in the early Church care of the Gospel scrolls and books was a responsibility not lightly entrusted in the face of persecution so the deacon – who needed to be able to read and had been proven to be trustworthy – stored the Gospels at home during the week, brought them on Sunday to the assembly and read from them. In doing this the deacon acted for and on behalf of the whole baptized community, and we know that some deacons paid for this with their liberty or their lives.
