January 27, 2013
Reflection
on Lectoring
This is a great weekend to be a lector.
In the first reading, Ezra opens the scroll, and all the
people raised their hands and shouted, “Amen, amen!” In the Gospel, Jesus unrolled the scroll and
talked about glad tidings to an assembly that listened intently. In the second reading, Paul talks about
everyone having a role to play in building up the church. It is clear when reflecting on these three
readings that lectors can find parallels to their own role in building up the
church.
In a recent column entitled: “10 Questions for Better
Preparation” by George Miller, http://lectorresources.com/blog.html?entry=10-questions-for-better-preparation the author says, “The thrill of proclaiming
God’s word comes when we know our reading so well that we can’t wait to tell it
to the assembly, in the same way as when we can’t wait to give exciting news to
friends.”
He is not exaggerating.
There should be a thrill. The lector should find it hard to wait to share God’s word with the
assembly. What you are reading is exciting news. Really.
Ezra must have been thrilled and honored. Paul most certainly was convinced that God
gave each of us a role in making him present to our brothers and sisters. The people who heard Jesus in the synagogue marveled
at how he made the words of the Scripture come alive. Proclaiming the Good News is a high calling.
This weekend is a great weekend to be a lector. So are they all.
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First Reading - Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
The Thrill of Proclaiming
When the Israelites returned from the Babylonian captivity
in 538 BC, they had a lot of work to do.
In 515 BC they rebuilt their demolished temple. Later in 445 BC when Nehemiah asked the
Persian king to make him governor of Judah, he had a reconstruction plan in
mind. One of his most famous projects was
the rebuilding of a wall around Jerusalem - now known as the Nehemiah wall.
There was, however, another kind of rebuilding that was
just as important. The law of Moses had
given the people of Israel their identity before their exile. Now, after their exile, the law was just as
essential for healing and rebuilding.
Nehemiah built a wall. Ezra
helped his people find their soul.
Judging by the rejoicing of the people when they heard
Ezra’s reading, they clearly understood the importance of what he had proclaimed
to them. It is also clear that Ezra knew
how to get the message across: “Ezra read
plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could
understand what was read.”
It is also apparent that Ezra was thrilled to be the
person chosen to proclaim God’s word.
You can sense him celebrating with his hearers when he says, “For rejoicing in the Lord must be your
strength!”
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Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
The Best Source of Advice
Last week in the beginning of chapter 12 from 1
Corinthians, Paul itemizes nine different ways in which members of a local
church (in this case, the church in Corinth) can help to build up the assembly. This week, he connects all nine ways together
with an analogy.
This is a relatively long reading, almost a homily in
itself. Is it appropriate for lectors to
reflect on the reading’s message for themselves without first seeking advice
from somewhere else? The first question
George Miller asks in his comments referred to above is: “What is the central
theme?”
You can find a theme in our lector workbook. Or you can put some thought and prayer into
discerning the message for yourself - and trust that the Holy Spirit is the
best source of advice. After that, you
can look to see if other informed sources agree with you.
© 2013 George Fournier
