Nine Steps to Becoming a Better Lector
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Nine Steps To Becoming A Better Lector Lectors need to be “truly Gospels. You will want to way to expose yourself to the qualified and carefully read Scripture according to riches of Scripture. prepared,” says the General the way it is organized in the When you prepare your Instruction of the Roman lectionary. So, for example, reading, read it in context. Missal, “so that the faithful it is helpful to read the entire This is especially important may develop a warm and Gospel every Advent if you have the first reading living love for Scripture (Matthew in Year A, Mark in because some of the from listening to the sacred Year B, Luke in Year C). selections don’t make much texts.” (66) Much of John’s Gospel is sense out of their original read in Year B, especially That is, perhaps, a larger context. The first is to read during the summer. That is a responsibility than you the passages that come good time to read all of the thought when you signed up before and after your reading fourth Gospel. to be a lector. It means more in the Bible. The second is than getting up on Sunday to When preparing a reading for to read the lectionary do a reading. It means Sunday, read the Gospel passages that occur the week proclaiming God’s word in first. Then read the first and before and the week after such a way that those second readings, which are your reading. By doing both, gathered come to a deeper, intended to prepare the you will get a sense of what richer faith. If you follow assembly to hear the Gospel. the original author intended these nine steps, you will be The second reading is and what the church intends on track for making that usually one of the letters by selecting this particular happen in your parish. from St. Paul, which is read passage for this particular somewhat continuously over Sunday. a series of Sundays. Part of 1 Read Scripture your preparation can be to You cannot effectively read the entire letter before proclaim God’s word you get down to the work of 2 Practice without being intimately practicing your reading. To expect a lector to practice familiar with Scripture. The Read the letter even if you seems obvious. However, Sunday lectionary is will be proclaiming the first you’d be surprised at how organized on a three-year reading; doing so is another many lectors leave out this cycle based on the first three basic step. To practice main idea. Read your means to read the reading out 4 Find the reading again, focusing on loud while standing up. Emotion the underlined parts. Pray Silent reading at your desk about it, and then decide may help you get ready to If you want the Scripture you what the most important practice; but it doesn’t proclaim to speak to people’s phrase is in the reading. substitute for it. Practice out hearts, you have to find the Emphasize that phrase in loud at least six times. emotion in the reading. such a way that its Practice on at least two Read the passage several importance is clear to different days other than the times and try to discover the everyone in the assembly. Sunday you read. Other primary emotions. helpful things you can do Sometimes reading the psalm are: practice in front of a assigned to the day can help. mirror, practice with a tape Once you have the primary 6 Use Eye recorder, practice with a emotion identified, recall Contact video camera and practice in times when you have felt that front of your children or emotion. Try to recall that Always look at the assembly grandchildren. Children are emotion in yourself as you for a long time before you great critics. practice the reading, and let begin to read. Use your the emotion come through as finger or an index card to you proclaim. keep your place. Always use eye contact on the opening 3 Pray and closing sentences. Make Praying is another basic but 5 Find the Most eye contact on words and often overlooked step. Read phrases that reveal the key the Gospel as a Sunday night Important Phrase emotion. Make eye contact prayer the week before you on the most important read. Read your reading as Every reading will have at phrase. The more times you morning prayer at least twice least one important phrase. practice reading out loud, the in the week before you read. Most readings have several, easier it will be to make eye Pray for the Scripture to so you will need to decide contact with the assembly. which one is most important. open the ears of those who will hear your reading. Pray If you are having trouble, use for the strength to put aside a pencil and underline all the powerful, interesting or your own ego and for the Spirit to speak through you. disturbing ideas in the reading. Then read the Gospel again, and discern its staccato rhythm; others call through you. Your job is to 7 Project for smooth, melodic rhythm. prepare as well as possible, When you practice, try and then let the word move To project does not different, even ridiculous through you to the members necessarily mean to speak paces. Find the pacing that of the assembly. When that louder, although that is often works best for your reading. happens, “the faithful receive the result. Humans are built the power to respond… with two air cavities. If you actively with full faith, hope inhale in such a way that and charity through prayer your stomach pushes out, 9 Vary Your and self-giving, and not only you are filling your lower air during the Mass but in their cavity. If you try to make Style entire Christian life” your chest bigger, you are (Lectionary for Mass, filling your upper cavity. To Some readings read like Introduction 48). project your words stories, and some are read as effectively, fill you lower air fire-and-brimstone cavity first, then your upper prophesies. There are air cavity. As you read, use “newsy” readings and poetic the air from the lower cavity readings. Be conscious of first. Keep in mind that you the kind of reading you are want to use your diaphragm assigned and match your instead of your throat. Try proclamation style to the not to rely on the style of your reading. Also microphone to carry your be aware of the season of the voice. Control your church year you are in. That breathing, and make sure you will also influence your feel your stomach muscles style. And different moving as you read. assemblies require different styles. The 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening assembly may need to hear the reading 8 Vary Your presented in a different way than the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Pace crowd. Almost every reading has These steps will help you fast parts and slow parts. become a better lector, but in Most readings also have loud the end, it is the Holy Spirit parts and quiet parts. Some that proclaims God’s word readings call for clipped, .