July 28, 2013
Reflection on Lectoring
Should lectors love the people who hear them proclaim the
Scriptures at Mass? Perhaps an even
better question is: “How should
lectors love the people at Mass?”
In his book, A
Secular Age, Catholic philosopher Charles Taylor describes the relationship
between a mother and child as a catalyst for the child’s growth. According to Taylor, in this kind of
relationship a mother’s guidance is not just a service she performs. It is a bond of love “where each (the mother
and the child) is a gift to the other, where each gives and receives, and where
the line between giving and receiving is blurred.”
In his book I and
Thou, Jewish theologian Martin Buber describes an I-You relationship in
which, “no purpose intervenes between I and You.” There is “no greed and no anticipation.” It is a relationship in which giving and
receiving are merged into a single act, with no consideration of
reciprocity. Giving is receiving. Receiving is giving.
The story of the Prodigal Son is like that. The father of the wayward son does not
express disappointment over the poor return on investment he receives for the
gifts he has given to his son. Instead,
the father is overjoyed to be able to give his returning son even more. In giving, the father receives.
“For it is in giving that we receive,” according to the
prayer of St. Francis.
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First Reading - Genesis 18: 20-32
Every Step of the Way
For some people, God is the person who created the
universe according to natural laws, and then stepped back allowing it operate
on its own. This is a kind of Deistic
belief that postulates a somewhat hands-off God.
According to this belief, there is no room for miracles
that violate the scientific working of natural law. You can check out the Bible edited by Thomas
Jefferson for what a miracle-free world looks like. It is officially called, The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.
Today’s first reading is definitely not about a hands-off
God. Immediately before this reading in
verse 17, God is standing right next to Abraham and debates whether to tell him
what is in store for Sodom and Gomorrah, “Shall
I hide from Abraham what I am about to do. . . ?”
God decides to tell Abraham his plans, and Abraham starts
his well-known bargaining session, hoping that God will spare the two sinful
cities. For Abraham, God was no distant
reality. Although sulfurous fire
eventually rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah (ch.19, v.24), Abraham received a
fair hearing from a totally present God who was willing to listen.
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Second Reading - Colossians 2: 12-14
The Possibility of Real Love
In today’s first reading we see the degree to which God
is directly involved in the lives of his creatures. Today’s second reading offers the ultimate
example of God’s involvement: the Incarnation.
The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus liberated us
from “the bond against us with its legal
claims.” Together with Jesus we are
raised from the dead. Together with
Jesus we are brought to life. And because
of Jesus’ sacrifice, our transgressions are forgiven.
Today’s Gospel tells us how to talk directly to God, and
how to ask for the things we really need.
When they are read together, all three of today’s readings demonstrate
that our hope in God’s direct involvement is well founded. They assure us that praying the Lord’s Prayer
is something we can do with confidence.
© George Fournier 2013
