Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
June 23 & 24, 2012

Reflection on Lectoring

Lectors need people.

They need people to share the words they proclaim.  They need their brothers and sisters to reflect with them on the meaning of those words.

Just as there can’t be a speech without people to hear it, there can’t be a Scripture proclamation without an assembly to respond, “Thanks be to God.”

Scriptures can be read quietly by people seeking personal guidance, inspiration, or a closer relationship with God.  However, Scriptures proclaimed at Mass add a new dimension - a communal sharing in a face-to-face setting where the entire community listens and responds.

Lectors need hearers not because they crave attention, but because they are part of a worshipping community.  Far from being great orators who stand alone in the limelight, lectors are people who sincerely want to be connected with other people.

The Holy Spirit offers lectors spiritual energy and guidance when proclaiming God’s words.  Lectors can also derive energy and encouragement from their connection with their fellow worshippers.  Experiencing that connection is an important aspect of an effective proclamation - the kind of proclamation that brings the Spirit, the assembly and the lector closer together.

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"Then I will proclaim your name to the assembly; in the community I will praise you.”

                                                                                    -  Psalms 22:23

Vigil Mass
First Reading - Jeremiah 1:4-10
Hesitant Prophet

The prophet Jeremiah seems to have heard identical words from God when he heard him say, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.”

Compare that to the first reading from today’s Mass during the day (see below) where Isaiah says, “The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

Both of these prophets were called by God.  Both experienced the hardships of their profession.  Jeremiah even accused God of duping him and causing him to be an object of laughter (Jeremiah 20:7).  And he said so in writing.

There are many truly profound and emotional stories that lectors share with their brothers and sisters at Mass.  In some ways, lectors pick up where the prophets left off.  They may even have some of the same fears and hesitations experienced by the prophets.

But whether we are a prophet, a lector, or a sincere Christian, we can be sure that God has a plan and a calling for each of us, even before we are born.

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Vigil Mass
Second Reading - 1 Peter 1:8-12
Searching Prophet 

Today we know even more than the greatest prophets of the Old Testament.  They “searched and investigated,” seeking the truth that has now been revealed.  For us, Christ’s death and resurrection provide a clear reason to hope for salvation.

Regardless, however, of how much or how little we know, there is still an indispensable need for faith.  The prophets needed faith to continue their search.  We need faith to continue on the path to salvation.

In his first letter, Peter is promoting membership in the church despite the costs and persecutions incurred by early believers.  It may well be that paying for something has always made it harder to take things for granted.  Perhaps this second reading can provide us with the encouragement to commit more fully to live a life of faith. 

Prophets often paid the price for their searching.  Christians today must also make sacrifices and make difficult choices.  Perhaps lectors can encourage their brothers and sisters to make those difficult choices by proclaiming the “indescribable and glorious joy” that comes from searching and believing.

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Mass during the DayFirst Reading - Isaiah 49:1-6

Joyful Prophet 

Occasionally, prophets are allowed to be joyful.  Too often, however, they are called to pronounce stern warnings about the consequences of disobeying God’s law.  Sometimes they also found it necessary to complain about the bad treatment they received when pointing out the faults of others.  Being a prophet could be a very disagreeable job.

Not in this first reading, however.

It was true that Isaiah often thought he “had toiled in vain, and for nothing.”  However, in these verses he also recognizes that “my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.”

In describing the servant “through whom I show my glory,” this reading sometimes refers to Isaiah, sometimes Israel.  Although his identity is not always clear, it is certain that the Lord had a plan for his servant when he “called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

There is one additional thing that is also certain.  People who are faithful to their calling in life, and who find joy in their relationship with God will be “a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

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Mass during the Day
Second Reading - Acts:13:22-26

Eloquent Prophet

The Acts of the Apostles is filled with “firsts” - many really significant first events in the history of the Church.  Today’s second reading recounts Paul’s first big address delivered during his first missionary trip to Asia Minor.

By the way Acts 13, verse 16 describes it, you can tell Paul’s inaugural address was be a big deal: “Then Paul arose, and motioning with his hand for silence said, ‘Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.’”

Paul then recounts the historical events that led up to the Messiah and the salvation that he earned for us.  Paul ends his narrative with the story of John the Baptist who, like Isaiah in the first reading, has some really good news.

Paul had a way with words.  Like Peter at Pentecost, he got people’s attention.  Happily, we still have Paul’s words.  We also have the help of the Holy Spirit for effectively sharing those words with others.