lectors
Lectors have a critical role in the celebration of the
Mass. Since the Lector
proclaims not just any word, but the Word of God, it is
essential that they develop the skills required to
communicate God’s message competently.
In
the fullness of time, the Word of God took flesh in the
person of Jesus of Nazareth. That Word continues to
take flesh again and again whenever a man or woman
stands up to proclaim it to the community of believers.
God chose to work through human instruments, to play his
song of love to the world.
The
ministry of the lector calls for a person to grow in a
warm and loving knowledge of Scripture, the living word
of God. He or she is invited to enter into a
relationship with a Word that is creative, powerful and
effective.
The
call to be a Lector is something that demands
preparation. No one should get up to read to the
community gathered for worship without this
preparation. In becoming a Lector, you are accepting
the responsibility to do your best, to practice, to make
frequent self-evaluations and to continually look for
ways to improve your ability to communicate the Word of
God clearly to the congregation.
As a
Lector you are entrusted with some of the most wonderful
stories to come down through the ages, and it is through
these stories that God continues to speak. These are
stories about the rainbow that sealed God’s covenant
with Noah; about the bush whose flames revealed a God on
fire with love for his people; about the rib that became
a woman.
As a
Lector you must understand each story simply as a
story. The ministry of a lector is a wonderful work,
and an extremely rewarding ministry. Through your own
sacrifice of time, effort, and preparation, God’s living
Word continues to be proclaimed to all of his people;
the young, the old, the troubled, the hopeless, the
happy and to those in need of comfort. To be a lector
is to be given an opportunity for your own personal
growth in Jesus Christ. For more information,
email Ray Poplas at
raypop2112@comcast.net
or call the Rectory at 215-886-3456.
**New Lectors: Please
note:
To all the new lectors,
let me know when you would like to meet after Mass to go
off the expectations, or question Father Janton. This
will be in the mail shortly to all of you. It will be
posted in the vestibule and the sacristy of the church
for your convenience. Please check frequently and if
you don't see the assigned lector, please let Father
know that you are a lector, if needed.
Lector's Schedule
May Letter
Extraordinary Ministers of the
Eucharist
Letter for Extraordinary Ministers
EM Schedule for
October through February
Sunrise Schedule
As early as the third and
fourth centuries, historical documentation proves that
among the practices of the Church the faithful received
the Eucharist in their hands. To carry a provision of
the consecrated bread home to consume between
celebrations of the liturgy was also a common practice.
Keeping the Eucharist at home was well founded during
the times of the persecution. During the sixth and
seventh centuries, a special box in the home was
designed for this purpose. As the ecclesiastical church
progressed, the distribution of the Eucharist was
entrusted more and more to priests. In the ninth
century, the practice of confiding the Eucharist to the
laity was abolished.
In 1970, the
Holy See granted bishops the opportunity to designate
members of the laity as Eucharistic Ministers upon the
request of the local pastor. This was not simply a move
back to the practices of the early church, but an
attempt to combine past disciplines with the pastoral
needs of the present.
Presently,
the Ministers assist at the liturgy. They also bring
peace and Communion to parishioners who cannot come to
Mass by visiting them in their homes, in nursing homes,
and in Abington Memorial Hospital. For more
information,
email
Theresa White at
whitetheresam@gmail.com
or contact the Rectory at
215-886-3456.
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