When I was little, I remember noticing certain people during Mass and wondering why they were allowed to do the “special jobs.”
A teenager carried the cross and wore a nice white and black robe. A few adults read from this fancy book (which I later learned is called the lectionary) before the priest shared the Gospel. There was usually a family (including my own on occasion) that brought up the bread, water, and wine, and then some others who would collect money from people and later hand out bulletins to everyone before they left the church.
Fast forward many years. I have since had the pleasure of assisting in various roles during the Mass, including altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister, and part-time Sunday School leader. I can speak first-hand to the many benefits of becoming involved in a local church beyond simple participation in the pews.
With so many opportunities available at Mass, below is a description that may encourage you to serve as a lector—a role the Catechism describes as exercising “a genuine liturgical function” (CCC 1143).
Jump In, Commit Little
Acting as a lector—or reader, as it is more commonly known—is the perfect way to volunteer in a church community without taking on too much responsibility.
Depending on the number of lectors active at your church and your own availability, you may only be needed every so often—once every month or two, for instance, based on schedule rotations. Then again, whenever you are attending Mass and are not scheduled to read, you can always check with the priest in the sacristy, in the event there is a last-minute need for a lector.
In terms of time required, a lector might be asked to arrive at church about 15 to 20 minutes before the start of Mass to review the readings and go over any special announcements.
During the celebration, the lector is generally active at only a few points. For example, a lector typically welcomes the congregation to the church prior to the formal commencement of Mass, sharing certain information about parish events noted in the bulletin. (This may take place at the conclusion of Mass instead, depending on church practice.)
The lector returns to the pulpit during the Liturgy of the Word portion of the Mass. Subject to the number of readers present, this “workload” can be shared among a few volunteers. For instance, one lector may read the First Reading and Psalm (if not sung), while another handles the Second Reading and prayers of intercession.
As you can see, lectors do not have to worry about putting in twenty hours of volunteer service a week, should that be a concern. In addition, lectors are not likely to ever get injured because of heavy lifting, as they are simply asked to hold the lectionary or a light folder containing papers.
Get Involved, Grow in Confidence
Having the chance to stand behind a microphone and in front of a congregation provides tremendous practice for public speaking.
Reading at Mass can offer growth in confidence, as you are challenged to project yourself audibly so that all in attendance can receive and appreciate the Word of God as well as other valuable faith information. Upon receiving compliments regarding your reading from parishioners after Mass, you are also likely to feel a little boost in your self-esteem.
Serving as a lector can also aid in professional roles where speaking before an audience is a requirement. For example, teaching in a classroom or delivering budget reports to a company’s board of directors can feel a lot more comfortable when you are used to reading from a church lectionary on Sunday mornings.
Making Connections
Serving as lector can also help you grow more familiar with many others involved with the Mass.
Speaking from experience, as a lector I’ve gotten to know priests, deacons, altar servers, ushers, Eucharistic ministers, and other volunteers beyond a surface level. Being “behind the scenes” in the sacristy, lectors can get a glimpse of the many others with roles and responsibilities in a Mass. As you see one another more frequently, there may be occasions to form friendships and have enjoyable conversations both prior to and at the conclusion of Mass.
Furthermore, you can come to grow closer with the Lord and deeper in your faith when acting as a lector. Preparing for the readings before Mass and sharing God’s Holy Word with the congregation during the Liturgy, a lector enjoys a wonderful opportunity to learn and appreciate Sacred Scripture.
It Can’t Be All Good, Can It?
If you are wondering about drawbacks, serving as lector does carry a few.
Your reading duties may require you to depart from loved ones occasionally when the time comes for you to approach the pulpit. Depending on your reading roles and church practice, you may also need to sit apart from them during Mass when you are scheduled to read.
Given that the Bible contains names of people and places that are sometimes difficult to pronounce and that you will be reading before a large audience, you could be forgiven for feeling a little self-conscious. Whether it be jittery hands, a cracking voice, or a few stumbles over some words, serving as lector can present humbling reminders that we are not perfect. Just the same, these experiences of nerves—as rare as they may be—should never deter us from bravely sharing God’s Word with his people.
Finally, if you are involved in other ministries during Mass (such as children’s liturgy), chances are you will have to sit out that week, as doing double-duty might be impractical.
Tallying Up
Looking at the pros and cons, you’ll see that reading at Mass has several advantages and very little downside.
So the next time you are browsing the church bulletin and notice a need for readers, or you simply feel like trying something new, be sure to consider the role of lector.
The experience can be extremely gratifying as you develop and share spiritual gifts, benefiting both you and your church family.
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Matt Charbonneau is a high school religious education teacher who inspires his students to explore a deeper relationship with God. Applying uplifting lessons, engaging activities, and insightful experiences, he strives to demonstrate the powerful presence and unconditional love of God in everyday life. For more of Matt’s writing, visit God’s Giveaways at www.mattcharbonneau.com.
I am a Lector and have been since 1975. Just reading God’s word is NOT enough. We need to PROCLAIM it. Too many folks who come to Mass are complacent. Their struggles of life keep their minds on their troubles. So how do we reach THEIR minds and hearts? Learn how to be a TOOL for the Lord!
Before going to Mass read what it is you are to proclaim. UNDERSTAND it ahead of time. Ask God for guidance, then practice proclaiming it. Ask Jesus to use you as his tool to reach the hearts and minds of His people.
Think about, watch, listen to many well-known speakers to learn how they speak (proclaim) their words so as to get their points across to their listeners. When you practice the reading that you will be proclaiming, pick out the important points that the reading is all about. Then, when you proclaim the words, emphasis those points so that they capture your audience’s attention. Use pauses, changes in your voice volume and pronunciation to get the message across as you know God wants it done.
I practice proclaiming for 20 to 30 minutes for a few days before the Mass, asking God to help my best focus and understanding of His word. Because I am praying to Him during practice I feel that I also need to be tool for him because He knows everyone who is there at Mass. I don’t. Surprisingly, I find some confidence at the end of my practicing. BUT, more surprisingly, when I am a tool for Him and proclaiming His word at Mass I end up speaking slightly different. He makes the changes in my proclaiming when I speak. When I think about it afterwards I realize that He used me as a tool. I love God and Jesus Christ so I thank them quietly for their help. People thank me for my way of being a lector. That is also God’s way of thanking me. Always PRAISE GOD!
Hello! I have served as a lector in different parishes where I lived. Programs for training vary from very little to adequate. I have currently signed up to join the lecturing ministry at the parish where I moved to a year ago. We had a couple of hours training with videos and discussions prior to coming back another day for a trial in chair. Overtime, I have seen lectors doing things differently, some I would consider minor. However, there is one particular lector that I suppose has become the “go-to lector” whenever a special feast or occasion happens. This particular lector has the text memorized. Of course it has drawn much attention from the congregation especially during Easter Mass when he came from the back of the church reciting the reading as he walked around making his way to the Ambo just before his text ends.
It was quite impressive! However, I was left wondering whether this was appropriate as to me it seemed as though it was rather more theatrical than ministerial. I also wondered whether the congregation paid attention to the reading or were they more engrossed in their amazement that he could memorize the text. Could they even remember what the text was about??? I know I couldn’t recall. On the other occasion where he went straight to the ambo, where he again proclaimed his memorized text, our parish priest, to my disappointment, even started his homily by first commenting on how amazing it was that someone could memorize the text. I clearly remember that during training, it was taken up that although we should practice well, we were never suppose to memorize the reading. I also remember reading this somewhere and I am still trying to locate where I came across the guidelines where it said that readings should NOT be memorized. Lately, 2 other lector’s have done the same. Do you think this is proper proclamation? To me, it seems again very theatrical. (Am I a lector or an actor???) I feel like it draws more attention to one’s SELF instead of the WORD OF GOD.
Another thing that disturbed me was during the Christmas concert, the altar and ambo were moved to the side and hidden behind huge curtains so that the choir could be accommodated in its place. It was as if the whole altar area was change into a stage. Aren’t the altar and ambo sacred objects that should be permanently placed and not moved around like furniture being rearranged in a house???? Am I wrong to have these opinions???
I’d like to point out that being a reader is a high profile and extremely important role in the church. If you stand at the ambo and proclaim the Word of God on Sunday and then drive aggressively on the way home or gossip in the grocery store aisle you can damage the body of Christ by appearing to be hypocritical. Being a reader involves being familiar with Scripture and understanding not just the few verses chosen for that mass, but also the context in which it is found. And how you treat everyone in the parish is a reflection of how much you believe and live the words you proclaim.
Thanks Matt. May I humbly add that as one is reading the living, Sacred Word of God, it is not only vital to look at and practise the readings beforehand but also if there is anything in the readings that is difficult to understand, research it, pray about it and discover more about it. This will then help to convey the full meaning of the text to the congregation. The same goes for difficult words… research and find out the correct pronunciation beforehand. Its worth doing this even if you are not due to read at a particular Mass in case one is asked to at the last minute. Finally… ALWAYS pray to the Holy Spirit before going up to read, to ask Him to work in and through you. God bless you and all lectors everywhere and help them in this sacred ministry.