General Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass: A Final Look

We’ve reached the end of our examination of the texts of the General Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass. You can review the whole document online, if you wish.

I refer you to the appendices, which include a “Table of Principal Celebrations,” dating Easter and feasts which rely on it for their own dating. It runs 1998-2025.

There is also a chart of Sunday second readings in Ordinary Time, but I would recommend instead Fr Felix Just’s fine site for all sorts of tables and statistics on the Roman Lectionaries.

I don’t have a lot to write about as we wrap up this peek at the GILM. The document contains a good amount of optimism, it being 1981. From about 1970, Roman documents on liturgy are more noted for a more measured tone than those from the period of 1963-69. The liturgical clampdown of the 90′s is still far enough in the future. GILM represents a sample of Roman liturgical thinking from the midpoint of implementing liturgical reform: a respect for the role and office of bishop, an expectation that liturgy will continue to grow more fruitful, a refinement of earlier ideas and practices–some of which had been found wanting, and others enhanced as the Church reaches a zenith of collaboration between the curia, the bishops, bureaucrats, and experts.

Any last comments on the document, the Lectionary, or some related topic?

 

GILM 123-125: Heading, Incipit, Final Acclamation

Wrapping up the final three numbered sections of the GILM, the Church treats with a few small details. First, the “heading” to the Scripture passage, something I don’t find terribly helpful:

123. There is a heading prefixed to each text, chosen carefully (usually from the words of the text itself) in order to point out the main theme of the reading and, when necessary, to make the connection between the readings of the same Mass clear.

The Lectionary passage may include a short phrase of introduction in the text of the reading, something a little more clear than, “He said to them …”

124. In this Order of Readings the first element of the incipit is the customary introductory phrase: “At that time,” “In those days,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Beloved,” “Dearly Beloved,” “Dearest Brothers and Sisters,” or “Thus says the Lord,” “Thus says the Lord God.” These words are not given when the text itself provides sufficient indication of the time or the persons involved or where such phrases would not fit in with the very nature of the text. For the individual languages, such phrases may be changed or omitted by decree of the competent Authorities.

After the first words of the incipit the Order of Readings gives the proper beginning of the reading, with some words deleted or supplied for intelligibility, inasmuch as the text is separated from its context. When the text for a reading is made up of non-consecutive verses and this has required changes in wording, these are appropriately indicated.

The people get the final (spoken) word, as it were:

125. In order to facilitate the congregation’s acclamation, the words for the reader The word of the Lord, or similar words suited to local custom, are to be printed at the end of the reading for use by the reader.

Any thoughts of comments on this material? Tomorrow, we’ll finish up with a few final words on the General Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, then head into the remainder of Holy Week document-free.

 

GILM 122: Traditional Titles of Biblical Books

I worked with a priest once who insisted on stating the Pauline authorship of Hebrews. Would that either of us looked more carefully at GILM 122:

The traditionally accepted titles for books are to be retained with the following exceptions.

1. Where there are two books with the same name, the title is to be: The first Book, The second Book (for example, of Kings, of Maccabees) or The first Letter, The second Letter.
2. The title more common in current usage is to be accepted for the following books:

-I and II Samuel instead of I and II Kings;

-I and II Kings instead of III and IV Kings;

-I and II Chronicles instead of I and II Paralipomenon;

-The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah instead of I and II Ezra.

3. The distinguishing titles for the wisdom books are: Book of Job, Book of Proverbs, Book of Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Book of Wisdom, and Book of Sirach.
4. For all the books that are included among the prophets in the Neo-Vulgate, the formula is to be: “A reading from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, or of the prophet Jeremiah or of the prophet Baruch” and: “A reading from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, of the prophet Daniel, of the prophet Hosea, of the prophet Malachi,” even in the case of books not regarded by some as being in actual fact prophetic.
5. The title is to be Book of Lamentations and Letter to the Hebrews, with no mention of Jeremiah or Paul.

 

GILM 119-121: Biblical References

How are Scripture passages referenced in the Lectionary?

119. The text reference (that is, to chapter and verses) is always given according to the Neo-Vulgate edition for the psalms. [123] But a second reference according to the original text (Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek) has been added wherever there is a discrepancy. Depending on the decrees of the competent Authorities for the individual languages, vernacular versions may retain the enumeration corresponding to the version of the Bible approved for liturgical use by the same Authorities. Exact references to chapter and verses, however, must always appear and may be given in the text or in the margin.

120. These references provide liturgical books with the basis of the “announcement” of the text that must be read in the celebration, but which is not printed in this volume. This “announcement” of the text will observe the following norms, but they may be altered by decree of the competent authorities on the basis of what is customary and useful for different places and languages.

121. The formula to be used is always: “A reading from the Book of. . . ” “A reading from the Letter of . . . ” or “A reading from the holy Gospel according to . . . ” and not: “The beginning of. . . ” (unless this seems advisable in particular instances) nor: “The continuation of. . . .”

I like that the formula is standard. Unfortunately, there are a few instances of “The beginning …”

 

GILM 114-118: Printing a Lectionary

Five short sections that discuss the various publication aspects of a Lectionary. First, a note on psalms and gospel acclamations:

114. The texts for the chants are always to be adjoined to the readings, but separate books containing the chants alone are permitted. It is recommended that the texts be printed with divisions into stanzas.

This gives improvising singers the option of rendering the psalms right from the Lectionary–which would be my first choice. In my parish, I have a chopped-up hymnal I use to insert psalms into the Lectionary directly.

115. Whenever a text consists of different parts, the typography must make this structure of the text clear. It is likewise recommended that even non-poetic texts be printed with division into sense lines to assist the proclamation of the readings.

One wedding pet peeve is seeing the lectors come with densely-printed Bible texts, No wonder some read so fast. A good friend’s peeve is when the liturgist or clergy write directions into the Lectionary. A judiciously placed post-it note is quite enough. Used very sparingly.

116. Where there are longer and shorter forms of a text, they are to be printed separately, so that each can be read with ease. But if such a separation does not seem feasible, a way is to be found to ensure that each text can be proclaimed without mistakes.

Makes sense.

117. In vernacular editions the texts are not to be printed without headings prefixed. If it seems advisable, an introductory note on the general meaning of the passage may be added to the heading. This note is to carry some distinctive symbol or is to be set in different type to show clearly that it is an optional text. [121]

I find these introductory notes less helpful. I always look for Lectionary editions that lack them.

118. It would be useful for every volume to have an index of the passages of the Bible, modeled on the biblical index of the present volume. [122] This will provide ready access to texts of the lectionaries for Mass that may be needed or helpful for specific occasions.

I do find the biblical index very useful.

Any other suggestions for Lectionary publishers?

 

GILM 113: A Multi-Volume Lectionary

A few practical notes, from a generation when the CDWDS was more pragmatic in its approach to liturgy:

113. The size of the Lectionary will necessitate editions in more than one volume; no particular division of the volumes is prescribed. But each volume is to contain the explanatory texts on the structure and purpose of the section it contains.

The ancient custom is recommended of having separate books, one for the Gospels and a second for the other readings for the Old and New Testament.

It may also be useful to publish separately a Sunday lectionary (which could also contain selected excerpts from the sanctoral cycle), and a weekday lectionary. A practical basis for dividing the Sunday lectionary is the three-year cycle, so that all the readings for each year are presented in sequence.

But there is freedom to adopt other arrangements that may be devised and seem to have pastoral advantages.

I’m not aware of an edition in English that omits the Gospels. My parishes have long used a Book of Gospels, but the edition used by lectors always contains the readings, from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Ah! Freedom for sensibly pastoral arrangements–those were the days.

 

GILM 111-112: Translation

Chapter VI begins with a timely note on the state of translation as it used to be in the good ol’ days:

111. In the liturgical assembly the word of God must always be read either from the Latin texts prepared by the Holy See or from vernacular translations approved for liturgical use by the Conferences of Bishops, according to existing norms. [119]

A good marker for the current discussion on who gets to do what in the curia-bishops tug-o-war.

112. The Lectionary for Mass must be translated integrally in all its parts, including the Introduction. If the Conference of Bishops has judged it necessary and useful to add certain adaptations, these are to be incorporated after their confirmation by the Holy See. [Liturgicae instaurationes 11]

In 1981, there was more openness to adaptation, too. Rome gets to confirm these–in that wording and sense, it makes sense.

 

GILM 108-110: Solemnities of the Lord, Plus Weekdays

108. On the solemnities of Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, and the Sacred Heart, the texts chosen correspond to the principal themes of these celebrations.

The readings of the Thirty-Fourth and last Sunday of Ordinary Time celebrate Christ the universal King. He was prefigured by David and proclaimed as king amid the humiliations of his Passion and Cross; he reigns in the Church and will come again at the end of time.

And as you know, additional three-cycle readings for those first two feasts are now part of the latest edition of the Lectionary (1998).

How the weekday gospels are organized:

109. The Gospels are so arranged that Mark is read first (First to Ninth Week), then Matthew (Tenth to Twenty-First Week), then Luke (Twenty-Second to Thirty-Fourth Week). Mark chapters 1-12 are read in their entirety, with the exception only of the two passages of Mark chapter 6 that are read on weekdays in other seasons. From Matthew and Luke the readings comprise all the material not contained in Mark. All the passages that either are distinctively presented in each Gospel or are needed for a proper understanding of its progression are read two or three times. Jesus’ eschatological discourse as contained in its entirety in Luke is read at the end of the liturgical year.

The daily first readings have a plan:

110. The First Reading is taken in periods of several weeks at a time first from one then from the other Testament; the number of weeks depends on the length of the biblical books read.

Rather large sections are read from the New Testament books in order to give the substance, as it were, of each of the Letters.

From the Old Testament there is room only for select passages that, as far as possible, bring out the character of the individual books. The historical texts have been chosen in such a way as to provide an overall view of the history of salvation before the Incarnation of the Lord. But lengthy narratives could hardly be presented; sometimes verses have been selected that make for a reading of moderate length. In addition, the religious significance of the historical events is sometimes brought out by means of certain texts from the wisdom books that are placed as prologues or conclusions to a series of historical readings.

What’s not in the Lectionary?

Nearly all the Old Testament books have found a place in the Order of Readings for weekdays in the Proper of Seasons. The only omissions are the shortest of the prophetic books (Obadiah and Zephaniah) and a poetic book (the Song of Songs). Of those narratives of edification requiring a lengthy reading if they are to be understood, Tobit and Ruth are included, but the others (Esther and Judith) are omitted. Texts from these latter two books are assigned, however, to Sundays and weekdays at other times of the year.

Table III at the end of this Introduction [118] lists the way the books of the Old and the New Testament are distributed over the weekdays in Ordinary Time in the course of two years.

At the end of the liturgical year the readings are from the books that correspond to the eschatological character of this period, Daniel and the Book of Revelation.

Omitting Esther and Judith? Don’t like that.

Check out Fr Felix Just’s site for ordinary time year I and year II.

That finishes Chapter V. The end is near.

 

GILM 106-107: Other Sunday Readings

Ordinary Time first readings have two purposes:

106. These readings have been chosen to correspond to the Gospel passages in order to avoid an excessive diversity between the readings of different Masses and above all to bring out the unity between the Old and the New Testament. The connection between the readings of the same Mass is shown by a precise choice of the headings prefixed to the individual readings.

To the degree possible, the readings were chosen in such a way that they would be short and easy to grasp. But care has been taken to ensure that many Old Testament texts of major significance would be read on Sundays. Such readings are distributed not according to a logical order but on the basis of what the Gospel reading requires. Still, the treasury of the word of God will be opened up in such a way that nearly all the principal pages of the Old Testament will become familiar to those taking part in the Mass on Sundays.

Readings from the New Testament have a different scheme:

107. There is a semicontinuous reading of the Letters of Paul and James (the Letters of Peter and John being read during the Easter and Christmas seasons).

Because it is quite long and deals with such diverse issues, the First Letter to the Corinthians has been spread over the three years of the cycle at the beginning of Ordinary Time. It also was thought best to divide the Letter to the Hebrews into two parts; the first part is read in Year B and the second in Year C.

Only readings that are short and readily grasped by the people have been chosen.

Table II at the end of this Introduction [117] indicates the distribution of Letters of the Apostles over the three-year cycle of the Sundays of Ordinary Time.

And this table may be found at the link.

The difficulty with aiming to lay (or clergy) understanding is that it seems easy to miss by being too simple or too deep. I think the Sunday Lectionary provides a decent balance. Perhaps what is needed even more today is a guide for preachers, a list of important notions covered in these readings. Less, I hope, offering preaching suggestions.

What are your observations about Ordinary Time scriptures on Sunday? I know there are issues with the selections. I’m not convinced that semi-continuous Paul or James or Hebrews is the best way to go. Sometimes I think the semicontinuous approach was just running close to deadline and that the Old Testament took more time and energy than first imagined.

 

GILM 105: Sunday Gospels in Ordinary Time

Sunday gospel readings in Ordinary Time are explained:

105. On the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time the Gospel continues to center on the manifestation of the Lord, which is celebrated on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, through the traditional passage about the wedding feast at Cana and two other passages from the Gospel of John.

Beginning with the Third Sunday, there is a semicontinuous reading of the Synoptic Gospels. This reading is arranged in such a way that as the Lord’s life and preaching unfold the doctrine proper to each of these Gospels is presented.

This distribution also provides a certain coordination between the meaning of each Gospel and the progress of the liturgical year. Thus after Epiphany the readings are on the beginning of the Lord’s preaching and they fit in well with Christ’s baptism and the first events in which he manifests himself. The liturgical year leads quite naturally to a conclusion in the eschatological theme proper to the last Sundays, since the chapters of the Synoptics that precede the account of the Passion treat this eschatological theme rather extensively.

Did you ever wonder why the Bread of Life discourse in John 6 was placed where it was?

After the Sixteenth Sunday in Year B, five readings are incorporated from John chapter 6 (the discourse on the bread of life). This is the natural place for these readings because the multiplication of the loaves from the Gospel of John takes the place of the same account in Mark. In the semicontinuous reading of Luke for Year C, the introduction of this Gospel has been prefixed to the first text (that is, on the Third Sunday). This passage expresses the author’s intention very beautifully and there seemed to be no better place for it.

Thoughts?

 

GILM 103-104: Arranging and Choosing the Texts of Ordinary Time

In Ordinary Time, it’s a matter of counting. Some people prefer “ordinal” or counted time to “ordinary.” The story of salvation is never an ordinary event. But we need some way to make the Nativity cycle and the Ninety Days distinct.

103. Ordinary Time begins on the Monday after the Sunday following 6 January; it lasts until the Tuesday before Lent inclusive. It begins again on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday and finishes before evening prayer I of the first Sunday of Advent.

The Order of Readings provides readings for thirty-four Sundays and the weeks following them. In some years, however, there are only thirty-three weeks of Ordinary Time. Further, some Sundays either belong to another season (the Sunday on which the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord falls and Pentecost Sunday) or else are impeded by a solemnity that coincides with Sunday (e.g. The Most Holy Trinity or Christ the King).

It might be accurate to say that every five or six years, the Roman liturgical calendar will have fifty-three weeks. It’s never an even 365-plus days–it’s either 364 or 371. We usually miss a week of ordinary time on the short years. We always miss a Wednesday through Saturday chunk because of Lent. Here’s how it’s organized:

104. For the correct arrangement in the use of the readings for Ordinary Time, the following are to be respected.

1. The Sunday on which the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord falls replaces the first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Therefore the readings of the First Week of Ordinary Time begin on the Monday after the Sunday following 6 January. When the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on Monday because the Epiphany has been celebrated on the Sunday, the readings of the First Week begin on Tuesday.
2. The Sunday following the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time. The remaining Sundays are numbered consecutively up to the Sunday preceding the beginning of Lent. The readings for the week in which Ash Wednesday falls are interrupted after the Tuesday readings.
3. For the resumption of the readings of Ordinary Time after Pentecost Sunday:

-when there are thirty-four Sundays in Ordinary Time, the week to be used is the one that immediately follows the last week used before Lent; [115]
-when there are thirty-three Sundays in Ordinary Time, the first week that would have been used after Pentecost is omitted, in order to reserve for the end of the year the eschatological texts that are assigned to the last two weeks. [116]

Those notes for 115 & 116:

115. So, for example, when there are six weeks before Lent, the seventh week begins on the Monday after Pentecost. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity replaces the Sunday of Ordinary Time.

116. When there are, for example, five weeks before Lent, the Monday after Pentecost begins with the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time and the Sixth Week is omitted.

 

 

GILM 100-102: Easter Season

Easter Sundays (of the season) are organized thus:

100. The Gospel readings for the first three Sundays recount the appearances of the risen Christ. The readings about the Good Shepherd are assigned to the Fourth Sunday. On the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sundays, there are excerpts from the Lord’s discourse and prayer at the end of the Last Supper.

The first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, in a three-year cycle of parallel and progressive selections: material is presented on the life of the early Church, its witness, and its growth.

For the reading from the Apostles, the First Letter of Peter is in Year A, the First Letter of John in Year B, the Book of Revelation in Year C. These are the texts that seem to fit in especially well with the spirit of joyous faith and sure hope proper to this season.

The plan for the Easter octave, weekdays of the second week and beyond, as you know, gives us a strong dose of Acts. The complementary texts of John’s Gospel, too:

101. As on the Sundays, the first reading is a semicontinuous reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel readings during the Easter octave are accounts of the Lord’s appearances. After that there is a semicontinuous reading of the Gospel of John, but with texts that have a paschal character, in order to complete the reading from John during Lent. This paschal reading is made up in large part of the Lord’s discourse and prayer at the end of the Last Supper.

You may know that the 1998 Lectionary provides particular second readings for the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost for cycles B and C

102. For the first reading the Solemnity of the Ascension retains the account of the Ascension according to the Acts of the Apostles. This text is complemented by the second reading from the Apostle on Christ in exaltation at the right hand of the Father. For the Gospel reading, each of the three Years has its own text in accord with the differences in the Synoptic Gospels.

In the evening Mass celebrated on the Vigil of Pentecost four Old Testament texts are provided; any one of them may be used, in order to bring out the many aspects of Pentecost. The reading from the Apostles shows the actual working of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The Gospel reading recalls the promise of the Spirit made by Christ before his own glorification.

For the Mass on Pentecost day itself, in accord with received usage, the account in the Acts of the Apostles of the great occurrence on Pentecost day is taken as the first reading. The texts from the Apostle Paul bring out the effect of the action of the Spirit in the life of the Church. The Gospel reading is a remembrance of Jesus bestowing his Spirit on the disciples on the evening of Easter day; other optional texts describe the action of the Spirit on the disciples and on the Church.

Pentecost Vigil … too bad we can’t use all four. A liturgy scholar I knew once told me that was the ancient intention, but I don’t have a reference for that bit.

 

GILM 99: Triduum

(cue fanfare) The Paschal Triduum:

99. On Holy Thursday at the evening Mass the remembrance of the meal preceding the Exodus casts its own special light because of the Christ’s example in washing the feet of his disciples and Paul’s account of the institution of the Christian Passover in the Eucharist.

On Good Friday the liturgical service has as its center John’s narrative of the Passion of him who was proclaimed in Isaiah as the Servant of the Lord and who became the one High Priest by offering himself to the Father.

At the Vigil on the holy night of Easter there are seven Old Testament readings which recall the wonderful works of God in the history of salvation. There are two New Testament readings, the announcement of the Resurrection according to one of the Synoptic Gospels and a reading from St. Paul on Christian baptism as the sacrament of Christ’s Resurrection.

The Gospel reading for the Mass on Easter day is from John on the finding of the empty tomb. There is also, however, the option to use the Gospel texts from the Easter Vigil or, when there is an evening Mass on Easter Sunday, to use the account in Luke of the Lord’s appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, which throughout the Easter season replaces the Old Testament reading. The reading from the Apostle Paul concerns the living out of the paschal mystery in the Church.

 

Which reminds me: you are planning to attend all the Triduum liturgies this year, especially the Easter Vigil, right?

 

GILM 97-98: Lenten Readings

Lent is where we are now, so we get to experience the patterns we worship these days. Sundays first:

97. The Gospel readings are arranged as follows:

The first and second Sundays maintain the accounts of the Temptation and Transfiguration of the Lord, with readings, however, from all three Synoptics.

On the next three Sundays, the Gospels about the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus have been restored in Year A. Because these Gospels are of major importance in regard to Christian initiation, they may also be read in Year B and Year C, especially in places where there are catechumens.

Some parishes do use these Gospels every year. Did you know you don’t need to have the elect at Mass to proclaim them? And if you do, the later Sundays of Lent take on that once-a-year character like the Sundays and feasts of Christmas, and the solemnities sprinkled throughout the liturgical year.

Other texts, however, are provided for Year B and Year C: for Year B, a text from John about Christ’s coming glorification through his Cross and Resurrection, and for Year C, a text from Luke about conversion.

And if you are using cycle B and C readings, I would hope your preachers are calling attention to these overall themes in those years’ Lenten observances.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that Palm Sunday adopts the gospel of the liturgical year:

On Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion the texts for the procession are selections from the Synoptic Gospels concerning the Lord’s solemn entry into Jerusalem. For the Mass the reading is the account of the Lord’s Passion.

These passages are significant, even is the first readings are not always harmonized with the Gospels:

The Old Testament readings are about the history of salvation, which is one of the themes proper to the catechesis of Lent. The series of texts for each Year presents the main elements of salvation history from its beginning until the promise of the New Covenant.

But Lent does have the other reading harmonized to the first reading, the Gospel, or both:

The readings from the Letters of the Apostles have been selected to fit the Gospel and the Old Testament readings and, to the extent possible, to provide a connection between them.

As for weekdays …

98. The readings from the Gospels and the Old Testament were selected because they are related to each other. They treat various themes of the Lenten catechesis that are suited to the spiritual significance of this season. Beginning with Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent, there is a semicontinuous reading of the Gospel of John, made up of texts that correspond more closely to the themes proper to Lent.

Because the readings about the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus are now assigned to Sundays, but only for Year A (in Year B and Year C they are optional), provision has been made for their use on weekdays. Thus at the beginning of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Weeks of Lent optional Masses with these texts for the Gospel have been inserted and may be used in place of the readings of the day on any weekday of the respective week.

In the first days of Holy Week the readings are about the mystery of Christ’s passion. For the Chrism Mass the readings bring out both Christ’s Messianic mission and its continuation in the Church by means of the sacraments.

Anything else for comment, question?

 

GILM 95-96: Christmas Season

The Christmas season, in brief:

95. For the vigil and the three Masses of Christmas both the prophetic readings and the others have been chosen from the Roman tradition.The Gospel on the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, Feast of the Holy Family, is about Jesus’ childhood and the other readings are about the virtues of family life.

On the Octave Day of Christmas, Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the readings are about the Virgin Mother of God and the giving of the holy Name of Jesus.

On the second Sunday after Christmas, the readings are about the mystery of the Incarnation.*

On the Epiphany of the Lord, the Old Testament reading and the Gospel continue the Roman tradition; the text for the reading from the Letters of the Apostles is about the calling of the nations to salvation.

On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the texts chosen are about this mystery.

96. From 29 December on, there is a continuous reading of the whole of the First Letter of John, which actually begins earlier, on 27 December, the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, and on 28 December, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The Gospels relate manifestations of the Lord: events of Jesus’ childhood from the Gospel of Luke (29-30 December); passages from the first chapter of the Gospel of John (31 December-5 January); other manifestations of the Lord from the four Gospels (7-12 January).

In the US, the Epiphany is observed on this Sunday.