WHAT IS A LECTOR?

The word “lector” comes from the Latin, legere, “to read.” It refers to those who read aloud the lessons from the Bible during the various services and celebrations of the Church.

By reading the lessons, the Lector offers a form of service to the congregation, and he or she takes on the attitude of a servant. In the same way that a servant humbly brings his master’s food to the table, the Lector humbly presents God’s word to the Body of Christ, to nourish and sustain it.

Serving as a Lector is a type of prophetic ministry. Biblically speaking, a prophet is someone who announces the word of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. A Lector is doing precisely that by publicly reading aloud “God’s word written.” And because it is God’s word, the message itself has authority and power when it is proclaimed.

The Lector’s service is also evangelistic and missionary in character, in that non- Christians are sometimes present and listening. Christ entrusted the Church with the mission of preaching the Gospel to the whole world. As proclaimers of God’s word, Lectors assist in this mission.

In essence, Lectors continue Jesus’ own mission of sharing God’s Word. For that reason, the Lector’s ministry is an extremely important one.

WHO CAN MINISTER AS A LECTOR?

Because the ministry of Lector is a very public one, those who read are naturally seen as representatives of the parish. For that reason, lectors should be members in good standing of the congregation. In addition, Lectors serve an important function as leaders within the service, and therefore should:

Not be recent converts
Be of good reputation
Be responsible and reliable
Bear witness in their lives to the Word which they proclaim.

Like all liturgical ministers, Lectors also prepare for their ministry with training. Effective proclamation of God’s Word requires skill in public reading; delivery of the message with clarity, conviction and appropriate pace; an understanding of the role of the readings in the overall liturgy; and a general appreciation for and love of the Scriptures.

We seek to train several new Lectors who can work as a team and serve on a rotating basis.