The Most Holy Eucharist is the most august sacrament, in which Christ the Lord Himself is contained, offered and received, and by which the Church constantly lives and grows.
Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers serve the gathered Christian assembly by assisting with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ, so that all may be strengthened and nourished to carry on the work of Jesus in the world.
Pope Paul VI described Eucharistic ministers thus:
The faithful who are special ministers of communion must be persons whose good qualities of Christian life, faith and morals recommend them. Let them strive to be worthy of this great office, foster their own devotion to the Eucharist, and show an example to the rest of the faithful by their own devotion and reverence toward the most august sacrament of the altar. Immensae caritatis, 1973.
Eucharistic Ministers assist in the distribution of Communion at parish liturgies. They also bring communion to the sick, homebound, and hospitalized.
Special Ministers of the Eucharist should in every way demonstrate by their reverence for the Eucharist that they truly believe that this is not just bread and wine, but the very Body and Blood of the Risen Lord. Their manner of dress, their respectful silence, their grace-filled movement, and their care with the Sacred Species are observed by all the people and by the Lord. One should not accept this kind of responsibility unless he or she is willing to carry it out with deep faith and a deep and awesome sense of God’s presence.
If you are interested in becoming an Eucharistic Minister kindly call Deacon Joe at 781-289-1234 Ext.20
It is the mission of a lector to be the channel through which God’s Word is made present to the faithful. Just as the Lord is present sacramentally in the midst of the congregation during the celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, so too is God present in the reading of the Scriptures in the Liturgy of the Word.
Those who proclaim God’s Word in the liturgy are ministers. When you answer the call to be a minister of the Word, you enter a deeper relationship with God revealed in Scripture. A reader has the awesome duty and privilege of bringing the printed word to life, making it flesh. Your proclamation enables God’s Word to achieve the purpose for which it was sent. In short, you become a prophet, one who speaks for God. John the Baptist is your model, preparing the way of the Lord, making crooked ways straight, and rough places smooth. Finally you join yourself to the Jewish tradition which sees prayerful study of God’s Word as the worthiest of all endeavors. And as a Christian you believe that God’s words find their fullest expression in that one perfect Word – Jesus, the word made flesh. Being a lector is a very rewarding experience. It gives a person a chance to verbally share the word of the Lord with the faithful attending the Mass. It is definitely a faith-filled experience.
The Lector proclaims God’s Word to the assembly from the ambo, the table of the Word. Although the ministry is a simple one, that does not mean it is easy to do well or requires little energy or effort. The task itself is quite challenging. Not everyone is equal to it.
The Lector’s proclamation determines whether his or her service will help or hinder the hearers of God’s Word. Those who take on the the ministry of Lector are presumed to be confirmed Catholics in good standing with the Church, active members of the parish, of good faith, eager to serve and willing to engage in on-going formation. It is not presumed that they are particularly holy, exceptionally gifted, or highly skilled orators. Basic abilities, however, are required.
The Lectionary (from the Latin lectio meaning “reading” or “lesson”) is a collection of Bible texts arranged for proclamation according to the Church’s liturgical calendar. The Lector has a reverence for this holy book as the medium through which God’s Word is lavished upon the assembly. The most obvious feature of the Lectionary is its organization of readings within the liturgical seasons.
There is a three year cycle (A, B, C) of readings for Sundays that begins with the season of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent always begins a new liturgical year.
The weekday readings are set up on a two-year cycle (Year I and II). The odd years are Year I and the even years are Year II. No reading is ever isolated from the others at a given celebration. Each is carefully chosen for its relevance to a particular season, its relationship to the other readings at the same liturgy, or its appropriateness for a particular solemnity or feast day.
Hearers of the word should prepare as well. It is helpful if the Sunday readings are first read at home from your Catholic Bible. When the faithful come to the liturgy with a sense of how the readings unfold then the readings and homily can engage them more fully as participants.
If you think you are called to be a lector, get in touch with Deacon Joe at 781-289- 1234 Ext. 20 and he will guide you to become a lector.
Please Note
If you are unable to serve on your scheduled date, please call a replacement from the list first. If you have a problem finding one, call Deacon Joe at 781-289-1234
Dear Jesus, thank You for calling me to be a lector at Your Eucharistic celebrations. Let me take this role seriously and diligently prepare myself for it by studying the sacred texts before mass, and by striving to be a better Catholic Christian. By my physical action of reading, I am the instrument through whom You become present to the assembly in Your word and through whom You impart Your teachings. Let nothing in my manner disturb Your people or close their hearts to the action of Your spirit. Cleanse my heart and my mind and open my lips that I may worthily proclaim Your word.
Amen.
Please contact the rectory to learn more: 781.289.1234.
“I see altar serving as an honor and a way to strongly express my faith. My mom also says that because I am an altar server I get “special graces.” Most of all I enjoy being an altar server because it is a great way for me to show how much I love Jesus.”
In the Roman Catholic Church, altar servers (boys and girls) help the priest and deacon during the liturgy, especially the Holy Mass, funerals, weddings, and other special occasions. They have several supporting duties to carry out, such as carrying the processional cross and candles, carry the incense and thurible, holding the missal for the priest celebrant when he is not at the altar, assisting the priest when he receives the gifts from the people, washing the hands of the priest before the prayer over the gifts, removing items from the altar during communion, and assisting the priest celebrant as necessary. Altar servers wear the alb or the cassock and surplice during a liturgy.
Children who are seven years old and above are encouraged to become alter servers. The active participation in serving at the altar of God gives people graces, joys and benefits. God blesses altar servers with additional graces separate from the graces received from participating in the Holy Mass. There are also joys from serving, such as satisfaction at helping the priest celebrate Mass also satisfaction from praising God in a different way. There are also a multitude of benefits such as learning the order of Mass, a chance to meet new people and build self-esteem.
If this has encouraged you or someone you know to become an altar server please call the rectory to talk to a priest or talk to Dana our Sacristan before or after any Mass. We will be pleased to incorporate you into the altar server group at Saint Anthony of Padua Church. There will be training sessions for new candidates.