Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 4, 2012

Reflection on Lectoring

How does a lector know whether the words he or she proclaims make a difference?  Or if those words really minister to peoples’ needs?

As we pointed out in last week’s Reflection on Lectoring, God said his words do make a difference.  “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth.  It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:11).

There is still more encouragement for the lector in Isaiah 40:6, 8, “A voice says, ‘Proclaim!’  I answer, ‘What shall I proclaim?’”   The answer comes back, “The word of our God stands forever.”

In his book “Jesus of Nazareth,” Pope Benedict XVI makes an insightful point about the words of Jesus that announce the coming of the Kingdom.  The Messiah’s words are an example of performative speech - the kind of speech (as distinguished from merely informative speech) that has the power to save and to transform.  It is the kind of speech that can touch the hearts of those who hear.  It is the Good News that really does change the world.

The words that lectors proclaim do much more than provide a simple history lesson, or identify ancient places in the Bible, or inform us about the genealogies of people who lived centuries ago.

The words read by every lector at every Mass are transformative words that make a real difference today.  They are words that change people’s lives.   They are words that renew our parish, our community, and our world.

God himself said so.

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Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all fleash shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

                                                                              - Isaiah 40:5

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First Reading  -  Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Words That Last Forever

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!”

There could not be a better example of performative speech than the above words taken from the Book of Deuteronomy.  They are words that moved people centuries before Christ.  And they continue to move people today.

They are words that convey our basic belief about the essential nature of God.  He is the one God.  The creator of everything.  The “I am who am” who spoke to Moses.  The eternal and all-powerful being about whom Moses instructs the Israelites in today’s first reading.

The Book of Deuteronomy contains all the “statutes and commandments” by which the people of Israel are to be governed.  Deuteronomy also contains words that describe who God is and how we must respond to his love.

In today’s Mass, the words of the great commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength,” will be proclaimed twice, once from Deuteronomy, once from the Gospel of Mark.  They are powerful words that continue to move people today.

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Second Reading  -  Hebrews 7:23-28
Pericope

The Gospels contain many pericopes  - brief stories about what Jesus said or did assembled together to form a continuous narrative.  These pericopes often serve as the text for the Gospel readings proclaimed at Mass.  In a similar way, the first and second readings at every Mass are short selections of Scripture that also form a coherent unit or complete thought.

At times, these short Scripture passages may seem fragmentary, or lacking some of the background information that a longer passage might provide.  One way to offer additional perspective is to select several sequential passages from the same New Testament letter or Old Testament book and proclaim them over the course of several Sundays.  That is what is found in today’s second reading - the fifth of seven passages from the Letter to the Hebrews.

In today’s reading, Jesus is described as the perfect high priest who “has a priesthood that does not pass away.”  Jesus has brought with him a new covenant that has none of the limitations of the old law of Moses and the old levitical priesthood.

What meaning will people in the assembly derive from a passage about the eternal priesthood of Jesus?  Some of that meaning will be shaped by the way the Scripture is proclaimed by the lector. Through prayer and reflection, the lector brings to his or her proclamation an informed perspective - the kind of perspective that gives real meaning to this reading’s concluding words, “but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.”

A pericope may give us only a partial understanding of the whole story.  In reality, however, no amount of words will ever enable us to understand completely our infinitely perfect high priest.  But every word can bring us closer.

© 2012, George Fournier

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 28, 2012

Reflection on Lectoring

This is a special anniversary.

What started as weekly reflections for lectors at my parish a year ago is now available to anyone who follows this blog.  I thank all of you who read this blog each week.  I also thank you for the essential contribution you make to your parish liturgies.

The central theme of this year’s reflections has been relationship - the lector’s relationship to the people in the assembly, the lector’s relationship to the Scriptures, and the lector’s relationship to God.

In Mark 12:31, Jesus said the second of the two great commandments is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Ministry - including the ministry of lector - means serving the needs of others.  It also means loving the people you serve.  Lectors must love the people in the assembly if the words they speak are to be received with love.

St. Jerome, a Doctor of the Church who translated most of the Bible into Latin, is famous for having said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” (from his Commentary on Isaiah).  Having a relationship with the Scriptures is a powerful way to banish ignorance and receive new insights - the kinds of insights lectors share every time they proclaim the words of Scripture in the assembly.

God once said through the prophet Isaiah, “My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it” (55:11). God chooses lectors as an important way to achieve the purpose for which he sends his word.  In doing so, he creates a very special relationship with all those who proclaim that word.
We look forward to serving all of you who proclaim God’s word as we begin our second year of lector reflections.

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First Reading  -  Jeremiah 31: 7-9
Part of the Equation

When you proclaim today’s first reading, will the people who listen become more hopeful, cheerful or joyful?

That is exactly what you are asking them to do when you say, “Shout with joy,” “Exult,” “Proclaim your praise.”

Of course, your hearers might simply take themselves out of the equation, preferring to interpret the words of Jeremiah as something that applies only to the long-ago people of Israel who were living in exile.

Is this reading simply a history lesson about exile and return?  Is it only a retelling of a story that your hearers have heard many times before?  Will it be filed away without really being heard?

This reading asks for a response.  It presents a glimpse into God’s love for his people - a love that is just as alive today as it was thousands of years ago.  In today’s first reading, the lector presents the story of God’s faithfulness and exhorts his or her hearers to “Shout with joy.”  In so doing, the lector also becomes part of the equation.

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Second reading  -  Hebrews 5:1-6
Extremely Well Qualified

Why does the name of Melchizedek come up when discussing the high priesthood of Jesus?  It seems a little obscure.

In last weekend’s second reading from Hebrews, Jesus was introduced as the high priest who was able “to sympathize with our weaknesses.”  In this reading, we are going to hear about his qualifications for the job.

He is a high priest who is:
            -  taken from among men,
            -  being like us, serves as our authentic representative,
            -  called to the job by God and not by his own choice.

The comparison to Melchizedek also confers on Jesus an additional qualification not found in the Jewish high priests from the tribe of Levi.  In Genesis 14:18-22, Abraham gives tithes to Melchizedek, a priest who predates the arrival of Levi.  And since Genesis never mentions anything about Melchizedek ever dying, Hebrews presents Jesus as someone who is “a priest forever.”

You can find a more complete analysis of the comparison between Melchizedek and Jesus by reading the seventh chapter of Hebrews, verses 1-21.  It is essential reading for every lector.

© 2012, George Fournier

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 21, 2012

Reflection on Lectoring

Everyone has heard these words:

     Free at last!

          Free at last!

               Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

When Martin Luther King quoted these words from a Negro spiritual during his “I Have a Dream” speech, he made them part of every American’s consciousness.

In the same powerful way, the New Testament has a lot to say about freedom:  freedom from the slavery of sin (Romans 7:6)   -    freedom from false gods and the things of this world (Galatians 4:1-7)   -    and the freedom to hope in eternal life, “This is the promise that he made us: eternal life” (1 John 2:25).

Words like these, preserved on every page of the Bible, are part of our Christian consciousness.  They are essential to our understanding of who we are and the world around us.  They inspire us.  They move us to action.  They are the same powerful words spoken at every Mass by every lector.

There can never be anything casual or commonplace about the way they are proclaimed.

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"So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child than also an heir, through God."
                                                                  

                                                                           - Galatians 4:7

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First Reading  -  Isaiah 53:10-11
Who Is This Person?

Who is the person Isaiah is writing about in today’s first reading?

To answer that question, it would be helpful to read all of Chapter 53 and its description of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant.  In this chapter, scholars think Isaiah was describing the restored nation of Israel after the Babylonian exile.  Christians reflecting on this passage find in the Suffering Servant a direct parallel to the sacrifice of the Messiah who was crushed in infirmity to justify the many.

Isaiah did not know about Jesus when he wrote the Suffering Servant songs.  But he knew that there is something extraordinary about someone who sacrifices everything for the sake of others.  Chapter 53 opens with the words, “Who would believe what we have heard?”  And it ends with the words, “Therefore I will give him his portion among the great. . .  and he shall take away the sins of the many, and win pardon for their offenses.”

When you reflect on whom the Suffering Servant describes, you might think about the kinds of people who have made lasting contributions to humanity.  Your answer to that question might guide the way in which you proclaim today’s first reading.
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Second Reading  -  Hebrews:4:14-16
Just Like Us

In last week’s second reading from Hebrews, Christ was described as the “word of God.”  For the next five Sundays, he will be described in Hebrews as a “high priest.”   Why is there so much importance attached to this one aspect of Christ’s relationship with his people?  The answer will be found in Hebrews’ eloquent comparison between Old Testament priests, their sacrifices and the perfect sacrifice of Christ.

Running from 4:14 to 10:18, Hebrews gives us a comprehensive picture of Christ’s role as our perfect high priest.  In today’s passage, we find a powerful reason to feel confident when we ask for his help.

There is a quality of mercy found in Jesus, our new high priest.  He understands our needs because he experienced them himself.  The mystery of his incarnation serves as the foundation for our belief that we have a priest “who has passed through the heavens,” and was tested in every way.

It is easy for this passage to sound like a lot of abstract theologizing if not proclaimed with a sense that Christ really cares about us.  He sacrificed himself because he cares.  He gave us the Mass to renew that caring sacrifice.  He inspired the words you read so that the assembly will clearly understand that he continues to care

© 2012 George Fournier

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 14, 2012

Reflection on Lectoring

In last week’s Reflection on Lectoring, we explored some of the ways lectors receive personal blessings when proclaiming the Scriptures.  This week, we invite you to think about some of your most memorable experiences at the ambo.

For some lectors, the most memorable lectoring experiences occur on special occasions like a wedding, a funeral Mass, or an uplifting Easter liturgy.

For other lectors, the reading itself is memorable because of its powerful words, or because it contains a personally meaningful message.

Since the inspired Scriptures have been around for thousands of years, there is certainly something memorable and meaningful in all of them.  In the same way, all Scriptures proclaimed at Mass have the potential to convey a message that personally connects with the lector and his or her hearers.

Fulfilling that potential is a process that starts with the lector and is guided by the Holy Spirit.  It is a process that can grace the lector with spiritual insights and a deeper commitment to faith.  It is a gift that, when humbly received, can then be shared with others.

Not every Scriptures passage has the same meaning for everyone.  However, every Scripture proclamation can be an opportunity to learn and to share.  They can all make a difference.  For both the lector and the assembly, every Scripture proclamation can be an opportunity to create a memory.  Before your next lectoring assignment you might ask yourself what memory is most vivid for you?

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"My mouth will speak the praises of the Lord:  all flesh will bless his holy name."

                                                                                    - Psalm 145
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First Reading  -  Wisdom 7:7-11
A Memorable Exhortation

Like today’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, the Book of Wisdom was written, in part, to encourage its hearers to remain faithful to their beliefs.  Written in the first century B.C., the Book of Wisdom puts wisdom’s praises in the mouth of King Solomon, the preeminent Old Testament spokesman for the value of wisdom.

Also like Hebrews, this passage from Wisdom overflows with memorable words and phrases.  In chapter 7, verse 7, Solomon pleads for the spirit of wisdom, extolling wisdom as more precious than gold, silver or priceless gems.  Later in verses 22 and 23, not included in today’s reading, there is a glowing litany of twenty-one, rapid-fire adjectives to drive home the point.  Reading these two verses might give you an idea for the tone of your proclamation.

Wisdom is ultimately another way of speaking about God.  In First Corinthians, Paul employs that same analogy in describing Christ when he says, “Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1:24). As you will see in today’s second reading, it is the same kind of appropriation of Old Testament symbolism that Hebrews uses when describing Christ as “the word of God’ (4:12).

What will the assembly remember when it hears you proclaim this brief Scripture passage extolling a somewhat abstract concept?  Perhaps speaking Solomon’s exuberant words in a convincingly positive way will leave a positive, lasting memory.

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Second Reading  -  Hebrews 4:12-13
Another Memorable Exhortation

This is the second of seven consecutive Sundays during which a passage from the Letter to the Hebrews will be proclaimed at Mass.  Why is this one letter given so much attention?  What did this letter seek to accomplish?

The best clue to the reason for writing Hebrews is found in the last chapter when the author says his composition is meant to be a “word of exhortation” (13:22).  Like the Book of Wisdom (see above), Hebrews is really an exhortation, the kind  that encourages early Christians to remain steadfast in their faith despite the challenges of maintaining unpopular beliefs.

This weekend, you will be reading from one of the most memorable passages in the New Testament when you proclaim the words, “Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow.”

In chapter 1, verse 1, Hebrews begins by saying Jesus Christ is the living Word of God that surpasses the words of the prophets.  Your hearers at Mass may not be aware of how Hebrews compares Jesus to the words of the prophets, but they can hear the power of the words you proclaim today.

© 2012 George Fournier

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 7, 2010

Reflection on Lectoring

For the past few weeks, we have reflected on some of the reasons that lead people to serve their parish as a lector.  This week, we’ll consider some of the ways lectoring serves the lector.

It is often said that the best way to learn about something is to tell or teach it to someone else.  Lectoring is a lot like that.  Lectoring offers a powerful way to learn about your beliefs, and, in the process, learn something about yourself.

Answering questions like, “Who is God?” and, “What do I believe?” requires tapping into a basic understanding of our identity as Christians.  Lectors who proclaim this weekend’s Scriptures will be especially challenged to make connections between what they believe and who they are.

Both the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of Mark (which quotes Genesis) describe the transformation of two people into one flesh as a divinely inspired creation of something brand new.  Their union is greater than the sum of two parts.  It is also something that has an existential and lasting reality.

The Letter to the Hebrews in today’s second reading offers one of the greatest testimonials to the incarnation found in the New Testament.  Not only did God in the person of Jesus become man, he also suffered and died for all men and women.

Preparing to proclaim these Scriptures requires more than becoming familiar with the words and phrases.  It involves an examination of our beliefs, of our understanding of marriage, and of our relationship with the Christ who suffered for us.  It may also involve discovering something about who we are.

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"He who has ears to hear, let mim hear."
                                             - Mark 4:9

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First Reading  -  Genesis 2:18-24
Something Old, Someting New

”That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.”

There is a cosmic quality about what a man and a woman can do together.  It started with just Adam and Eve.  In Genesis, they are the highpoint of creation.  “God created mankind in his image” (1:27).  God also gave men and women dominion over all other living things.  Then he said, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (1:28).

Today, even though there are billions of men and women on earth, the majestic quality of their union remains the same.  For Catholics, it is a sacrament that recognizes how two people can create something new, while acknowledging continuity with God’s original plan.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says the same thing using much the same words, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Mark 10:7-8).

At Mass, the people in the assembly will hear these words from Genesis in ways that relate to their experience (or lack of experience) with marriage.  However, what everyone can obtain from your proclamation is an understanding that marriage has been an essential part of God’s plan for all of creation, and for all of time.

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Second Reading  -  Hebrews 2:9-11
Lower Than the Angels

For the next several Sundays, we’ll be exploring the Letter to the Hebrews.  Although generally considered a sermon and not a letter written for a specific Christian community, Hebrews is one of the most eloquent and best written compositions in the New Testament.

In today’s passage from Hebrews, the author is talking about Jesus’ becoming like us.  He starts by identifying humanity’s place in the hierarchy of creation by quoting Psalm 8, “You have made him little less than the angels” (v. 6).  He then proclaims the mystery of the incarnation by announcing that Jesus also became “lower than the angels,” so that “by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

In this week’s Reflection of Lectoring (above), we invited you to think about your own belief in the incarnation as you prepare to proclaim this passage at Mass.  What do you hear when you read that the God “for whom and through whom all things exist” brought his “children to glory” by the suffering of his son?  Just as important, how does what you learn from meditating on the story of God’s infinite love impact the way in which you share that story with other?

© 2012, George Fournier