read. It wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be. My tips:

1. 
   *]Look at the congregation before you start and take a deep breath and smile at them (I know that sounds a lot but it’s seconds);
   *]Stay calm;
   *]Read as if you’re reading to those on the back row (then everyone will hear you);
   *]Don’t think you need to shout - talk from as if it’s coming from deep in your stomach.
   
   Good luck!

 

[JerseyCatholic]

Yes, I was a lector for Christmas midnight mass once in my teens. It truly was an awesome experience. The parish I grew up in has a mostly Polish population, so a lot of the readings/responses were done in both English and Polish. It really was a nice mass.