May 5, 2013
Reflection on Lectoring
A genuine faith in God, like hope and charity, is a theological
virtue that you cannot get too much of.
It is a gift from God that is always available, but is often kept in the
background as we think about daily schedules, family and job-related responsibilities,
and how to pay the bills.
In a world where getting things done is what matters
most, spending time in seeking greater faith can sometimes seem like a luxury. Sometimes also, helping others discover the true
value of faith can feel like presumption, especially when the one who shares
his or her faith has insecurities about his or her own beliefs.
There is, however, something about which everyone can be certain:
God has placed in our hearts a desire to know him and trust him. We can also be certain that, by our baptism, God
has also made it possible for everyone to be a faithful witness.
The Second Vatican Council, in its document Lumen Gentium (Light of Humanity), makes
all this clear by saying, “Each individual layman must be a witness before the
world to the resurrection and life of the Lord Jesus, and a sign of the living
God” (38).
How then does a lector interpret his or her role as a
witness?
Faith can be reinforced or diminished by our
example. Faith can look authentic and
vital, or it can look like an empty afterthought with no connection to real
life. People who attend Mass are looking
for authentic examples of real faith.
They are looking for real witnesses who can energize faith.
People really want faith-filled liturgies, faith-filled
homilies, faith-filled communal praying and singing, and faith-filled
proclamations of the Scriptures. They
really do.
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First Reading - Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Dissension and Debate
In last weekend’s first reading, Paul and Barnabas returned
to the Church in Antioch from a very eventful missionary journey. However, along with their success came some
serious questions about what should be required of Gentile converts.
Some of the Jews in Jerusalem were not happy about Paul’s
belief that the law of Moses need not apply to Gentiles. The result: “no little dissension and debate.”
The early Church was no stranger to disagreements. It took centuries to iron out questions about
the nature of the Creator, the person of Jesus, and the structure and authority
of the Church. Perhaps important
subjects like these always deserve a lot of serious discussion.
The Council of Jerusalem became the model for how to
resolve really important questions. As today’s
first reading shows, the apostles and elders relied on good judgment and the
Holy Spirit for help in discerning an answer that would stand the test of time.
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Second Reading - Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
Splendor and Radiance
How likely is it that the people attending Mass this
weekend will know much about jasper? One
definition has it that jasper is an opaque, impure variety of silica found in
many colors. It is derived from the
Greek word for “spotted stone.”
Since lectors are not permitted to embellish their
readings with additional commentary, they might wonder what their hearers at
Mass will make of “jasper, clear as
crystal,” or of a city that had “twelve
courses of stones as its foundation.”
While it may be helpful for lectors to consult Scripture
commentaries to better understand the meaning behind the descriptions of the “holy city Jerusalem,” (one commentary
draws a parallel to Ephesians 2:29, “built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets’), the symbolism may not
resonate very strongly with their hearers.
What may be more important is the overall feeling of “splendor” and “radiance” that describes the new Jerusalem. It is a city that “had no need of sun or moon to shine on it.” Rather, “the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.”
© George Fournier 2013
