The Epiphany of the Lord
January 5, 2014

Reflection on Lectoring

“The biblical word is like poetry which calls for a great slowing down if someone is to appreciate it.”

This week we shall conclude our reflection on Father Eugene LaVerdiere’s pamphlet titled, “The Art of Proclamation.”  We’ll consider why an aspect of proclamation that may seem of little importance is so essential.  For Father LaVerdiere, silence is truly an essential ingredient for every effective Scripture reading.

In the assembly at weekend Mass there may be hundreds of people.  They come with various preoccupations demanding their attention.  They come with distractions that often arise from events occurring during their week.  These distractions are a kind of background noise that can compete with a quiet hearing of the Scriptures.

To help us understand the importance of quiet, LaVerdiere reflects on the silence that preceded God’s creation of the universe by saying, “Without the silence that precedes it, the command, “Let there be light,” would not be distinguished from all the other sounds.”  The light was even more brilliant because it shone in the darkness and silence.

In a similar way, silence before the Scripture reading sets the stage.

LaVerdiere takes this idea a step farther by saying, “Good readers recognize the silence before, between and after the words and phrases, and allow for it as the reading takes hold of their person and flows through it to the listeners.”

Unlike a crowded restaurant where conversations between people must be shouted and background noise fills the gaps, Mass is a place where the conversation between God and his people fills the church.

LaVerdiere concluded his reflection on the value of silence by saying, “This is extremely important in the case of the Scriptures, where each work, each phrase, each image is important and must make its way into the mind and heart of the listener.”

Perhaps one of the most important jobs of lectors is to show by their demeanor and their proclamation that Scripture is best heard in a setting of respectful and prayerful silence.

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First Reading  -  Isaiah 60:1-6
Breaking Through

There are times when the glory and reality of God break through the plane of our earthly existence.  When God breaks through, people are filled with a new perspective that goes beyond everyday experiences and conventional wisdom.  That is what happens on Epiphany.  That is also what the first reading describes.

In this week’s reflection on lectoring, we talked about God’s light at creation filling the void of the universe.  In this weekend’s first reading we hear about another manifestation of his light, “The glory of the Lord shines upon you.”  It is the kind of light that breaks through the “darkness that covers the earth.”

Without God, the earth would be a very dark place.  However, because of his promise to remain with us, people from Midian to Ephah to Florida can proclaim “the praises of the Lord.”  Isaiah did not know about Jesus Christ, but his message remains true.  His words tells us that whenever God manifests himself to us we “shall be radiant” at what we see, our “heart shall throb and overflow,” and over us will appear his glory.

This weekend, lectors have the wonderful opportunity to describe the  glory of God as it breaks through and enters our world.

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Second Reading  -  Ephsians 3:2-3a, 5-6

The Mystery Revealed

There was an important mystery hidden for centuries from an entire people.  From the time of Abraham and Moses to the age of the prophets, the Jewish people did not know the secret.  However, in today’s second reading Paul says it is his job to reveal the mystery - to Jews and Gentiles alike.

He speaks quite plainly when he says the mystery “was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed . . .   that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

Salvation is for everyone.  The Epiphany is for everyone.  And since Christ came to reveal himself to everyone, we his children must share that revelation throughout the world. 

Today’s gospel talks about three Gentiles receiving the message of a newborn king with joy.  It also talks about King Herod who received the same message with fear.  With the joy of the magi, lectors are called upon to proclaim fearlessly the “promise in Christ Jesus.”

© George Fournier 2014

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
December 29, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

We close the calendar year with some insights from Father Eugene LaVerdiere taken from his pamphlet titled: “The Art of Proclamation.”  During a retreat he heard a reading from a letter of Paul, and it caused him to ask himself, “What made that reading so extraordinary?”

There are many parts to the answer he came up with, but he starts by saying, “Reading from the Scriptures is a particular kind of art, calling for a unique combination of personal gifts, hard work, insight, skill at interpretation and communication.”

These are the things that every lector does with God’s help for every proclamation.  Lectoring involves a “unique combination” - unique to each lector, resulting in a unique proclamation each and every time.  Every proclamation of the Word comes from a lector’s lifetime of experiences, in the same way that the writing of the words in the Bible came from the experiences of those who wrote them.  They are all divinely inspired, yet very human expressions.

Another key point made by Father LaVerdiere is, “Reading the Scriptures in the liturgy is also a liturgical act directly related to the assembly’s Eucharist.”  In a way that may catch some by surprise, he says the lector’s proclamation is an “extremely basic part of the liturgy . . .  more important, for instance, than the homily.”

Why?  Because: “The homilist’s point of departure is not the word on the lectionary page but the word that has just been read and heard and is now reflected on the faces of the assembly.”

The depth and majesty of God’s spoken word, spoken with love and understanding from the lips of the lector.  The starting point of every truly great proclamation.

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First Reading  -  Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Foundation

In some ways the advice presented in the first reading might appear to be self-evident.  We are told to honor and obey our parents.  We are also told that there will be a benefit to us when we do.  We will be gladdened by children, and our prayers will be answered.  Is there a need this weekend to be told again what we have heard so many times before?

The world 2,200 years ago was a time when life presented many trials.  In some ways the world today is vastly different, but the trials are still very real.  Regardless of the time or age, it is never easy to face life’s trials alone.

The author of Sirach understood that.  He knew what the fourth commandment had to say about one’s father and mother.  He also knew that family, tribe and religious tradition helped get us through trials and helped to put a perspective on things.

At some level everyone alive today understands that too.  When people hear the story of the infant birth in humble surroundings, and when they hear of the Holy Family’s desperate flight into an uncertain future in Egypt, they recognize how tenuous were the prospects of Joseph, Mary and their little son.  Upon reflection people also recognize the ability of every strong family yesterday and today to withstand the worst of trials.

Today’s first reading is both a reflection and a reminder of the power and strength that comes from family.  It is a statement of priority, a statement about what really matters.  It is a declaration that God adds his strength to the foundation upon which all humanity is built.

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Second Reading  -  Colossians  3:12-21
Surrounded by Family

In today’s second reading Paul tells us about the things that create strong families.  In many early Christian communities people gathered to worship God in their homes.  The idea and experience of family surrounded them.  They were family to each other.

Strong families were built on “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”  They needed the ability to bear with one another and forgive one another.  And above all they needed to “put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.”

A strong Christian community was a place that invited God into its midst.  People gathered together to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”  The early Christians in their strong families did thing together.

People in strong families today still do things together.  They still celebrate joyful times together.  They still endure trials and hardships together.

Paul knew what strong families needed.  This weekend you as a lector can share the things Paul knew with everyone in the assembly - with everyone who is part of your parish family.

© George Fournier 2013

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 22, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

“The lector must thoroughly understand and fully appreciate the spiritual meaning of the text before s/he can make God’s word come alive to the assembly.”

                                                                                    - Deacon Bob

Over the last few weeks, we have presented some of the insights of a deacon in our my parish about how lectors make the scriptures come alive.   What he makes clear is that lectoring involves much more than reading words on autopilot.

How, then, does the lector make the scriptures “come alive?”   “First,” suggests Deacon Bob, “the lector must be a person of prayer, s/he should pray over the scriptures.” He also advises, “Any person who prays the scriptures will just naturally attain to a higher plane of understanding and a consequent ability to make scripture come alive.”

Every prayer is a personal conversation with God, and every prayerful meditation on the scriptures invites God to inform our understanding of his words.

Additionally, Deacon Bob urges us to prepare for proclaiming the scriptures by reading them out loud.  He cites an article by William Harris, a former humanities professor from Middlebury College, who relates some of the essential benefits of this type of out-loud reading.  “Reading is kept to a slow and sensitive pace, one savors the sounds and enjoys minute changes of meaning and inflections of mood,” writes Harris.

It is ok to enjoy the sound of the words.  It is ok to understand the meaning of the words with our minds, hearts and souls.  While it is useful to review the background information offered by scripture commentaries, it is equally important to recognize God’s words as innately beautiful words, awe inspiring words, and truly life-changing words.

Praying over the scriptures involves a personal conversation between God and us.  Similarly, lectoring also involves a conversation, this time including God, the lector and the assembly.  There is a lot of personal and prayerful reflection in this kind of conversation.   The kind of reflection that makes the scriptures truly come alive.

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First reading  -  Isaiah 7:10-14
A Reason to Be Hopeful

Ahaz is incorrigible.  What do you do with a king who gets it all wrong?  Are you just stuck with him?  Do you just hope for something better after he is gone - without any really good reason to expect anything better?

Ahaz was one of Judah’s really bad kings.  He was responsible for Idolatry and child sacrifice.  He was also responsible for an alliance with Assyria that Isaiah felt was a bad idea.  It turns out that Isaiah was right.  The alliance results in Judah’s becoming a vassal of Assyria.

In today’s reading Isaiah tells Ahaz to ask for a sign from God - a recommendation which Ahaz disingenuously declines.  The king is going to do things his own way. 

Nevertheless, Isaiah tells Ahaz (and all of us) that despite external challenges and our own internal pride and obduracy, there is good reason to be hopeful about the future.  The bad things of the present day will give way to the promise of God’s presence with us forever   Kings and rulers will come and go.  Emmanuel will always be there.

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Second Reading  -  Romans 1:1-7
Identity and Belonging

At the time he wrote the Letter to the Romans, Paul had not yet visited Rome which was then a well established community of believers.  Consequently, he begins the letter by introducing himself to his readers.  He calls himself an apostle of the “gospel of God” and “a slave of Christ Jesus.”

The beginning of this letter is all about belonging  - belonging to a group of believers with a common purpose : “to bring about the obedience of faith.”

It is a feeling of belonging that extends to all Christians who “are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”  In addition to their call, they all “have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith.”

Your hearers at Mass also belong to a community of believers.  You and they belong to Jesus Christ.

Today’s reading closes with the words, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  They are powerful and memorable words for creating a sense of identity and belonging.  They are a blessing you as the lector are privileged to share with everyone in the assembly.

© George Fournier 2013

Third Sunday of Advent
December 15, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

Do you believe?

Do you believe what you are saying?

Do you?

Last week we began an examination of the purpose of lectoring.  Does a lector deliver instruction on the content of the Scriptures to his or her hearers?   Or, as was suggested by one of our deacons at a recent lector meeting, is the job of the lector to “make the Scriptures come alive?” 

But how does a lector “make the Scriptures come alive” and what does that mean? Perhaps the best answer is to look at how you make the Scriptures come alive for yourself.  It starts with believing.

Take a serious look at your next Scripture reading assignment.  Do you really believe the words that you will be proclaiming?  Is your belief based simply on the idea that the words are probably true because they come from the Bible?   Do you accept what is written because you have heard the same passage before, or because it corresponds well to some religious instruction you once received in the past?

Or do you believe because you can make a personal connection with the words?  Being personal means more than just careful analysis or intellectual acceptance.  It means both a head and heart response.  It means a genuine belief that God is saying something directly to you.  It means he is using the words you read as his means of communication.

Lectors may sometimes feel that the readings at Mass sound incomplete or obscure, hard to analyze or applicable only to people of a different time or place.  If lectors allow themselves to feel that way, it is easy to imagine how their hearers will feel.  That is not how to make the Scriptures come alive.

Believing is more than an assent of the intellect or will.  Particularly when it comes to the Scriptures.  Believing involves all that we are - people who are made whole by our sharing with each other and by our relationship with God.   When we share what we really believe, making the Scriptures come alive is really possible. 

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First Reading  -  Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10
A Witness to Joy

What a beautiful piece of poetry!  What magnificent lyrics for a song!  Do you want to feel encouraged, uplifted, or joyful?

To enjoy and appreciate today’s first reading you do not have to know anything about Carmel or Sharon.  Let the Scripture scholars worry about that.

Look instead at the words “splendor,” “rejoice” and “bloom.”  Listen to God saying, “Be strong, fear not!”  Say the words out loud and let yourself smile.  Let the smile arise from inside - from how you feel inside.

Let your hearers at Mass also feel the joy.  Everyone needs encouragement.  Everyone deserves to know, “Here is your God.”  He is right there with them at Mass.

At Mass, you can be a witness to your hearers, letting them know that God is with them.  That “he comes to save” them.  It is a kind of message that requires the highest level of belief, because it is the kind of message that is so important, so essential.   It is the kind of message you have the privilege to enjoy and proclaim.

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Second Reading  -  James 5:7-10
Patience with a Purpose and a Promise

How do you tell someone to be patient?  One way can sound somewhat disapproving, almost as if you have lost patience with the person whom you are telling to be patient.  “Please, be patient!”

Another way can sound like pleading.  “Please, have a little patience.” 

There is also the kind of patience James had in mind when he talks about Job, “You have heard of the perseverance of Job” (5:11).  In today’s second reading (5:.10) he also talks about the patience shown by “the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.”  These are examples of patience with a purpose.  A patience that is as strong as the conviction that God has something good in store for us.

Since we know that Christmas always follows Advent on the calendar, it might seem a little unnecessary to promote the value of patience.   Maybe a better word might be anticipation.  Or maybe expectation.  Both have a positive connotation.

Perhaps the best way to look beyond the burden of patience is to believe firmly that something good is about to happen.  “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,” says James.

However, we have something even better to look forward to than a farmer’s earthly harvest.  We have our own precious fruit that does not depend on “the early and the late rains.”  We have a promise made by Christ himself that he is also waiting - waiting for us.

© George Fournier 2013 

Second Sunday of Advent
December 8, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

In our recent annual lector meeting a deacon in our parish offered us an important insight into our ministry.  He said the proclamation of the Scriptures is not meant to be an exercise in exegesis, interpretation or instruction.  Rather, the job of the lector is “to make the Word of God come alive” for our hearers at Mass.

We shalll spend this week and next thinking about what he said.  This week: a brief explanation of exegesis and why it is not the goal of the lector ministry.

Dei Verbum, (Word of God) is one of the documents of Vatican II, and one of the resources our deacon recommended to us.  In section 12, the document makes a distinction between two types of exegesis: an historical and literary approach to exegesis, and a theological exegesis.  Both are valuable.  Both deepen our understanding of the Scriptures.  Both employ different methods and norms.

Historical and literary exegesis seeks to understand what the human writers of the Bible wanted to say.  To do this, it employs technical analysis that includes textual criticism, source criticism, form criticism, and a few others.  According to Dei Verbum, “Attention must be paid to the customary and characteristic styles of perceiving, speaking and narrating that prevailed at the time.”  Much of the background materials provided by Scripture commentaries help us understand how the culture and forms of expression of Old and New Testament writers influenced their choice of actual words and the analogies which they drew.

Theological exegesis is the other way of finding authentic meaning in the Scriptures.  In his essay, Vatican II on the Interpretation of Scripture, Avery Cardinal Dulles demonstrates how Dei Verbum also stresses the need to understand what God, the divine author, intended to say.  Deepening our understanding of what God is saying is the focus of theological exegesis, an approach that is guided by the Church and follows a set of norms for determining the authenticity of interpretation (Catholic tradition and a recognition that the entire Bible is inspired by God are among those norms).

Proclaimers of the Word and hearers of the Word can both benefit from a knowledge of how the Scriptures came to be.  But as lectors know, they cannot in their two or three minutes at the ambo provide this kind of background or exegesis.  At times, they might even feel a sense of frustration that they cannot.  But that is not their job.  As our deacon said, their job is to make the Word of God “come alive.”

More on this next week.

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First Reading  -  Isaiah 11:1-10
Waiting for the Good King

Who is this “he” whom Isaiah is talking about in today’s first reading? 

He seems to be saying that something good is going to “sprout from the stump of Jesse.”  He is obviously expecting a lot from a stump.

Prophets like Isaiah have a knack for recognizing all the bad behavior going on around them.  These same prophets can go on for pages describing the truly horrible outcomes resulting from this bad behavior.  Nevertheless, they can also see the good that comes from following God’s commandments.

Isaiah did not know that Jesus would arrive on earth centuries later.  But he did know that Jesse was king David’s father and God had promised David his dynasty would endure.  Finally, he knew the difference between a bad king (like Ahaz) and a good king who will have “the spirit of the Lord” resting on him.

The “he” in today’s reading is the ideal, good king who “shall judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.”  And, when the ideal king comes along, “the root of Jesse” will be “set up as a signal for the nations.”  Perhaps that why Advent is a time for hopeful waiting.

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Second Reading  -  Romans 15:4-9
Harmony in Diversity

No matter the undertaking, no matter the goal you set out to achieve, you have to take into account the different personalities and agendas you will encounter.

In his Letter to the Romans, Paul tells the Roman Christian community about his plans to bring to Jerusalem the money he collected for the city’s impoverished Jewish Christians.  He then plans to visit Rome personally before moving on to Spain. 

Despite his good intentions, he gets arrested in Jerusalem and spends two years in jail.  Ultimately, he is taken to Rome as a prisoner and is put under house arrest.  There he was martyred even before getting to Spain.

Today’s second reading extols the value of thinking “in harmony with one another.”  In this passage, Paul prays that his readers, despite their differences, “may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Sometimes it may seem that things are no different today in 2013 from the way they were in Paul’s time.  Differences can create divisions - often resulting in cruel consequences.  Perhaps, however, Christmas has a way of creating good will and harmony among all people, while also respecting and valuing their differences.  Perhaps, also, this second reading may make a small contribution to strengthening that harmony.

© George Fournier 2013

First Sunday of Advent
December 1, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

Words have great power.

When a desolate and bereft soul cries out to its maker, “Salva me!” there can be no doubt that God is the one true refuge for every soul in pain.  He is the almighty and forgiving God who saves even the most wretched of his creatures.  The cry of every soul in despair comes from deep within.  The anguished words are infused with the deepest feeling and emotion.

There is a different kind of emotion expressed in the readings for the four Sundays in Advent.  Different, but no less powerful.  No less memorable.  They resonate with our human nature.  They also give us a glimpse into God’s divine nature. For the next four Sundays, our readings will express our longing for the coming of our loving Lord and Savior.

St. Augustine understood this longing when he wrote in his Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”  More than sixteen-hundred years later, his words still resonate with us.

In the readings for this weekend, we shall hear words like, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” and, “For our salvation is nearer now that when we first believed.”  These are words of hope and anticipation.  These are truly memorable words because they speak directly to us on many levels.

Whenever a lector stands at the ambo, he or she must believe that the words spoken are filled with the power to connect us with God.  That every word and verse brings our restless hearts closer to God.  They are words and verses that speak to our human condition, whether we are experiencing the depths of despair, the possibility of hope, or the joy of knowing that God has reserved a place for us in his bosom.  These are the powerful words proclaimed by every lector at every Mass.

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First Reading  -  2 Samuel 5:1-3
Waiting

Waiting seems to be a permanent part of the human condition.

Some types of waiting come to an end.  Waiting for a train.  Waiting for the weekend.  Waiting for our next birthday.  These are things that mark the passage of time, yet have only a limited sense of direction.

There are, however, others things for which we wait without the expectation of achieving them fully.  These are the hopes and dreams that define a direction, but always remain just over the horizon.  These are the spiritual goals and aspirations that are ultimately most important.

Today’s first reading talks about how “one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”  At a time when both Israel in the north and Judah in the south were threatened by the Assyrians, Isaiah assures the people that “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.”  All they had to do was remain faithful to God’s covenant.

They didn’t.

Being perfect - either in our obedience to God or in our love for one another - is not part of humanity’s experience of living on earth.   We know the direction and its importance.  But we also know that achieving the goal must wait until we arrive at the eternal home our Lord has prepared for us.

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Second Reading  -  Colossians 112-20
Timeline for Eternity

The goal of eternal salvation may be beyond the horizon, but that does not mean we are absolved from the job of moving in that direction.  In today’s second reading, Paul has even established a timeline for our actions - a very precise timeline.

“You know the time, it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.”

Paul was a very task-oriented person.  Except for the times he was in jail, he could not sit still.  Time was too precious.  The job was too essential.  The goal was too important.

In today’s second reading, in Paul’s litany of “the works of darkness” that can derail us, we get a sense of the urgency to stay the course.  It is an urgency born of the fact that a pivotal event in human history has occurred.  Christ has come to earth and has redeemed us through the sacrifice of the cross.

During Advent we await Christ’s arrival.  Through his Incarnation he made our reaching the final horizon possible.  But while we wait, we can confidently continue our journey because know the direction our path should take.

© George Fournier 2013

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 24th, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

Making a genuine commitment must always be preceded by asking sincere questions.  How important is the goal?  How much of myself can I commit to achieving that goal?  Is it the right goal for me? 

These same questions apply to the commitment to serve as a lector.

In a recent monthly meeting of our parish lectors, we started with a prayer by John Henry Cardinal Newman.  It is a prayer humbly expressing our confidence that God already has the answers to our questions and will guide us in committing to what is right.  In part, the prayer says:

God knows me and calls me by my name. . . .

God has created me to do Him some definite service,

He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.

I have my mission --

Somehow I am necessary for His purposes…I have a part in this great work;

I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.

He has not created me for naught.  I shall do good.  I shall do His work;

I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.

Let me be Thy blind instrument.  I ask not to see--I ask not to know--I ask simply to be used.

As we conclude this liturgical year and reflect on our service as lectors, we can find reassurance in knowing that regardless of our failings and deficiencies, we are called by God to perform a “definite service.”  Our job is to answer his call with confidence and commitment.

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First Reading  -  2 Samuel 5:1-3
The King Maker

Saul was a great king.  But his day came and went (the Philistines cut off his head).  Saul was replaced by David who also had his troubles, but he was sufficiently obedient that God put him in charge of a unified Israel.  On the world scene today, there are all kinds of leaders who come and go - some more ignominiously than others.  Today, on the feast of Christ the King, we are given the opportunity to consider how earthly kings and leaders measure up to the eternal king.

When God commanded the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul as king, it was with the expectation that he would follow the Mosaic law.  Even as the most cursory look at the history of Israel shows, a fairly high percentage of its kings - starting with Saul - failed in their most basic responsibility.  Pride and political expediency often outweighed obedience to God and his law. 

Today’s first reading recounts the final step in the unification of Israel under David.  The elders of the northern tribes come to David and claim him as their brother, “Here we are, your bone and your flesh.”  They are also impressed with his credentials as a leader in battle.

Your hearers at Mass may not be aware of all the intrigues that lead up to David’s installation as king.  The details can be quite gruesome. However, the assembly can hear in your reading that God is the true source of a king’s authority. “And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.’ ”

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Second Reading  -  Colossians 1:12-20
Mystery, Awe and Wonder

Sometimes it can feel like there is a loss of mystery, awe and wonder in our lives.  The commonplace is all there is.  Even words that once elevated our emotions have become overused, abused and unable to offer inspiration.  Not so, however, with the words of today’s second reading.

In today’s reading from Colossians we encounter real poetry and song, real beauty and brilliance, and the transcendent reality of our kingly Lord.  It offers us a joyful hope that we have been made “fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.”

The reading also offers us glorious words that describe a king who is above all things but who is never disengaged from his creation: “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”  It says he is our incarnate king who is our window on the infinite greatness of God: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

This weekend lectors have a wonderful opportunity to remind their hearers that awe and wonder are still very much part of our lives.  Very much the underlying reality of what it means to have both a shepherd and a king.

© George Fournier 2013

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 17, 2013

Reflection on Lectoring

What would be wrong with having just a small group of three or four, well-trained lectors proclaim the Scriptures at every Mass?  Send them to Scripture classes and workshops on public speaking.  What better way to ensure high quality lectoring?

Of course, some people may object that lectoring is a ministry that should be available to more than just a small handful of people.  Greater participation should be, by itself, an important value.  On the other hand, even if there were as many as 30 or 40 lectors, that number would still represent only a tiny percentage of parish members.  Why should 30 or 40 be better than three or four?

Perhaps the Scriptures themselves may suggest an answer.  Perhaps presenting the depth and richness of the Scriptures is best accomplished by many diverse voices.  Perhaps, keeping the message of the Scriptures current is best accomplished by lectors of different ages and backgrounds proclaiming God’s word to their fellow worshipers of different ages and backgrounds.  Perhaps, ultimately, it is a matter of recognizing that diverse perspectives create vitality and offer new insights, while sameness creates a kind of entropy that puts listening and thinking to sleep.

Commenting on the need to keep the Christian message vital and relevant to our times, Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar wrote, “It is especially the duty of Christians to bring this creative touch to the spiritual ‘material’ a period offers.  It is part of their vocation to interpret the times, according to the world of Christ” (The God Question and Modern Man).  People living in different times and places have different experiences and speak in different idioms.  The same is no less true for lectors.

God’s majesty and the beauty of his creation are found throughout Scripture.  It is the kind of beauty and majesty that each lector experiences in his or her own way.  It is the kind of majesty and beauty that lectors are called upon to share with their hearers.

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First reading  -  Malachi 13:19-20a
"What do we gain?"

All three of today’s readings can combine to leave the assembly feeling a little battered, bruised and not a little uncomfortable.

In the first reading the prophet Malachi warns, “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven.”  Then Paul admonishes each Thessalonian who is on perpetual vacation that, “neither should that one eat.”  In the Gospel, Jesus prepares his followers for hard times by predicting that they will “be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.” 

Malachi is the last book in the Christian Old Testament.  It describes a time approximately 50 years after the Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of the temple.  It also describes the Jews’ indifference to God when they brazenly say, “It is useless to serve God, what do we gain by observing God’s requirements?” (3:14).

Somehow, these proud “evildoers” missed the point.  The God of Israel was not a god who gave you things like good health, great wealth or abundant crops in exchange for sacrifices and offerings.  He was a god of love and justice who offered his chosen people a covenant of love and justice.

This is a reading with a stark choice.  Dismiss God’s justice, and be left with “neither root nor branch.”  Or, fear the Lord, and experience the “sun of justice with its healing rays.”

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Second Reading  -  2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
No Work, No Food

As evident in Second Thessalonians, Christians were just as capable as the post-exilic Jews of becoming indifferent or confused about what God is saying and about their responsibility as a community of believers.

Believing that the day of the Lord was at hand, some Thessalonians became frozen in fear.  Others decided that working for a living no longer made much sense.  While still others made a general nuisance of themselves.  This was a genuine problem.  Not just because no work was being done, but because this distorted notion of the parousia was threatening the faith.  The “perverse and wicked people” spreading falsehoods mentioned in last week’s second reading were doing a lot of damage.

Perhaps some of the people at Mass may be unaware of the background of this story, with the result that the admonition to the Thessalonians “to work quietly and to eat their own food” may seem somewhat prosaic or commonplace.   Nevertheless, being a responsible and supportive member of a community is always important.  St. Paul clearly thought so.

© George Fournier 2013