IX. (Explanation of the Mass)

The second part of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Word. Every act in the life of the Church is based on the word of God that is found in the Bible. The word of God is proclaimed, heard and explained.  God’s word leads us to celebrate the Eucharist. God’s word directs us to live our lives in a renewed and transformed way in the world.

We are seated for the first two reading: Sitting is a posture of receptivity; it is also the position of the learner, showing that we are ready to be taught by God’s word. Here is another moment in the Mass when we may be tempted to day dream. We often become passive when we sit (when we watch TV, for example). Recognizing this temptation we can make a conscious effort to strengthen our attention.

It is hard to be nourished by something we do not understand. Scripture is not like an intravenous feeding, dripping automatically into our souls. It is like good, hearty bread that must be bitten and chewed and digested in our consciousness. It is an active process.

The results of personal weekly preparation of the Scripture readings for mass cannot be calculated. It can deepen your relationship with the Lord immediately. If you can share your scriptural preparation with your spouse, your children, or your friends, so much the better. You will grow even faster then, in ways you cannot now suspect. Even after the Mass discuss as a family how we can practice a virtue taken from the word that day.

Readings, at least two readings, one always from the Gospels, (3 on Sundays and solemnities) make up the Liturgy of the Word. In addition, a psalm or canticle is sung.

These readings are typically read from a Lectionary, not a Bible, though the Lectionary is taken from the Bible.

What's the difference between a Bible and a Lectionary?

A Lectionary is composed of the readings and the responsorial psalm assigned for each Mass of the year 

How is the Lectionary arranged?

The Lectionary is arranged in two cycles, one for Sundays and one for weekdays.

The Sunday cycle is divided into three years, labeled A, B, and C. 2017 is Year A. In Year A, we read mostly from the Gospel of Matthew. In Year B, we read the Gospel of Mark and chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. In Year C, we read the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season in all three years. The first reading, usually from the Old Testament, reflects important themes from the Gospel reading. The first and the third reading usually have the same theme. The second reading is usually from one of the epistles, a letter written to an early church community. These letters are read semi-continuously. Each Sunday, we pick up close to where we left off the Sunday before, though some passages are never read.

The weekday cycle is divided into two years, Year I and Year II. Year I is read in odd-numbered years (2011, 2013, etc.) and Year II is used in even-numbered years (2010, 2012, etc.) The Gospels for both years are the same. During the year, the Gospels are read semi-continuously, beginning with Mark, then moving on to Matthew and Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season. For Advent, Christmas, and Lent, readings are chosen that are appropriate to the season. The first reading on weekdays may be taken from the Old or the New Testament. Typically, a single book is read semi-continuously (i.e., some passages are not read) until it is finished and then a new book is started.

The year of the cycle does not change on January 1, but on the First Sunday of Advent (usually late November) which is the beginning of the liturgical year.

In addition to the Sunday and weekday cycles, the Lectionary provides readings for feasts of the saints, for common celebrations such as Marian feasts, for ritual Masses (weddings, funerals, etc.), for votive Masses, and for various needs. These readings have been selected to reflect the themes of these celebrations.

Since May 19, 2002, the revised Lectionary, based on the New American Bible is the only English-language Lectionary that may be used at Mass in the dioceses of the United States, except for the current Lectionary for Masses with Children which remains in use.