Is reading the Gospel different than memorizing

[SMHW]

I would suggest that eye contact is not really important. But it is useful to lungs, vocal chords, diaphragm, etc. NOT to have one’s head tilted down when speaking. Having one’s head held properly will help one’s voice to project better. This is a good idea even if one is using a microphone.

So looking up and out at the congregation at the end of phrases/paragraphs will be useful even if one does not actually make eye contact.

 

[jenkiedad]

I’d recommend reading Fr Z on this, Reading at Mass and “eye contact.” Probably not as authoritative as your experience and your resources, but perhaps worthy of your consideration?

Here’s my view. There is a thin line between reading the Word of God in an articulate, intelligible, thoughtful way, and a performance. While Holy Mass is the greatest drama even in earthly terms, our roles are not dramatic roles.

I was an actor in a former life. I know the temptation to “play” the crowd. Keeping eye-contact, for most people, will lead them into problems, in my opinion. Unless they are quite disciplined, they will lend to their reading the overtone that that reading is about the reader and not the Word. In all our reading in Scripture, the Word is both speaking and being spoken, raised to the Father.

“Keeping eye-contact” is not something that I would push. I would push proper pronunciation of the words, the phrasing, the meaning.

And a comment that you may find interesting in case you are lector at a Papal Mass …

A seminarian in Rome recently told me of his experience as a Lector at the Papal Mass earlier this year. The Papal MC, Mgr Marini instructed him that he was not to worry about making eye contact with the congregation but to focus on the sacred text – on which he was told to meditate prayerfully beforehand. So your advice is supported at the highest level.

“Keeping eye contact” does not mean you spend all your time looking out into the congregation. Then I would agree, that is acting. I am talking about occasionally looking up and out into the congregation. Also, “eye contact” to me does not mean focusing on one individual, but into the congregation as a whole.

Other than that, Fr. Z has some good recommendations, particularly as they pertain to volume, diction, pronunciation, etc. These are the most important qualities whether Lector or Actor.

Also, in reference to your Rome comment, I’ve watched many Papal Masses on EWTN (as well as the daily Masses on EWTN) and the priests, deacons, seminarians and/or religious brothers that do the Readings all look up occasionally.

 

[superamazingman]

All this hooey about making eye-contact completely disregards the laudable tradition in the past of keeping your eyes on the book, even for the ordinary of the Mass. Readers should simply keep their eyes on the text.

 

[jmjconder]

**In my OP the priest did not proclaim the Gospel word for word. There were variations.

When I am a reader at Mass I am fully aware that I am reading the Living Word…In order to pray what I am reading I find looking up or making eye contact to be distracting for me.**

 

[superamazingman]

I would be interested in your sources that say to keep your nose down and “read” and never look up from the text.

One such source is the old Roman Missal. Good enough for ya?

 

[TimothyH]

The idea that one should not make eye-contact (presumably by memorizing the text) when reading in order to more faithfully and humbly proclaim goes above and beyond what is stated in said publications, however.

It is to that additional personal devotion which I was referring when I said that such a personal devotion is not applicable to others as a universally binding precept.

Thanks for the clarification. I understand.

-Tim-

 

[TimothyH]

Whether one makes eye contact or not is not a personal decision, nor should we rely on a missal or any other book, no matter how old or authoritiative that book may seem. Direction for readers ultimately comes from the Office of Divine Worship in your particular dioceses. One would hope that ODW has guided those in the parish appropriately, but if not, the issue of whether to look at the people or not should be taken to the Office of Divine Worship in your own diocese.

I was not trained to keep my eyes only on the page, nor was I trained to memorize and look only at the people. It is not a black and white issue for me. That is not how I was trained.

I was trained that there are times when one is to look at the people, as if the author of the passage is speaking directly to people who are present, even though he wrote the words two thousand years ago.

The “Sustained eye contact” suggested in the guide for readers used in our archdiocese for the beginning of this reading was too difficult for me. I tried when I practiced at home and was not able to do it. I did not attempt it at Mass and quite frankly, I thought it a bit much. But that is just my personal opinion.



I was however, able to look directly at the people and say, “Avoid immorality” as it was suggested.

We are sternly cuationed not to over act, and recieve feedback constantly about whether we read to fast or slow, too quiet or too loud, are to monotone or overact, after almost every Mass, by those who have been reading for many years and are very good at it.

The bottom line is that it is not your decision and we should not be looking for guidance any book other than what is given to us as authoritative training material by the parish or ODW. Your parish should be training you and the responsibility ultimately lies with the pastor of your parish. If not, go to the Office of Divine Worship and ask for training.

The priest in charge of ODW for the Archdioces of Atlanta is an amazing man. For those interested, he himself has made a youtube vidoe for readers. It is quite good, but again, not authoritative for your diocese.

youtube.com/watch?v=vrzAolHXd2Y&lr=1

-Tim-

 

[jenkiedad]

One such source is the old Roman Missal. Good enough for ya?

Thanks. I’ll be happy to look at any guidance. Please provide a link to the “old Roman Missal” section that states this or at least quote an excerpt that makes your case.

Personal prayer and mediation is much different than “proclaiming” the Word.