April 28, 2013
Reflection on Lectoring
“After a mother has smiled for some time at her child, it
will begin to smile back; she has awakened love in its heart.”
In his book, Love
Alone: The Way to Revelation quoted above, Catholic theologian Hans Urs von
Balthasar writes, “God expresses himself before man as love.” It is a dialogue of love between God and his
creatures which mirrors the love shared by a mother and her child.
It is a loving dialogue that enables faith to flourish in
ourselves and then extend outward to include others. For it is by our love that others recognize
the authenticity of our faith.
Lectoring is one means for achieving that dialogue of
love, and through it, an authentic sharing of our faith. It starts with our experiencing in prayer the
love that radiates from God. It
continues outward to our neighbor as St. Paul wrote, “For God
who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to bring
to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ” (2
Corinthians 4:6).
Lectoring is a statement of both love and faith. It is more than a simple reading of facts
about God. It is ministry performed by
real flesh and blood people. By people who have been open to the love of God. And by people who share the glory of God
through the authenticity of their love for others.
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First Reading - Acts 14:21-27
The Journey Ahead
Today’s first reading brings to a conclusion Paul’s first
missionary journey which he began in last weekend’s first reading.
And what a first journey it was. Paul was run out of town three times. The third time, he was dragged out half dead
after being stoned. In Lystra, they
wanted to make him a God after he cured a man unable to walk. And in just about every place he went, there
were people who really liked what Paul had to say, as well as people who really
hated what he had to say.
In an almost understated way Luke quotes Paul and
Barnabas as saying, “It is necessary for
us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Yet, despite all the turmoil, they still managed
to appoint elders in each church and commended them to the Lord with prayers
and fasting.
As you prepare to proclaim this reading, you might do
well to ask: How is the Good News received by people today? Are there people like Paul still around? To what extent does a lector continue Paul’s
mission?
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Second Reading - Revelation 21:1-5a
The Ideal Place to Live
Today’s second reading brings us nearly to the end of the
Book of Revelation. It describes a new
Jerusalem where injustice, pain and even death will be conquered when the “old order has passed away.”
When the Babylonian empire destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC,
the prophet Ezekiel promised a restoration, “My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they will be
my people” (37: 27). Echoing
Ezekiel, John hears the voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his
people.”
This new Jerusalem will be more than just a restoration
of the old order under the terms of the old covenant. It will be something brand new. However, it will still be a place for real people,
not a mythical palace meant only for mythical beings.
Your hearers at Mass this weekend can take comfort in
knowing that God’s mercy and justice are ultimately supreme. However, even before the apocalyptic arrival
of the new Jerusalem occurs, they can take comfort in knowing that God is already
dwelling with them whenever two or three are gathered in his name.
© George Fournier 2013
