Category Archives: General Introduction to the Lectionary

Readers may be more familiar with the yearly Sunday pattern for the first season of the liturgical year: 93. Each Gospel reading has a distinctive theme: the Lord’s coming at the end of time (First Sunday of Advent), John the Baptist … Continue reading →

Chapter V runs us through GILM 110. With each post for the week ahead, we’ll cover this material: 92. It seems useful to provide here a brief description of the Order of Readings, at least for the principal celebrations and … Continue reading →

We have yet to address the psalm and gospel acclamation. These considerations conclude Chapter IV of the GILM. 89. Among the chants between the readings, the psalm which follows the first reading is of great importance. As a rule the … Continue reading →

85. In the Order of Readings for ritual Masses the references given are to the texts already published for the individual rites. This obviously does not include the texts belonging to celebrations that must not be integrated with Mass. [110] … Continue reading →

In these detailed prescriptions for readings proclaimed on saint days, most of these principles we’ve already covered. First, if there are proper readings for a saint, they should be used if these illustrate something biblical about the saint or about … Continue reading →

Priests and liturgists are confronted with choices at daily Mass, usually the intersection of the cycle of saints with the readings of ordinary time: 82. The arrangement of weekday readings provides texts for every day of the week throughout the … Continue reading →

81. When a choice is allowed between alternative texts, whether they are fixed or optional, the first consideration must be the best interest of those taking part. It may be a matter of using the easier texts or the one … Continue reading →

Another area where ministers have “freedom of choice,” as the GILM says, is in the option of longer or shorter versions of texts: 80. A pastoral criterion must also guide the choice between the longer and shorter forms of the … Continue reading →

In the US, this is hardly ever an issue, but the GILM discusses what is to be done if, for pastoral reasons, one of the two readings before the Gospel must be omitted. 79. In Masses to which three readings … Continue reading →

78. The Order of Readings sometimes leaves it to the celebrant to choose between alternative texts or to choose one from the several listed together for the same reading. The option seldom exists on Sundays, solemnities, or feasts, in order … Continue reading →

76. In readings for Sundays and solemnities, texts that present real difficulties are avoided for pastoral reasons. The difficulties may be objective, in that the texts themselves raise profound literary, critical, or exegetical problems; or the difficulties may lie, at … Continue reading →

73. In addition to the guiding principles already given for the arrangement of readings in the individual parts of the Order of Readings, others of a more general nature follow. Okay. We know how the readings are set up in … Continue reading →

What about the celebration of a saint? How are those readings chosen? 70. Two series of readings are provided for celebrations of the Saints. 1. The Proper of Saints provides the first series, for solemnities, feasts, or memorials and particularly … Continue reading →

Let’s talk about weekday readings … 69. The weekday readings have been arranged in the following way. 1. Each Mass has two readings: the first is from the Old Testament or from an Apostle (that is, either from a Letter … Continue reading →

A bit more on the principle of harmony: 67. The best instance of harmony between the Old and New Testament readings occurs when it is one that Scripture itself suggests. This is the case when the doctrine and events recounted … Continue reading →