Thus says the Lord, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is 55: 11) The Lord calls for us to be instruments of His Word to bring joy, comfort, teaching and yes, warnings to His People. In the past, the Lord had prophets that spoke the Word to God’s people. Today, the Lord calls His servants to speak His Word to His people.
The Lectorate, Ministry of the Word, is one of the most sacred and prophetic ministries. It is not just a ceremonial ministry or part of pageantry. IT IS REAL! The lector reads the Scripture and concludes with, “THE WORD OF THE LORD.” The priest presents the consecrated host and says, “THE BODY OF CHRIST.” In both cases the SAME RISEN CHRIST IS TRULLY PRESENT, i.e., in the living WORD and the EUCHARIST, respectively.
Accountable to: Pastor, Presider of the Mass, Deacon of the Mass, Lector Minister Coordinator
Responsibility: The Lector is the principal witness of the WORD that is proclaimed at every Mass.
· The designated Lector must spend daily time praying and meditating on the Reading(s) then practice the Reading(s) to be proclaimed.
· We are all members of the Ministry. Therefore we must be prepared to proclaim in the place of an absent designated Lector. We must be appropriately dressed to serve at the altar.
As a member of the Lector Ministry, you are eligible to serve on weekday and/or Sunday Masses.
Time Commitment: a minimum of 7 active hours per month. This assumes the preparation and Mass proclamation.
Length of Commitment: An annual commitment to serving in the ministry is required. The commitment is expressed before the end of the Liturgical ear in preparation of the New Liturgical Year (First Sunday of Advent).
Preferred Competencies/Experience: The Lector must be a good practicing Catholic lay leader, humble, edifying, responsible and mature. The Lector must have:
· A Love of the Word of God and for the Liturgy
· A Sense of discipleship and strong prayer life
· Ready to be of service to the parish community
· Good communicator
Key Relationships: Pastor, Clergy, Volunteer/Ministers, Church Staff, Parishioners and Guests/Visitors.