A Tour through the Mass!

The Readings at Mass

In the few years following Vatican II’s renewal of the liturgy, a group was set up to look at the Liturgy of the Word at Mass.  Before Vatican II, the same readings were used each year on Sundays.  The group gathered to consider the Liturgy of the Word, replaced that annual cycle with a three-year cycle of readings with each year based on one of the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. 

So, Year A was based on Matthew, year B on Mark and year C on Luke.  The reading of John’s gospel was spread over all three years, especially during the seasons of Lent and Easter, but also at other significant times.  The aim was to read all four gospels over the three-year period. 

The principle used to sort out which year was which, was that every year whose numbers added up to a number divisible by 3 would be year C, Luke’s year.  On this principle 2022, 2025, 2028 etc would be Luke’s year.

How were the readings chosen?  Firstly, the gospel was chosen for each Sunday, then a passage from the Old Testament which pointed to that gospel or which was aligned with it was chosen to precede it. 

The second reading works on a different principle.  There was no attempt to directly align the second reading with the gospel but a New Testament letter of the apostles was chosen and a selection of passages were taken from that letter for each Sunday.  If there is a connection between the gospel and the second reading – except on the great feasts – it is an accident!

The overall aim was to open up a much greater range of Scripture passages for the People of God.

The way in which the Readings were organised is based on the principle that has been at work since the beginning of Christianity, which is that we have to read the Old Testament through the lens of the coming of Jesus.  This means looking into the Old Testament to discover those passages which point towards him and the revealing of God which would come about through him. 

For the followers of Jesus, all the things recounted in the Old Testament were the beginning of what God was planning to complete in Jesus and in his death and resurrection. 

By Fr Frank O’Loughlin