"My heart overflows with noble words,
To the king I must speak the song I have made;
my tongue as nimble as the pen of a scribe.
You are the fairest of the children of men
And graciousness is poured upon your lips:
Because God has blessed you forever more."
-- Psalm 45
Every word Christ speaks is "full of grace". Christ speaks when His Word is proclaimed in the sacred liturgy of the Mass. Those who proclaim the Word, therefore, speak the very words of God, "graciousness is poured upon their lips".
Priests, deacons, lectors and all who have a role in supporting the ministry of the Word in the liturgies of the Church have the privilege and responsibility of ensuring that no one is denied the grace of hearing His Word which grants and nurtures Faith.
For these reasons undue haste, careless diction and insufficient volume must be avoided. Discernment as to whether one is called to be a lector must take these principles into account.
Thank you for your visit.
-- ((((..))))
Te precor, Spiritus Sancte,
ReplyDeletein corde meo es et labiis meis,
ut competenter digneque Verbum
quod intra prophetas apostolosque inspiravit annuntiem,
ad glorificationem Dei et sanctificationem populi sui.
Amen.
Or, in English:
I beseech you, O Holy Spirit,
be in my heart and on my lips,
that I may worthily and fittingly proclaim
the Word which you placed within prophets and apostles,
unto the glorification of God
and the sanctification of His people.
Amen.
That's the prayer I used when I was a reader/lector at my previous parish.