Seminarian Reflection | Mr. Matthew Valles

At the Sunday Mass in the St. John's Seminary Chapel, on March 21, 2021, Bishop Mark O'Connell installed six classmates and myself to the Ministry of Lector. During his homily, Bishop O'Connell spoke about how the lector is to both read and understand the Scriptures that the Word of God may be proclaimed. Indeed, this installation marks a turning point in the life of the seminarian.

In just a few short years, the seminarian is to be ordained a priest. The time that the man spends as a lector is in preparation for the teaching and preaching ministries of the priesthood, God-willing. His life now has a greater orientation toward internalizing the Word of God so that he may one day preach it in parishes throughout the world, for the salvation of many. As Jesus says in the Gospel passage of the Mass from March 21, 2021, "unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground, and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit" (Jn 12:24). May we, as newly installed lectors, die to ourselves by internalizing the Word of God each day, bearing much fruit through our teaching and preaching of the Gospel for the salvation of many.

Thank you Saint John's Seminary and to all who prepared my classmates and me for this day!

Reflection by: Mr. Matthew Valles | II Theology