Sunday, July 03, 2011

Lectors and readers at Mass.



Someone had to say something.
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Adoro has a very good post on the subject:  The Word can speak for Himself - stop being so dramatic.
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Photo credit.

26 comments:

  1. You know most dioceses have Lector Training... it isn't like people just acquire that skill... it takes training.

    Larry should do a post about Hollywood method acting taking on different reading.

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  2. You know, Joe, you could comment on my post itself. ;-) We've got a good discussion going on over there.

    Thanks for the nod, Terry!

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  3. Joe - I think Larry kind of tries to rap as he lectors - the hand movements are what's so distracting in his case.

    Anytime Adoro.

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  4. Anonymous8:16 PM

    At our parish, I've seen/heard readers who mumble, ones who stare at the text as if they've just seen it. We once had a deacon who never made it through a reading/Gospel w/o stumbling over a word that sometimes would alter the whole sense of that reading. As a former teacher, I used to cringe whenever that happened. We have someone who reads the Psalm and "cues" the congregation w/ a wide arm-sweep, made more "dramatic" cuz he wears an alb. (He used to be a priest, and thinks he's still one, IMO ... but I digress - God forgive me, into a little lack of charity)... My point (and I do have one, as Ms. DeGeneres says) is that unfortunately good readers are hard to come by. I would volunteer, but unfortunately am persona non grata these days. So I just pray, read the Missal, and try to tune some of the worse ones out. Anything else is counter-productive.

    Chloesmom

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  5. Ah, yes, cuing the congregation. Always makes me think of the Bird Girl statue:

    Jack Leigh Gallery

    Lisa

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  6. Anonymous8:34 AM

    Lisa, spot on, but this guy uses just the one arm! LOL!

    Chloesmom

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  7. Women should be seen and not heard.

    They should be seen in a nice dress, some high heels, and a veil.

    Mexican women wear a shawl that doubles as a veil at a moments notice.

    If women are part of the Mass you attend, you have not really attended a Catholic Mass.

    No women were part of the crucifixion of Christ.

    Saint Simon was recruited to help carry Christ's cross demonstrating an all male Priesthood.

    Seraphina offering Christ her veil shows how important in worship a woman's veil is.

    Women having anything to do with the Mass is a curse upon our heads.

    Somebody had to say it.

    Might as well be me.

    *

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  8. You're right Pablo - no women were instrumental in nailing Our Lord to the Cross, at least not the physical act. But remember, that while the 10 were quaking in their boots somewhere, aside from St. John, it was only the women who had the courage to stand at the foot of that Cross, and to them that the Resurrected Lord first made Himself known. And I'm pretty sure none of them were wearing high heels :P

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  9. Thinks that "St Michael Come to Our Defense" should be seen but not heard. ;-)

    Doesn't scripture say somewhere that one shouldn't suffer a fool in which to live? ;-) (JK, altho' I believe it's in proverbs...)

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  10. I am trying to imagine the Blessed Virgin in high heels and my imagination grinds to a halt.

    Since SMCTOD is intent on doing things the way they were done in the day of Jesus crucifixion, does this means he wears a long tunic and prayer shawl, sandals with bare feet year round, and like an observant Jew of the time, ear locks and beard?

    I am fairly traditional and get a bit upset by the show of flesh at Mass, and the preponderance of Eucharistic Minister women cluttering up the altar, but if the Holy Father doesn't specifically forbid it as part of our dogma, then sorry old bean, it isn't a mortal sin.
    It may be distracting, but that may mean we aren't beaming our whole self on God rather than sitting in the pew finding fault.

    God forgive us all our nit-picking and uncharitable behaviour.

    Frankly, I find myself so belabored in removing the boards from my own eye that it is getting harder and harder to see the motes in the eyes of others!

    The older I get, the more sins in myself I notice!

    Id this normal?

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  11. True, no woman took part in Our Lord's crucifixion. That is a glory to womanhood. Pilate's wife Claudia tried to save Him and unlike their menfolk, the women of Jerusalem wept at the sight of Him.

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  12. Women having anything to do with the Mass is a curse upon our heads.

    Somebody had to say it.

    God love Miguel! Women on the altar? It is called diabolical disorientation. I am dead serious.

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  13. "I still cannot understand why women are so easily excommunicated in Italy, for every minute someone was saying: “Don’t enter here! Don’t enter there, you will be excommunicated!” Ah! Poor women, how they are misunderstood! And yet they love God in much larger numbers than men do and during the Passion of Our Lord, women had more courage than the apostles since they braved the insults of the soldiers and dared to dry the adorable Face of Jesus. It is undoubtedly because of this that He allows misunderstanding to be their lot on earth, since He chose it for Himself. In heaven, He will show that His thoughts are not men’s thoughts, for then the last will be first." -St. Therese in Story of a Soull

    Someone had to say it, and St. Therese did.

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  14. Claims of misogyny are totally misplaced, right?

    hmmph.

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  15. Doesn't scripture say somewhere that one shouldn't suffer a fool in which to live? ...

    Scripture does say women should be seen and not heard in Church.

    *

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  16. We can only hope and pray, Miguel..

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  17. We men need to get with it.

    We must insist that our Bishops put us to work, and warn them of the huge difference between us and the girly men that have been involved.

    That is a problem for now, but I think when some time has passed the situation will smooth out.

    We can then start working on vocations and re-catechizing the Faithful.

    *

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  18. "I am trying to imagine the Blessed Virgin in high heels and my imagination grinds to a halt."
    I know.
    And Mr.Corapi says yo mama wears combat boots.

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  19. Joe - I think Larry kind of tries to rap as he lectors - the hand movements are what's so distracting in his case.

    Actually, Terry, I use sound effects. Kinda like this guy.

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  20. They should start testing for testosterone as a part of the application process to the priesthood, Miguel, lol.

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  21. LOL @ StMichaelDefendUsInBattle and @Maria... the scripture about not suffering fools trumps it beautifully.

    Perhaps you both would be more at home with Islam? Maria, you'd look gorgeous in a burqua, not that any of us would know the difference. And SMDUB or whatever your acronym is...you'd be such an amazing Muslim cleric, what with your amazing, anti-intellectual, anti-reality intellect and all.

    Oh, this is so much fun! We'll take photos later! Terry?

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  22. Miguel---You are GUILTY! Hate speech! Hate speech! LOL

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  23. Oh, I am guilty too Miguel! Same crime.

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  24. i thought Miguels name was Pablo?
    I'm confused.

    Miguel/Pablo are you beig serious about the "women should be in high heels" bit or are you just being a bit arch and trying to stimulate the discussion?
    I do agree that women ought to be encouraged to dress like women, and to dress appropriately for church. But high heels are not at all essential elements of the feminine wardrobe.
    Some women look so tall and bulky and awkward in high heels they could be taken for transvestites imo.
    My mother is 75 and has recently had a knee replacement. Does she get a high heels exemption?
    I usually have a small child on my hip at mass. It's hard to carry small children in high heels.
    Also, if I'm honest,I think high heels can look a bit, um, slutty. It's something to do with the hip sway.

    Saying that women should be seen and not heard ( which is an adoption of a victorian maxim about children) is not at all the same thing as saying that they shouldn't take part in the Holy sacrifice of the mass.

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  25. I meant to say that it was an adaption of the maxim, not adoption .

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  26. You may call me whatever you wish.

    Do not think my opinion is worth anything, but do let my comments bring forth Truths that get ignored for the most part.

    *

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