December 23, 2012
Reflection on Lectoring
Lectoring is a ministry of sharing - sharing the Word of
God.
There are two essential parts to sharing: First, you have to have something to
share. Second, you have to be able to
share it. Good lectors are good at both.
Something to Share:
Lectors have a personal love and appreciation for the
Scriptures.
Ability to Share:
Lectors are able to connect with their hearers and make
the Scriptures meaningful to them.
How do lectors develop and enhance the gift of effective
sharing?
Individual prayer and study enable lectors to internalize
the Scriptures. When something is
relevant, it has meaning. When the Word
of God is relevant, our relationship with him has deeper meaning. When we have a relationship with God and with
the Scriptures, we have something to share with others.
Our ability to share with others is strengthened whenever
we perform any act of selfless sharing.
With our family members, with the people at church, with our fellow lectors
who are seeking to make a difference through their ministry.
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"He is present in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church."
- The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, n.7
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First Reading - Micah 5:1-4a
The Promise of Better Times
The prophets Micah and Isaiah were contemporaries. Micah was born in a rural village called
Moreseth. He used strong language to
condemn the Israelites for their shabby treatment of the poor and
disenfranchised. Isaiah was a more
cosmopolitan person, a man of the city, who condemned kings for bad foreign
policies.
However, both prophets also had similarities. Together, Micah and Isaiah prophesied bad
things for Judah because of its transgressions.
And, when they promised better times for Zion, they both used exactly the
same words:
“They
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks. One nation shall not raise the
sword against another, nor shall they train for war again” (Micah
4:3, Isaiah 2:4).
Apparently, both prophets knew a good verse when they saw
it.
According to Micah, better times for Zion would come in
the form of a new Davidic king, “whose
origin is from of old,” and who ““shall
stand firm and shepherd his flock.”
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Second Reading - Hebrews 10:5-10
Once for All
In the first half of today’s second reading, the author
of Hebrews reports on a conversation Jesus had with his Father. In the second half, the author gives us an
explanation of what was said.
The substance of the conversation is similar to the
message we heard five weeks ago on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary
time. In that Sunday’s reading which was
taken from verses immediately preceding today’s passage, the author writes, “Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins”
(Hebrews 10:6).
In today’s reading, we hear why Old Testament sacrifices
could never take away sins. As Jesus
says to his Father, “In holocausts and
sin offerings you took no delight.”
Forgiveness of sins could only be achieved “once for all” by the perfect sacrifice of the cross.
© 2012 George Fournier
