Paul Turner www.paulturner.org

Overview of the Lectionary for Mass

Diocese of Antigonish25 November 2015

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Overview

❖ The organization of the readings

❖ Samples of responsorial psalms

❖ Rubrics pertaining to the lectionary

❖ Other uses of the lectionary

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How much of the bible is heard at mass?

❖ Before Vatican II❖ 1% of the Old Testament❖ 17% of the New Testament

❖ After Vatican II❖ 14% of the Old Testament❖ 71% of the New Testament

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Who are “they”?

❖ Bugnini, p. 409-410: “The group initially included: relator: G. Diekmann; secretary: G. Fontaine, members: H. Schürmann, P. Jounel, P. Massi, E. Lanne, H. Kahlefeld. In November 1965, J. Féder was added. In June 1965, Father Diekmann asked to be replaced because of commitments at the national level (United States) and because of the difficulties of attending frequent team meetings abroad; C. Vagaggini replaced him as relator…

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❖ “…G. Fontaine remained secretary; at the end of 1964 he had given up his work as director of the liturgical movement in Canada in order to be completely at the disposal of the Consilium. As close collaborator of Father Vagaggini, he became one of the creators of the Lectionary for Mass. The original group was subsequently expanded to include other members, finally number seventeen, all chosen from an international field in the areas of liturgy, Bible, catechetics, and pastoral care. The added members were: A. Rose, A. Docent, A.-M. Roguet, K. Tilmann, H. Oster, J. Gaillard, H. Marot, and L. Deiss.”

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Ordinary Time Sunday Gospels

❖ Week 3 begins a semicontinuous reading from Matthew (A), Mark (B) or Luke (C)

❖ From Jesus’ public ministry to his sayings about the second coming

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Ordinary Time Sunday Gospels

❖ Week 2: always from John’s Gospel

❖ Cana in Year C

❖ Weeks 16 to 20 of Year B from John 6

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Ordinary Time Sunday 1st Readings

- Chosen to correspond with Gospel and show unity between Old and New Testaments

- Principal passages from the Old Testament are represented on Sundays

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Ordinary Time Sunday 2nd Readings

❖ Semicontinuous readings from letters of Paul and James

❖ [they do not necessarily fit the other readings]

❖ 1st Corinthians is spread over 3 years at beginning of Ordinary Time

❖ Hebrews divided into years B and C

❖ In general these readings are “short and readily grasped”

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For Example

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From Year B

15th to 21st Sunday: Ephesians

22nd to 26th Sunday: James

27th to 33rd Sunday: Hebrews (first half)

Christ the King: Revelation

Ordinary Time Weekday Gospels❖ Weeks 1-9: Mark

❖ Weeks 10-21: Matthew

❖ Weeks 22-34: Luke

❖ All of Mark 1-12 except for two places in 6 read around the Epiphany

❖ miracle of the loaves & Jesus walking on the water

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Ordinary Time Weekday Gospels

❖ Passages from Matthew and Luke with material not in Mark

❖ but those presented distinctively or needed for progression appear more than once

❖ Jesus’ entire final discourse from Luke concludes year

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Ordinary Time Weekday 1st Reading

❖ Readings alternate each Testament every few weeks

❖ Daniel and Revelation come at the end of the year

❖ Omitted: Obadiah, Zephaniah, Song of Songs, Esther, Judith

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For example, in Year I❖ Weeks 25-27

❖ Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Nehemiah, Baruch, Jonah, Malachi, Joel

❖ Weeks 28-31

❖ Romans

❖ Weeks 32-34

❖ Wisdom, Maccabees, Daniel

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Advent Sundays❖ Gospels: Lord’s coming at the

end of time (1st Sunday), John the Baptist (2nd and 3rd), events preparing for the Lord’s birth (4th)

❖ OT readings are prophecies about the Messiah, especially from Isaiah

❖ 2nd readings are exhortations and proclamations in keeping with the season

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Advent Weekdays

❖ Starts with a semicontinuous reading of Isaiah

❖ The Gospel is chosen with the first reading in mind

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Advent Weekdays

❖ From Thursday of the second week the Gospels concern John the Baptist

❖ The first reading either continues Isaiah or is inspired by the Gospel

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Advent Weekdays

❖ From December 17 the Gospels are events leading to the birth of Christ from Matthew and Luke

❖ The first reading is a prophecy chosen in light of the day’s gospel

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Lent Sunday Gospels

❖ 1st Sunday: The Temptation of Jesus

❖ 2nd Sunday: The Transfiguration

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3rd, 4th & 5th Sunday Gospels

❖ Year A:

❖ The Samaritan woman

❖ The Man born blind

❖ The Raising of Lazarus

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3rd, 4th & 5th Sunday Gospels

❖ Year B: John anticipating the Cross and Resurrection❖ Jesus predicting the

destruction of the Temple❖ Jesus converses with

Nicodemus❖ “Unless a grain of wheat”

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3rd, 4th & 5th Sunday Gospels

❖ Year C: Luke/John on conversion❖ Jesus cursing the fig tree❖ The prodigal son❖ The adulterous woman

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Lent Sunday Readings

❖ OT History of Salvation - proper to the catechesis of Lent

❖ 2nd readings provide a connection with others when possible

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Lent Sunday Readings - Year C

Deut: confession of faith Rom: confess and believe Lk: Temptation

Gen: covenant with Abraham Phil: changing our bodies Lk: Transfiguration

Ex: burning bush 1 Cor: rock was Christ Jn: fig tree

Joshua: the Promised Land

2 Cor: be reconciled to God Jn: Prodigal Son

Is: God brings life to desert

Phil: sufferings lead to resurrection Jn: Adulterous woman

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Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

❖ Gospel on Lord’s Solemn Entry (Year B option of John)

❖ Passion from the synoptics❖ 1st reading: Song of Suffering

Servant❖ 2nd reading: Philippians

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Lent Weekdays

❖ Gospels and Old Testament readings are related to each other, usually concerning Lent disciplines

❖ Fourth Week begins semicontinuous reading of John

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Sunday Gospels of Easter Time

❖ 1-3: appearances of the risen Christ

❖ 4: Good Shepherd

❖ 5-7: the Lord’s discourse and prayer at the Last Supper

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Sunday Readings of Easter Time

❖ 1st readings all from Acts of the Apostles

❖ 2nd readings

❖ A: 1 Peter

❖ B: 1 John

❖ C: Revelation

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Easter Weekdays❖ 1st reading is

semicontinuous from Acts of the Apostles

❖ Gospels of Octave are appearances of the risen Lord

❖ then a semicontinuous reading of John, largely the final discourse and prayer

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Monday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year I

PS 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

R. (see 88) Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

Indignation seizes me because of the wicked who forsake your law.

Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me, your law I have not forgotten.

Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may keep your precepts.

I am attacked by malicious persecutors who are far from your law.

Far from sinners is salvation, because they seek not your statutes.

I beheld the apostates with loathing, because they kept not to your promise.

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Other uses of the lectionary

❖ Homily: “Through the course of the liturgical year the homily sets forth the mysteries of faith and the standards of the Christian life on the basis of the sacred text” (LM 24).

❖ GIRM 65: or another text from the ordinary or proper of the mass of the day

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Universal Prayer - LM43

❖ The priest’s introduction and concluding prayer may draw on scriptures of the day and the homily

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Lectionary catechesis

❖ RCIA 75/1: “A suitable catechesis is provided by priests or deacons, or by catechists and others of the faithful, planned to be gradual and complete in its coverage, accommodated to the liturgical year, and solidly supported by celebrations of the word.”

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1st Sunday of Advent Antiphons❖ Entrance: To you, I lift up

my soul, O my God. In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame.

❖ [Cf. Ps 25 (24):1-3]

❖ Communion: The Lord will bestow his bounty, and our earth shall yield its increase.

❖ [Cf. Ps 85 (84):13]

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Concluding points

❖ The Lectionary for Mass is one of the most successful liturgical forms of the Second Vatican Council

❖ Knowing the context helps one make a liturgical reading, not just a biblical reading

❖ Other liturgical sources also have value

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Bibliography

❖ Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass

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❖ Adrien Nocent, The Liturgical Year, 3 vols., Introduced, Emended, and Annotated by Paul Turner (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2013-2014)

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❖ Patrick Regan, Advent to Pentecost: Comparing the Seasons in the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite, (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2012)

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❖ Foundations for Preaching and Teaching: Scripture Backgrounds for 2016, (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2015)

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❖ Paul Turner, Let Us Pray: A Guide to the Rubrics of Sunday Mass, updated, (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2012)

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❖ Paul Turner, Pastoral Companion to The Roman Missal (Chicago: World Library Publications, 2011)

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