September 29, 2013
Reflection on Lectoring
Welcome to the 100th edition of Reflection on
Lectoring.
At my parish in Central Florida, the Spirit-filled proclamation
of the Word is an essential and powerful part of our communal worship. In Isaiah, the Lord says, “So shall my word be that goes forth from my
mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end
for which I sent it” (55:11). In
their prayerful proclamation of the Scriptures, our lectors embody a deep
belief that God’s word is effective even when shared by his most humble of instruments.
With both love and humility our lectors perform their
ministry as an unselfish service to their brothers and sisters. They recognize their calling as a privilege
and a gift. They demonstrate by their personal
commitment to the Scriptures that God’s word can have real meaning and
importance for everyone in the assembly.
At my parish, lectors are blessed to be part of a
community that truly supports effective proclamation. Our clergy and religious, our Director of
Liturgy and all our parish staff have consistently shown their love for God’s
word. They have also shown that they
value the sharing of that word at Mass and at every gathering where God and his
word are present.
It has been my privilege to reflect with you, our readers, each week on
the lector ministry and on the words we proclaim. As a lector of 30 years, I have been blessed
to hear God’s voice through many Scripture passages. I have been doubly blessed to share some of
what I have heard with you.
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First Reading - Amos 6:1a, 4-7
The Cold Shoulder
There are many bad things that can happen to you if you
say bad things about your boss, the president of your club or association, or
about your host at a party or social gathering.
Even if what you say is true, you could lose your
job. People may stop talking to
you. Or, you might never get invited to another party.
These were very real possibilities for the prophet Amos.
Around 760 B.C.
things
got so nasty that Amaziah, the official priest of Bethel and good friend of
king Jeroboam II, tells Amos that he is no longer welcome, “Off with you seer, flee to the land of Judah and there earn your bread
by prophesying!” (ch.7, v.1) Not to
be outdone, Amos responds with nasty comments about Amaziah’s wife.
What is a lector to
do with all this acrimony? In today’s
first reading, as in the first reading from last week, we hear about rich and
powerful people who create walls that separate them from the poor and
powerless. As a result of this lack of
compassion both sides are made poorer. Today’s
Gospel story about the rich man and Lazarus tells us that there will be a harsh
accounting in the next life. Perhaps, even
in this life, those who lack compassion close the do
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Second Reading - 1 Timothy 6:11-16
Advice to a Friend
Timothy was a true friend and helper to Paul. He was a faithful companion who travelled
with Paul on two of his missionary journeys, co-sponsored five of his letters,
and carried out many special missions. Referring
to Timothy in Philippians, Paul says, “I
have no one comparable to him” (2:20). Perhaps not surprisingly, he was
destined to become the bishop of the important community at Ephesus.
It is apparent that Paul genuinely cares about Timothy,
calling him “my true child” (1
Timothy 1:1), and “brother and co-worker
for God” (1 Thessalonians 3:2). As
we noted in last week’s reflection, Paul even expressed concerns about Timothy’s
health.
In both of his Pastoral Letters to Timothy, Paul gives
his friend advice on how to promote the true faith. Perhaps, however, some of the best advice is
found in today’s reading. If Timothy as
a “man of God” pursues “righteousness, devotion, faith, love,
patience and gentleness” he will “lay
hold of eternal life.” He will also
be the kind of bishop who provides a genuine witness to the majesty and love of
God.
For insights into
true friendship, Paul’s letters to Timothy demonstrate the love that these two
men of God had for their mission and for each other.
© George Fournier 2013
