BIBLE AND LITURGY: THE WORD BECAME FLESHDiocese of El Paso - Tepeyac Institute - July 2020

The Word of God, Light in the Darkness

Copy of all slides available at https://paulturner.org/presentations

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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. Nocent, 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 A

2nd to 8th Sunday: 1st Corinthians

9th to 24th Sunday: Romans

25th to 28th Sunday: Philippians

29th to 33rd Sunday: 1 Thess

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 after the Epiphany

❖ miracles of the loaves & walking on the water

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For example, in Year II

❖ Weeks 13-20

❖ Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakuk, Ezekiel

❖ Weeks 21-24

❖ 2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians

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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 cleansing and 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 B

Gen: Noah 1 Pet: Flood prefigures baptism Mark: Temptation

Gen: sacrifice of Abraham

Rom: God did not spare his only Son Mark: Transfiguration

Ex: Commandments 1 Cor: proclaim Christ crucified, wisdom of God Jn: cleansing Temple

2 Chron: exile and liberation

Eph: dead in transgressions, saved by grace

Jn: Nicodemus - God sent the Son to save the world

Jer: new covenant Heb: the Son suffered Jn: grain of wheat

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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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Sacred Triduum

❖ Holy Thursday:

❖ first passover meal

❖ Paul’s account of Last Supper

❖ John’s washing of the feet

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Sacred Triduum

❖ Good Friday

❖ Passion of John

❖ servant of Isaiah

❖ high priest

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Sacred Triduum

❖ Easter Vigil

❖ Salvation history

❖ Paul on baptism

❖ The resurrection

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Sacred Triduum

❖ Easter

❖ Acts

❖ Paul on the paschal mystery

❖ John’s empty tomb

❖ or Vigil gospel

❖ or Emmaus

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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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Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

PS 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

R. (5a) Lord, you are good and forgiving.

You, O LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading.

All the nations you have made shall come and worship you, O LORD, and glorify your name. For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds; you alone are God.

You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity. Turn toward me, and have pity on me; give your strength to your servant.

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Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

PS 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

R. (97a) Lord, I love your commands.

I have said, O LORD, that my part is to keep your words. The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Let your kindness comfort me

according to your promise to your servants. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

For I love your command more than gold, however fine. For in all your precepts I go forward; every false way I hate.

Wonderful are your decrees;

therefore I observe them. The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple.

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Meditating on a Sunday’s Readings

Which readings relate to each other?

Which readings relate to those from nearby Sundays?

Why do these psalm verses occur today?

How do these readings apply to my life?

From these readings, what can I tell others about God’s message for them?

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