The Word of God is not only proclaimed from the Bible each Sunday.  It is alive.  God is present when the Word is proclaimed.  It is to be listened to carefully. 
Therefore, the Responsorial Psalm is also the Word of God.  The Psalms are to be sung on Sundays and whenever possible since they are meant to be sung.  It “fosters meditation on the Word of God” (GIRM 61).  The majority of the time, the cantor acts as the psalmist at the Cathedral.  The psalmist breaks the silence after the first reading.  The psalmist sings the antiphon first alone and this first is echoed by the people.  The psalmist sings the verses alone and at the end of each verse, the people sing the antiphon, ideally without the assistance of the psalmist. 
After the second reading, again there is a brief silence to reflect on what has been proclaimed.
The cantor leads the gospel acclamation.  With the text “the gathering of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak to them in the Gospel and profess their faith by means of chant” (GIRM 62; cf. LM 23).  At the Cathedral, the tune to the “Alleluia” is familiar and sung by the people with the assistance of the accompaniment.  The cantor may aid the assembly if needed.  The cantor sings a verse and then the people once again sing the “Alleluia”.  During Lent, the “Alleluia” is substituted by words of praise. 
The Gospel Acclamation is preceded by a sequence on Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday.  It is a liturgical hymn that relates to the feast day being celebrated.
 
 
The reading of the Gospel is the summit of the Liturgy of the Word portion of the Mass. Although it is hardly ever done in the cathedral, the dialogue that precedes the Gospel may be chanted.  On high feast days, it is encouraged for a deacon or priest to chant the entire Gospel. 
The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the homily, communal recitation of the Creed and the universal prayer.