Letter 1594: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
To Jacob the Reader. The reading of Scripture in the liturgical assembly is not a mere performance but a sacred act, and the reader who approaches the lectern must do so with the same reverence with which the priest approaches the altar. For the Word of God is no less holy than the Body of God, and the one who proclaims it is performing a ministry no less sacred than the one who consecrates the elements. Therefore prepare yourself carefully, Jacob, reading the text beforehand so that your pronunciation is accurate and your delivery is clear, and praying beforehand so that your heart is attuned to the meaning of what you are about to proclaim. The reader who mumbles through the text without understanding it is like a postman who delivers a letter without knowing its contents — he performs the mechanical function but misses the spiritual purpose entirely.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
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