The proclamation of Scripture plays an essential part of the celebration of the Eucharist. When we celebrate the Liturgy of the Word at Mass, we do more than remember past events from the Old and New Testaments. We believe that when the word is proclaimed, God actually speaks to us. The word is ALIVE.
The Church states, “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his own word, is proclaiming the Gospel.” We confess our belief that Christ is present and speaking to us through our acclamations of “Thanks be to God” and “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ” after the readings.
The required silence after each reading is necessary to allow our hearts to be grasped by God’s word through the action of the Holy Spirit. During the Liturgy of the Word, we enter into a DIALOGUE with God. When God speaks, we cannot help but to respond. Common words are not adequate. We do so with God given words called psalms. When we sing the psalms at Mass, we are entering into dialogue with the Lord with our lives. Thus, the Liturgy of the Word is an important part of the Mass. We are fed and nourished at the table of the Word. The Church teaches that “the close connection between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist in the Mass should prompt the faithful to be present right from the beginning of the celebration, to take part attentively, and to dispose themselves to hear the word.”