For a few weeks I’ve been writing about how to have a great celebration. Just as it takes several people to have a good party, Sunday Eucharist is a collective experience. One group of people who help us to celebrate well is the Lectors. Those are the people who proclaim the Word of God at Mass. "How can God's word be practiced, if it is not known? And how can it be known, if it is not heard? And how can it be heard, if it is not proclaimed? And how can it be proclaimed, if there is no one to proclaim it?" That's a rough translation of what Saint Paul has to say about proclaiming the Word of God.
We all appreciate the experience of being able to understand the word of God when it is proclaimed well. It's a treat. We seem to listen with a new kind of attention. Not all of us might be able to recognize why, but all of us know automatically when the person who is speaking has that kind of special quality: a voice that speaks from the heart to witness to God's word. If that is your gift, why not put it at the service of God's people? Public speaking techniques and training on how to better understand scripture are provided for Lectors at Saint Ambrose. If you believe God is calling you to be a Lector come to a gathering of new and veteran Lectors on Thursday, 22 August at 7 PM in Fannon Hall. Contact Ms. Laura Castner at [email protected] for more information.
Eucharist is not exactly a party but it is a celebration and we all contribute in our own way to make it celebratory. Next week – Music Ministers!