Lectors and Commentators

Lectors (Deacon Royce)

Readers proclaim the word of God in the first and second readings at weekend and holy day Masses, and other important events.  Since, they speak the Word of God, they must have an ability to speak clearly so that all may understand.  All readers/lectors must participate in an annual training workshop that focuses on both the technique and the spirituality of proclaiming the Word of God at public worship events, especially Mass.

The reader is instituted to proclaim the reading from Scripture. All readers must have  received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  They are to be trained: “Their  preparation must above all be spiritual, but what may be called a technical preparation is also needed."  The spiritual preparation presupposes at least a biblical and liturgical formation. The liturgical formation ought to equip the readers to have some grasp of the meaning and structure of the Liturgy of the Word and of the significance of its connection to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The responsibilities of the Reader are:

1] The proclamation of God’s Word – First and Second Reading,

2] To assist the community in its hearing of God’s voice.

Every reader may not choose to be a commentator. But every commentator will be a reader. The preparation for the commentator will be the same as the guidelines for the reader.

Two readers and a commentator are generally scheduled for every Mass.

Commentator – Deacon Royce

Many readers, though not all, also serve as commentators.  They welcome the community at the beginning of weekend and holy day Mass, and read the announcements at the end of Mass.  When a deacon is not present, they also proclaim the general intercessions, as the Church prays for those in need.  They are usually scheduled no more than once a month for this ministry.

The responsibilities of the commentator are:

1] to proclaim the prepared text at the beginning of Mass;

2] to proclaim the General Intercessions when a deacon is not present; and

3] to proclaim the prepared text at the end of Mass.