A GUIDE FOR FORMATION AND REFLECTION FOR MINISTERS OF THE WORD
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“The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary a word
that will rouse them. Morning after morning God opens
my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have
not turned back.” Isaiah 50: 4
What prompts a person to leave the pew within a worshipping
assembly and volunteer to proclaim the God’s word as a
reader? The reasons vary with every person’s story. Whatever
draws you to this ministry, know that God will accept your
motivation and accomplish the goal of speaking to people’s
heart through your ministry. God depends on your growing
love and passion for the word of God to take root in your own
heart so that God’s voice will be the one that the assembly
hears when you proclaim God’s word. We can never be good
enough, worthy enough or prepared enough to fully relay the
good news of God’s love. The most effective tool you possess
will be your own desire, your own growth through diligent
work as you progress in your knowledge and faithful reading of
sacred scripture and your deep desire to be of service as a
reader to the worshipping assembly. When the scriptures draw
you in, so will your listeners be drawn in and place their stories
within God’s narrative. Go to great lengths to know how the
Word of God speaks to your heart, what God reveals to you by
your constant reflection. How will you convey what God
discloses with a well-trained tongue that rouses weary hearts?
The Hebrew word for scripture, dabar, reveals that God’s word lives, not as a thing or as a book of stories
or a historical narrative, but as an act, a deed. Words do things; they actually effect the action they describe
and frame our anthropology, the way we live within God’s ways. How God acted then, God acts now, here,
in this time and place. Several scriptural examples illustrate this point.
 I inscribe my word on your hearts. (Deuteronomy 11: 18
 I will hold you always in the palm of my hand. (Isaiah 41:13)
 I baptize you with water. (Matthew 3: 11, Mark 1: 8, Luke 3: 16, John 1:26)
 Stand up and walk. (John 5: 8, Acts 3:6)
 Your sins are forgiven. (Mark 2: 1-12)
 Your faith has saved you: go in peace. (Mark 5:34, Mark 10:52, Luke 17:19)
 Today salvation has come to this house. (Luke 19:1-10)
 This day you will be with me in paradise. (Luke 23: 43)
 Epaphatha. Be opened. (Mark 7:24-37)
 Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:44-46)
You, a minister of God’s Word do much more than simply convey a message within the Liturgy of the
Word or teach or relate a historical record of God’s intervention in history. Readers proclaim that God lives
within the words of sacred scripture, speaking God’s saving word to the assembly so that the people who
listen to God’s word become disposed to live out the mysteries that they hear and witness so that they are
prompted to participate in life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. No small task, this ministry. The reader gives
bodily witness to the Word alive and becomes a symbol of the saving work of Christ continuing in the
present. With this in mind, do you, in your ministry as a reader, achieve this purpose?
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DO
Practice. Pray the text, study it, absorb
it and reflect upon the word of God.
Allow God’s word to inform your life.
The depth of your understanding will
deepen the reading for the assembly, so
they will develop a “warm and living
love for Sacred Scripture.” SC, 24.
Identify the style of the passage.
Is the reading a dialogue? A prophecy?
A letter? A series of laws? A narrative?
Is the tone mirthful or solemn? Your
delivery will rely on how you
understand the context.
Ask yourself several questions about
the meaning of the passage. What lies
behind the writing of this passage?
Where is its climax? Does the reading
comfort,
scold,
warn,
inform?
Communicate the meaning of the
reading to the assembly.
Check the pronunciation on words
that may be unfamiliar to you. Ten
minutes before Mass isn’t the time to
do this! Work with the reading during
the week so that you’re comfortable
with every word when you proclaim the
reading to the assembly.
DO NOT
Bow to the tabernacle, to the cross or to Father before you
approach the ambo. Bow to the altar, which is ‘Christ Jesus,
the living stone’ (1 Pt 2:4, Eph. 2:20). GIRM 298.
Adjust the microphone at the ambo. This action distracts from
your principal duty, the proclamation of God’s word. The
microphone should remain untouched and sufficiently carry
your voice if you proclaim well.
Allow yourself to become distracted. If you become diverted
by a baby’s cry, latecomers, outside sirens, so will the assembly.
Your volume and delivery and weight of your reading should
keep everyone, including you, focused on the reading.
Articulate. Phrase. Pace. Proclaim.
Ad lib. You proclaim God’s word, not your own.
Use reverence to approach the ambo.
Christ is present in the Word and the
Eucharist, the ‘two tables’ of the
liturgy. Bow to the altar, which is
“Christ Jesus, the living stone (1 Pt 2:4,
Eph. 2:20) before you approach the
ambo to proclaim the reading.
Hold the lectionary at the end of the proclamation. The word
of God is not present in the pages of a book but lives on the lips
and in the hearts of those who hear and believe the word of God.
Look up and use eye contact. Look at
the assembly as you announce the
scriptural book for the passage (i.e. a
reading from the Prophet Isaiah). Pause
before you begin the reading.
Use silence. Provide a moment of
reflection after the reading before you
say, “The Word of the Lord.” The
silence allows the assembly to digest
what they’ve heard in the reading. Stay
in place until the assembly responds,
“Thanks be to God.”
Hesitate to allow God’s word to take you by surprise or let
your emotions show. The Spirit of God works within us and
catches us unaware at times. Don’t be afraid of holy movement
within, even when it occurs before an assembly. God is
speaking through you.
Perform. Rather, proclaim. There’s a difference.
Lean on the ambo.
Draw attention to yourself through your clothes, posture,
gestures or speech.
Become flustered if you make a mistake. Pause, regain
composure and keep going. Pray. God will convey the message
despite errors. The word of God is bigger than we 3are – thanks
be to God!
Is this you?
READER A
Road Runner Reader
Road Runner readers may be easily detected. They leave smoke in their
wake as they race for the finish line of the reading they speed through.
After a quick bow in the direction of the altar, the reader beelines for the
ambo, whips through the reading without pause or evidence that the Word
of God is an act, a deed.
Road Runner readings create a Tower of Babel as consonants, commas
and pauses go unheeded. The ultimate goal of Road Runner Reader seems
to be big finish, the phrase, ‘The word of the Lord’ and to get there as
quickly as possible. An assembly may wonder, ‘Where did the reading
go?’ Sorry folks; you missed God’s word that just whipped by at the
speed of sound.
SLOW DOWN. TAKE YOUR TIME. BE DELIBERATE.
God’s Word is something to be savored, chewed and swallowed, as
Jeremiah did when he literally ate the Word of God, so listeners can hear,
digest and discern what God is saying to them. The concept of rate
involves more than how fast or slow you proclaim. Pace yourself so that
the text finds its way into people’s ears and hearts. Some texts deserve a
slower proclamation simply because of their density and the weight of
their message. Others are solemn, some others brief, and still others are
jubilant and deserve a brisker and livelier pace. Rehearse to become
proficient. A well trained tongue will rouse an assembly to lift, speak and
awaken the community’s love for the word of God.
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Is this you?
READER B
The Ambo: My Podium
“I dream of being in show business. I’ll sign up to perform (PROCLAIM) as
an actor (READER) with a really great script (SACRED SCRIPTURE) for this
really big audience (ASSEMBLY) right here in front of me on this fantastic
stage (SANCTUARY) with this really cool podium (AMBO) that gives me a
place to expound upon my views. The attention is all on ME. Oh boy, oh
boy oh boy…”
A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path. Psalm 119: 105
The reader is called from among the people of God to proclaim the word of God in the
midst of the worshipping assembly. Readers who assume this imperative ministry
within the liturgy must be of good faith, eager to serve their fellow Christians and
willing to engage in ongoing scripture formation.
The ministry of the reader is not reserved to public broadcasters or actors, although
people in these professions may certainly serve as ministers of the word. Rather, people
with the right disposition toward God’s word must take precedent. The importance of
how the reader understands the vital difference between being ‘on stage’ and ‘at
worship’ cannot be stressed enough. “It is Christ himself who speaks,” (SC 7) implies
that certain basic skills and a considerable investment of time on the part of the reader is
required, so that the proclamation of the word within a community takes on a growing
implication for the community with the promise of robust liturgical celebration.
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Is this you?
READER C
Why did I say that I would do this?
Answering the call to serve as a reader can sometimes bring on public
speaking anxiety, more commonly known as ‘stage fright.’ While healthy
apprehension about delivering a ‘word that will rouse them,’ worry and fear
will only cause detriment to your health and to your ministry.
The best remedy for public speaking anxiety rests in prayer, preparation
and practice. Use the constructive approach and let your energy lead you to
prepare well, pray well and serve your community well.
Remember the movie The King’s
Speech? Recall King George VI as he
and Lionel Logue spent diligent months
of training while their relationship as
teacher and student grew into a lifetime
friendship. What a great paradigm for
readers of God’s word! As you grow in
your relationship with the word of God
through attentive reflection of the
readings when you work on your skills,
your confidence will grow. Every time
you serve as a reader, your proficiency
will improve. Be not afraid!
Why are you doing this? You
responded to a call within yourself
to serve this ministry. Proclaim
God’s word confidently. Give thanks
to God for this great gift. Gratitude
puts things into perspective.
Remind yourself that you share the challenge of public speaking anxiety
with every dedicated performer, preacher and reader. Remember: none of us
works alone. “My word… shall not return to me void, but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
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READER D
LATE NIGHT LAST NIGHT
Is this you?
Okay, admit it. You stayed out late on a
Saturday night. You knew that you
were assigned to an early Mass on
Sunday morning and there you are
standing in front of an assembly
looking like you needed a spoonful of
this stuff. ↓
Putting people to
sleep when you read?
Informing your people
rather than forming
them when you read?
Too tired to practice,
pray and proclaim?
This occurs at least once in the life of
every good reader. (Maybe twice.)
A basic standard requirement to
adequately proclaim the word of God
on Sunday morning must be the care
and discipline of the instrument you use
to deliver God’s message – your voice.
Without good physical care of your
body, which houses your voice, you
might as well pack it up and go home.
Who wants to hear a squeaky violin or
a piano out of tune? Part of your
ministry requires a consistent effort to
improve on the quality of what and how
you read.
Voice and Breathing Tips
 Get a good night’s sleep before
you proclaim God’s word on
Sunday morning. Fatigue shows.
 Drink water. Lubricate your vocal
chords, the ‘instrument’ you use to
when you read.
 Exercise to increase lung capacity
and strengthen posture.
 Practice breath control to adjust
the relationship between phonation
(making sounds in speech) and the
inhalation/exhalation cycle.
Supporting the column of air,
which creates sounds by passing
through the vocal chords in the
larynx, is a matter of contracting
the abdominal muscles to support
the relaxed diaphragm.
Nervousness and bad habits can
create tension in the shoulders,
neck and throat and constricts
breathing that make speech
difficult.
 Breathe in slowly through your
mouth on the count of four (one
Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc)
to draw a full breath. Exhale with
a ‘hiss.’ Tried and true technique!
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THE AMBO
“The dignity of the word of God requires
That the church has a place that is
suitable for the proclamation of the
word and toward the attention of the
whole congregation of the faithful
naturally turns toward the Liturgy of the
Word.” GIRM 309
THE LECTIONARY
The lectionary is the
liturgical book that
contains God’s word
read aloud during public
worship. A lectionary is
different than the Book
of the Gospels, which
only an ordained priest
or deacon may proclaim
and preach. Because it
contains God’s word, a
lectionary is treated
with reverence and
always used to proclaim
the readings.
The Ambo is an elevated desk or pulpit that
signifies a mountain or elevation. The symbol
takes its cue from sacred scripture:
"Get thee up upon a high mountain, thou that
bring good tidings to Sion: lift up thy voice
with strength.” Isaiah (40:9)
"He went up into a mountain--and opening his
mouth he taught them." (Matthew 5:1-2)
The Ambo finds its origin from the raised
platform from which the Jewish rabbis read
the Scriptures to the people.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR MINISTERS OF GOD’S WORD
Will I be satisfied with sustaining basic skills in my ministry, or will I challenge myself for the good of
the community that I serve as a reader?
Will I work to become a better reader than I was last year? How will I stretch myself to become a better
lector next year than I am now?
Am I going to go the distance to learn new ways to improve how I proclaim God’s word more
powerfully, with a deeper understanding of what I publicly read at Mass?
How do I live what I pray, read and proclaim? When people meet me, do they meet the living word of
God transparent in me? Do I live what I publicly state within worship?
How will my prayer improve what I do as a reader? With faithful discipline, am I willing to carve out a
space in my day to be silent so that I can listen and hear God speak to me? How will I allow the word of
God to inform and form me? How will I unpack God’s word to the assembly with a new voice? Am I
willing to invest time to pray with the readings with a faithful heart of love?
Do I participate in a faith sharing group to break open the readings that offer my insights and others that
will shore up my ministry as a reader? If none exists in my parish, can I start one?
How will I improve phrasing, diction, my use of silence, projection, pacing, eye contact, physical
exercise, memorization of the reading, how I research the history about my assigned reading, my
emotional connection to the reading, rehearsal time, pronunciations of words that I don’t know?
Am I brave enough to ask for feedback about the quality of my reading from parishioners? Other
readers? Friends? A mentor? How open am I to ask and listen to the opinion of others who hear me?
May the Lord be on in your hearts and on your lips to worthily proclaim and live out God’s word.
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