A Well Trained Tongue
The task of the lector is not merely to read the good news of Sacred Scripture to the congregation, but to proclaim it in an effective way so that people truly hear the Word that is to shape their lives. To do this effectively, the letter must have a personal faith and be able to reveal that faith through a simple natural delivery of the Word of God. This course reviews the development of the Scriptures and the lectionary used in the Eastern Catholic Church. It covers basic communication techniques and the preparation and interpretation of the readings.
• Overview of the Scriptures
• St. Paul and the New Testament
• History of the Readings in the Liturgy
• Basic Communication Techniques (Part I)
• Basic Communication Techniques (Part II)
• Interpretation of the Readings
• Video and Evaluation
The Writings of St. Paul
An exciting video tour of St. Paul’s life and teaching is featured in these engaging sessions. The most important problems and issues of St. Paul’s New Testament are skillfully related to Modern Christian Life.
• Paul: The Paradox of Being a Jew for the Gentiles
• A Look at the Church only 20 years after the Resurrection
• To Be or Not to Be Jewish
• Some Practical Problems of Early Christian life in the "Big City"
• Paul’s letters of Tears
• Paul’s letters of Later Vintage
• Spirit Lives
The Living Gospels
The power and meaning of the Good News will be beautifully produced in this special video Bible Study. The four unique gospel portraits of Jesus will be presented in order to help adults develop a more personal and prayerful relationship to Christ.
• Introducing the "Good News" according to St. Mark’s Gospel
• Learning the secrets of the Messiah and his kingdom
• Presenting the New Testament according to Matthew
• Instructing our hearts with parables
• Searching for the meaning of Jesus according to Luke
• The Good News about God’s merciful Love
• The Joy of the Living Gospel
Advanced Communication Skills
A six week participation in fine tuning the lector’s communication skills is done through weekly video analysis.
Breaking Open the Word
Learning Methods of shared reflection and prayer with the Scriptures, lectors will focus on deepening their understanding of the readings. This course will lay the foundation for ongoing support group faith sharing for lectors.
Ten Steps for Preparation
1) Begin your preparation early. You should begin to work on your proclamation at least five to seven days in advance of your reading.
2) Bring the text to prayer. Pray with the text and the text stays with you.
3) Study the scripture commentaries. Do your homework. Don’t assume you already know the passage.
4) Check unfamiliar pronunciations and meanings. Make sure you understand denotations and connotations.
5) Consult an interpretation guide. The Collegeville Bible Commentary is recommended.
6) Build your own interpretation of the text . Here’s where you pull it all together through lots of practice.
7) Invite a trusted friend to listen and give you a critique. Some friendly criticism can help you see problems.
8) Tape yourself doing the reading. Audio taping is helpful video taping is even better.
9) Carefully prepare and do your final preparation and proclamation. Make sure you arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to attend to this final preparation.
10) Review and critique your final interpretation.
Where the word is proclaimed, people are healed, unclean spirits leave and the Holy Spirit comes. It is a manifestation of God’s continuing presence among his people, calling them to Himself and filling them with joy. Faith is not and cannot be limited to a Sunday morning ritual. It is meant to be a dynamic way of life, witnessing to the power of faith to heal, forgive, and save. Our work is to spread the message of Jesus by word and deed. It is the source of our joy and hope for our salvation.