A Guide, or Handbook for the Reader
A Reader
A God-fearing reader ought always to remember that he/she is proclaiming doxologies and prayers on behalf of all who are praying in the church, where God Himself, His immaculate Mother, the angels, and the saints are always invisibly present. Moreover, liturgical prayer is not like private prayer, since it is essentially corporate worship.
The Lord, the Knower of hearts, knows the feeling and attitude with which the reader performs his/her responsibilities. A God-fearing reader knows that those standing in the Temple may be distracted by any mistakes, signs of inattention, etc., and that through this, they may be tempted in one way or another, and lose the meaning of the text.
Therefore, the Reader, preparing as well as possible ahead of time, tries to avoid carelessness. It is good to recall the warning in the Scripture, “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully [with carelessness]” (Jeremiah 48:10).
]When reading words of prayer in the Temple, in the hearing of all the Faithful, we are carrying out God’s work ; therefore, we must read reverently and decorously, distinctly and unhurriedly.
There are Readers who are tonsured as Readers, and there are Readers who are blessed to read. In either case, it is usual that a Reader who leads the singing as a Cantor (singer, precentor) be a tonsured Reader, but not always.
There are Readers who are male, and there are Readers who are female. Although there is a debate about this (since some believe that the Order of Reader is only the “first step of the priesthood”, and therefore available only to males), it is a fact that from time to time, one bishop or another has tonsured and does tonsure a female for the express purpose of reading. Should a female be a Reader (tonsured or not), she receives the blessing to read before the beginning of the reading of the Hours, as she stands in the kliros, or at a deacon’s door.
Prepare carefully for reading.
One must prepare carefully for the liturgical reading. It is prudent to become familiar with the text(s) to be read by reading it (them) well in advance, and considering the words thoughtfully, and paying attention to the pronunciation of the words, the accents, and the contents. This will help to convey the text accurately and sensibly. If practice is required so as to avoid mistakes, then it is prudent to do so. Having someone listen and comment can help.
Part of the careful preparation for reading is arriving earlier than the starting-time of the service. It takes some time to prepare the books for reading, and to ensure that any particular directions from the pastor may be taken into account. Further, arriving at the last moment makes one vulnerable to unexpected temptations from below.
Read in a manner that makes sense.
When reading, do it so that first of all you, yourself, understand what you are reading ; and read in a deliberate and careful manner so that the prayers and Psalms that are read may penetrate your own heart. At the same time, keep in mind that the reading is for the benefit of the people standing in the Temple. It is necessary that they be able to understand. Together, the Reader and the hearers may glorify the [1]Lord] with one mouth and one heart. This is the purpose of our assembling in the Lord’s House, and we are exhorted to do so in the Divine Liturgy.
When reading in church, always remember that by your lips the prayer of all who are present is uttered and raised up to the throne of God ; and that each word you pronounce ought to be able penetrate the hearing and the soul of each person praying in the church. Therefore, the reading must be sufficiently loud, clearly enunciated, and well-projected so that those who are “hard of hearing” may be able to hear the reading, even should they be at the rear of the Temple.
Read unhurriedly, distinctly and precisely.
Do not be hasty when reading the holy prayers. Haste can demean the prayers. Hurried and indistinct reading is not apprehended by the ears, minds, and hearts of those listening. Such reading and singing, according to the words of the Holy Hierarch Tikhon (Sokolov) of Zadonsk, is “complaisance for the lazy, heartfelt sorrow and sighing for the good, and temptation and harm for all who come”.
In order not to deprive those praying of the possibility to pray reverently, a God-fearing Reader will not read quickly and/or carelessly. The saying “haste makes waste” has many applicaitons. Many can be disturbed and tempted by a Reader’s carelessness, and some may even walk away from the service. It has happened that some, who are tempted to negativity and to a critical disposition, are distracted or provoked when they perceive that there is carelessness or irreverence in the reading and singing during services, and they have fallen away from the Faith because they perceived that those who read did so merely by rote, and they seem not to have believed what they read.
In order to know at what speed it is appropriate to read, it is essential to read with a comprehension of what is being read – not mechanically ; and not to pay attention merely to the external side of reading, but rather to the content, and at the same time to pray for oneself in one’s heart. God willing, the Reader will, by the Grace of the Holy Spirit, come to the ability to read “from the heart”, and/or “sing from the heart” (that is, not emotionally, but sincerely).
One must learn to read freely, without strain, so that while reading there would be no difficulties in pronouncing the words, abbreviations, and accents. One ought to pay attention to the choice of pitch and volume of the voice, and in the raising and the lowering of the pitch, so that attention would be distracted as little as possible by the technique of reading. Rather, in reading, one should be concentrated on the meaning of what is read. For such a reason, some Readers read the text on one pitch only throughout (rather than inflecting the pitch, or reading on an ascending chromatic scale, which are done in some places). The precise manner of reading is best done in accordance with the blessing of the superior (rector/pastor).
One must read in such a measured way that the hearers succeed in mentally apprehending each word of the prayer. The Reader may learn from experience that during rapid/hasty reading, it is difficult for those praying to succeed in catching the content of the prayer. However, a proper balance is necessary. In contrast, it is important that one not drag out the reading needlessly by reading too slowly. The tempo of the reading is best to be peaceful, natural, unhurried.
Read with pauses that make sense.
In order that the content of the prayers be more easily apprehended by those who hear, one would do well to separate each sentence (phrase) from another by a small pause, slightly drawing out the voice. Within the sentence itself, one may also make pauses that enhance the sense, principally by following the punctuation, and using it to divide definite meaningful groups of words one from another.
At commas, one should make brief pauses ; and longer pauses (drawing out the voice) at semi-colons, periods (full-stops), and question marks.
It is important to avoid any inclination to read dramatically. It is important to avoid expressions of tenderness, emotion, sternness, or any other personal feelings. This is one of the reasons for minimising inflection of pitch (or following a prescribed melodic formula) while reading.
In this context, it is important to keep in mind the natural spoken stresses in words, and to keep these stresses as much as possible in the rhythm of the intoning of the reading.
Let the holy words of prayer act on the hearers through their own spiritual merit. The desire to impart one’s own feelings, experiences, or interpretations to others, or to affect them by changes of voice is a sign of conceit and of pride, as stated by the Holy Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov).
One must read in one’s natural voice-range, and not in an assumed one. One should not read in very low pitches, because the reading becomes muffled, and even inaudible. For reading, one needs to take the pitch of the tone closest to the pitch of his natural voice while singing. One ought to read simply, evenly, in a chanting voice (as though half-singing), on one pitch, with small raisings and lowerings of the voice (if any). One must read in a moderate and balanced manner, so that all the words reach the hearing of each person clearly. Obviously, the larger the Temple, and/or the more people there are present, the more necessary it is to amplify the volume of the voice ; but one ought never to reach the point of shouting.
The Reader ought to stand erect with the book (or before the book if it be on a lectern), with the feet slightly separated, without making bows, and without shifting from foot to foot, or putting one foot to the side. The arms should hang freely (all this so that the body may be as much as possible at ease).
If the Reader is reading at a stand (analogion/analoy), then he/she ought to be careful not to disturb any special covering on it. If the placing of the book on it makes the cover move, it is good to straighten it (that is, if it is possible).
Learn to read well.
If a Reader have any question, or not understand something (such as the appropriate prokeimenon or alleluia, or other detail), then he/she ought to ask the cantor, or other authority beforehand. If there is a long pause or movement when the reading should take place, it could be disturbing to others. Should someone offer a verbal correction or helpful comment, it is good to express gratitude for the help. If one is corrected by another experienced person, then it is important to accept the correction with humility, and to learn from the mistake. To react in indignant rejection of the comment (even if it be only silent) is to reveal the presence of pride.
A Reader ought to take care to avoid becoming envious of other Readers, or any angry or divisive feeling. We offer our gifts to the glory of God, not of ourselves. We do well to avoid being concerned about what others think of us, since it contributes to the destructive effects of fear.
Take care of the church books.
Treat with reverence and care the divine-service books. These are not merely books, but holy books, precious treasures of the whole Church’s centuries-old, inspired, prayerful creativity. Therefore, it is essential to treat the service books very carefully. Avoid tearing, soiling, or “dog-earing” the pages. Rather, turn the pages carefully. We ought not to make written or other marks in the text.
Carrying the Apostle Book.
At the Divine Liturgy, the Apostle Book (the Epistle Book) is carried by the Reader through the south Deacon’s Door into the Altar during the Trisagion (Holy God). He holds it up, at face-level as he goes. In the Altar, he receives the blessing from the priest or bishop presiding. He raises the Apostle even higher then, and he exits through the north Deacon Door. He makes his way to the centre of the nave where the reading is to take place. If it is the custom to use a lectern, then the book is place thereon with care, and opened.
There are 2 places which would have been marked previously, that for the prokeiemnon and the alleluia, and that for the Epistle reading itself.
One of the main purposes of holding a candle while reading is to illuminate the text for reading. However, be careful to avoid letting wax drip on the book. It is better to hold the candle to the side (to the right or to the left).
Ask for the Lord’s help to serve faithfully, with love, and with joy.
Preparation at home for the Church Services.
In order to give efficient service as a Reader in the Church, the Reader would come to know more than the prescribed texts for any one day. Not only as a regular Reader, but especially as a Reader who serves as Cantor, the Reader does well to know the various books used in the services, and where to find the necessary texts (and/or music) for the services of the day.
These books include : The Psalter (the book of Psalms, preferably translated from the [2]Septuagint text]) ; [The Apostle (the books of [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Acts_of_the_Apostles The Acts, and of the Epistles (i.e., letters) of the Holy Apostles) ; The Great Book of the Hours (Horologion) ; the Menaion (services of the saints of every day throughout the year, 12 monthly volumes, and local or recent additions) ; the Festal Menaion (the services for the greater feast-days of the year) ; the Triodion (the services of Great Lent) ; the [https://orthodoxwiki.org/Pentecostarion Pentecostarion (the services from Pascha through Pentecost until All Saints) ; the Octoechos (the daily hymns for every day of the week in the Eight Tones) ; the Book of Needs (the Euchologion], with services for particular situations), and others.
Please be aware that the Octoechos begins freshly every year at the Feast of Pascha. It continues in a regular, repeated eight-week cycle throughout the year until the following Pascha.
Although there are many texts readily available in English nowadays on the internet, there are sometimes mistakes. One should use caution, and do double-checking.
Even though it is obvious, it must still be noted, of course, that the Reader ought to know the order of the various services. A Reader may fulfil service most frequently at Vespers, and at the Divine Liturgy ; but a Reader] is necessary at other services such as Matins, a Panikhida, a Moleben, a Baptism, a Wedding, a Funeral, and other services.
Knowing the order enables the Reader to be prepared adequately.
A Deacon