Our tone of voice is
closely linked to our emotional response to a reading. For our proclamation to
be authentic, our emotional response to the message in the reading needs to be
an authentic echo of the emotion in the reading itself. So, before proclaiming
we need to discern the message and its emotion, and through reflective prayer
absorb what we read.
Some readings call for a
quiet intensity, in others there can be disappointment, or sorrow, or
rejoicing, or determination, or submission.
If we have no emotional
response to a reading our voices will betray us with a neutral, boring tone.
The reading will not be a proclamation and the chances of its registering with
the congregation are greatly diminished.