Lector

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lilred5

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I am hoping to become a lector at my Church.
Any advice, stories, etc. that anyone has that may help me would be greatly appreciated!

Your favorite lectors at your Church, why do you like them?
^
answering that would also be helpful.

Thank you!
 
lilred5 said:
I am hoping to become a lector at my Church.
Any advice, stories, etc. that anyone has that may help me would be greatly appreciated!

Your favorite lectors at your Church, why do you like them?
^
answering that would also be helpful.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Hi,
I think a Lector needs to:
  1. be poised standing at the lectern
  2. have a strong voice
  3. respect and believe firmly in the text before reading to others.
  4. know that you are citing sacred writings.
  5. be assured that the audience listen more to your reading than observe yourself.
    Good luck!
 
I am a reader (not an “(instituted) lector”, which is a particular ministry in the Church) at my parish. Here is my advice to you:

First, pray. I have a prayer to the Holy Spirit I can share with you. Pray for assistance from the holy authors of Scripture. Pray for assistance from your guardian angel. Pray to Jesus that he, the Eternal Word, might be present to you as you proclaim the written word.

Second, read. Practice reading the Scriptures out loud several times. Know what words you’ll need to pronounce carefully – don’t let the phrase “in fidelity to” sound like “infidelity to”! – and where you will need to read more slowly than you are accustomed to. Practice the difficult words – Nebuchadnezzar, Melchizedek, etc. Be sure you speak clearly, slowly, and audibly. Breathe regularly!

Third, study. Know the context of what you’re reading, as it will help it make sense to you and give you more ideas as to how the reading is meant to be proclaimed.

Here’s the prayer I pray every time I’m going to proclaim the Scriptures at my parish:

I beseech you, Holy Spirit,
to be in my heart and on my lips,
that I may worthily and fittingly proclaim the word
which you inspired in prophets and apostles,
to the glorification of God and the sanctification of His people.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
 
lilred5 said:
Your favorite lectors at your Church, why do you like them?
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I love the ones that read with feeling and stress just the right words or phrases for that reading. Not the ones that just stand up there and read in the same monotone voice our English teacher used to lecture us in 😉

Prayers for you as you begin this!!
 
Enunciate clearly, speak slowly enough that we understand the words, read loudly enough for the hard of hearing, read as though you understand what you are reading, avoid clothing that is too tight or short.

I always pray that the Holy Spirit will open the hearts of the people to the readings and not to let anything I do distract them.
 
Know what you’re reading…when it’s a story, read it like a story. Responsorial psalms are songs (doesn’t mean you have to sing them, thank goodness!) but if there is no music, be sure to show difference between a story and a song. I know my parish is very small, and there is a shortage of every ministry (except maybe ushers). I do music with my mom once a month and read whenever I’m needed.

I like the above posters and their suggestions…they are very good!
 
japhy said:
Second, read. Practice reading the Scriptures out loud several times. Know what words you’ll need to pronounce carefully – don’t let the phrase “in fidelity to” sound like “infidelity to”! – and where you will need to read more slowly than you are accustomed to. Practice the difficult words – Nebuchadnezzar, Melchizedek, etc. Be sure you speak clearly, slowly, and audibly. Breathe regularly!
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👍 Absolutely. Read it over ahead of time so you’re familiar with the text and speak loudly and clearly. Favorite readers are those that do not read in a monotone voice but don’t get carried away either, and they don’t sound as if they’ve never read the text before. They also are able to pronounce most of the words. Some words are very difficult but there are pronunciation guidelines around that can help if you’re not comfortable always asking someone else. Depending on who you ask, they might not always know either.
 
Thank you all so very much!
I have a feeling your responses will be very helpful.

Japhy - Thank you for that prayer, I’ll definately be reciting it anytime I’m proclaiming the Scripture.
 
Go online and find a good Biblical pronunciation site with an audio feature. It is so helpful to be able to HEAR some of those pronunciations.

I start reading and meditating on the readings a week before I am to read. I also get to church about 15 minutes before hand to pray that the Holy Spirit makes me invisible and only the Word to be seen when I proclaim it.
 
I have been a lector since the 1980’s.
When I began, I ignored the microphone. As a former drill sergeant,I knew how to project my voice. Then the microphone system was changed. New updated systems are very sensitive. I had people popping out of their seats.

Relax. Everybody makes mistakes. I often read at daily Mass with its single reading before the Gospel. My most recent blunder was skipping the first reading at Sunday Mass. After ward, I was told by a friend that the congregation was watching to see what I would do, if I would catch my mistake. Well I did catch my mistake and read the first reading after the second reading. It is a good thing that I did,as the homily referred often to the first reading.
The advice is don’t panic is you make a mistake. Carry on like normal. Most people are generous and won’t even notice.

(1) Be aware of how sensitive the microphones are.
(2) Read slowly. This is hard since you don’t want to lose the rhythm of what you are reading. Since it doesn’t feel normal, it can take some getting used to. But you want to reach the people in the back of the church and this is why you slow your reading pace.
(3) Always read the scripture passages in advance. You will probably be given a lector’s workbook. It will contain suggestions for what passages to emphasize as well as a general sense of audience and message the passage is trying to convey.
(4) Wear your Sunday Best. Remember who you represent and what an honor it is to proclaim the Word of God. I like the term poise that an earlier poster used.
(5) Trust God. I know that more often than not that it is God who reads through me. You will come to sense when this happens, when a power and authority greater than my own takes over the reading. It is awesome, and humbling at the same time.
(6) When people tell you how great you were, accept the compliment with a simple “Thank you.”
 
Lot’s of good advice. We are fortunate to have a husband and wife that have just begun this ministry in our parish. They are trying very hard, it takes some practice. But, what a wonderful testament to their union with eachother and with God. Love to see married couples involved in church ministry together as an example to a world that has ignored the sacrament of marriage.
 
plato3 said:
Lot’s of good advice. We are fortunate to have a husband and wife that have just begun this ministry in our parish. They are trying very hard, it takes some practice. But, what a wonderful testament to their union with eachother and with God. Love to see married couples involved in church ministry together as an example to a world that has ignored the sacrament of marriage.
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As a child watching cowboy movies, I noticed that the widow would take over the ranch, store, or whatever other profession that belonged to her husband.
My ministry as a lector began with me substituting for my husband.
He was in the Army Reserves which meant that sometimes he was scheduled the same day that he had training.
It was a Saturday evening. We had a new pastor. As I read the wrong psalm, I heard the response to the psalm I was reading. I looked out and saw my husband with a Cheshire style grin on his face. He covered for my error.
 
lilred5 said:
I am hoping to become a lector at my Church.
Any advice, stories, etc. that anyone has that may help me would be greatly appreciated!

Your favorite lectors at your Church, why do you like them?
^
answering that would also be helpful.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
There are actually few Lectors, most Bishops do not install a man into this office except as a step to being a Deacon.

I must assume that you are speaking of becoming a Lay Reader.
On going formation is important for any Lay Ministry. Read, pray and study the Scriptures daily. Read the Churches documents regarding the Scriptures and the Bible, as well as the Liturgical documentation regarding the Lectionary.
 
  1. Practice, practice, practic
  2. Know the context for what you’re reading. If you are reading an Epistle, then understand it’s a letter and present it as such. Offer emphasis and inflection, but don’t try to “emote.”
  3. Dress well.
  4. Speak slowly. You’re probably speaking faster than you think you are.
I love reading at Mass. Being part of the Liturgy makes me stay more engaged and focused on what is happening.
 
My favorite readers are the ones who read the texts so they make sense, who speak clearly so as to be understood and are not stuck on themselves.

There’s one reader who makes me cringe every time. She reads as if it were story time at the library, over-dramatizing everything, making things louder and softer, faster and slower, and all very exciting. But it’s totally inappropriate for proclaiming the Scriptures. I find that God’s Word can speak for itself in most cases.

Betsy
 
japhy said:
…

Here’s the prayer I pray every time I’m going to proclaim the Scriptures at my parish:

I beseech you, Holy Spirit,
to be in my heart and on my lips,
that I may worthily and fittingly proclaim the word
which you inspired in prophets and apostles,
to the glorification of God and the sanctification of His people.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Click to expand...
Great prayer.
Several posters have mentioned the pronunciation of different words and names. If you are given a workbook at the beginning of the liturgical year, it will give the pronunciation for unusual words. It will provide guidelines as to what to emphasize as you read.
The advice I was given when it comes to the pronunciation of names, places, and other words is to relax. If you mispronounce the word, it is unlikely anybody will notice since they don’t know how to pronounce it either. This is not saying be careless, simply to not worry if you do stumble over a word, name, or place.
As you become more involved in this ministry, you will also become more aware of how often it is truly the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, who reads through you.
 
lilred5 said:
I am hoping to become a lector at my Church.
Any advice, stories, etc. that anyone has that may help me would be greatly appreciated!

Your favorite lectors at your Church, why do you like them?
^
answering that would also be helpful.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
I am a Lector at my Parish. Here are some advice. Practice your readings the night before. Read them a few times to yourself. Read them out loud. If you can have someone there in front of you when you are speaking. If there are any words that are hard to pronounce ask the Priest for the correct pronouncation. Say a prayer to the Holy Ghost for guidence. Dress conservatively. Adjust the microphone so it is buy your mouth. Speak loud and clear. Try not to shout. When reading I use my index finger to follow along the readings. If you skip a word; just continue. Lastly Relax. Relax. Relax. After a few times, It will all be natural.
 
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