Yikes! This is one of my huge fears… that I would get up there and not know how to say any of it. I practice beforehand at least 25 times. My family makes fun of me!!
Oh, let them make fun of you
, my daughter used to read at the LifeTeen Mass and was a Thespian so she knew the value of rehearsal (practice), she would practice the readings the day before so she had the strange names down!
Not know too many ppl who not able ot carry a tune that are asked to sing a solo in Church lol I have been really doing a lot of prayful reading and working on hte readings this past week only have 2 for new years and then the 2nd the next time i read so I have to read a whole lot for there are some ppl in our Church who do not like ppl who stumble over words or can not understand the lector who is reading. and yeas a lot of them are older ppl who may have a harder time following a reader who is not prepared.
just wait until you are blessed with a priest from Africa, Mexico, India, the Philippines, or Viet Nam. I do love it when I have occasion to be at an ecumenical gathering and hear those bible proper names from a Baptist preacher in a Texas drawl.
First, welcome to CAF but I suggest you be more careful in scolding when scolding is not necessary. I have a feeling you did not read the posts that carefully! Not a one of the posters was saying to not be prepared, not a one! They did talk about those who were not and how some accents changed the pronunciation of words so they had to listen harder.
I wish I didn’t worry about whether or not I get the pronounciation perfectly… it drives my husband nuts because he insists people aren’t critically hanging onto every single word. … like you, he insists if I read it with confidence, nobody will notice an occasional mispronounciation.
I first got roped into lectoring probably the week after I was received into the Church. There was no regular person at a particular daily Mass, and so the deacon basically dropped it on me. A few weeks later, the annual Time and Talent survey went out, so I volunteered to be added to the weekend rotation. Unfortunately, we have no training, and there are a few people who do not read clearly, or who read with a strange rhythm, and I just have to offer it up.Wow! I can’t imagine looking forward to it. When I see my name on the schedule I sort of get this feeling of uggggg. Which is silly because I’m trying not to brag here a good public speaker. I speak very loudly and clearly and after I’ve lectored I often have total strangers come up and tell me I did a good job. So what’s the problem? I’m nervous. I don’t enjoy it in the least… and I’m THRILLED when I’m finished. It’s why I like to be lector #1 because I can listen to the homily and not be all worried about getting up there to do the prayers. So I wonder if I should just bow out - but I feel like speaking is truly a gift so it’s it proper to use it in His service? Or maybe it’s better to bow out because I can do other things that I’d actually enjoy and leave the lectoring to those who love it… ??I totally look forward to it! In fact, to console myself that I couldn’t go to midnight Mass this week, I signed up to proclaim the Isaiah passage at the earlier Mass
I don’t think there was any need for a scolding. Nobody here said anything about taking this job lightly. I’m not a reader because I’m a cantor, and I can tell you I spend hours every week preparing not only the Psalm and Alleluia that I sing on my own, but every sing word and note I sing with the choir and congregation. Tomorrow we’ll be singing almost all old familiar songs, but I still practiced the soprano and alto on each of them so I’d be ready no matter who was or wasn’t there tomorrow. I expect most of readers and singers do something similar because we all recognize that we’re there to assist in the celebration of the Mass.:tsktsk:Well I am not sure I share every ones seditment on this subject. For myself When I have a reading to do I spend time in prayer everyday and ask our lord to prepare the hearts of the assembly to receive his word and then I ask him to use me his humble servant and let his Holy Spirit to speak through me.
I read it over and over and over so I am familar with the passage and then I am in prayer again. as a Lector you are proclaiming the Holy Word of GOD to ppl some who never pen their Bible and other who do. any tim eI am unsure I visit severql Biblical website that will tell you how to prounce every word in the lector book.
I can always tell when someone has not even taken the time to even read through it one time. and it is very sad if you are not willing to take the time to get familar with your reading why do you want to read durning the mass???
I would encourage everyone who is a lector no matter how great a reader or speaker to spend some time to familize your self with the passage you are fixing to read and also let GOD speak through you. :tsktsk:
To me being a lector is more of a calling in That GOD will call you to do this for hm not the other way around.
I would think in other Churches that there is some sort of training for the prospective lectors. Our Church does have training and there are always a lot of ppl who want to be lectors, but unfortuntaly they are not cut out for the Job And yes we give everyone the chance to be a lector, but if you can not do the required job which is to proclaim the Holy Word of GOD then you are not scheduled anymore.
I guess what I am saying is that alot of ppl want to read but are not willing to put the time into reading and being a good lector. A nd then there are the ppl who just think they can read kinda like singing
Any way just my thoughts on how to be a better lector.