To: kosta50
"Then why is the OT not sitting on the altar together with the Gospels? Rather it is read only in the post Vatican II Church. For at least 1,700 years, the Catholic Church read Epistles 9by lay people) and Gospels (by priests and deacons) in that order during Mass, only to introduce the OT in 1964 (for politically correct reasons)!"
This is simply incorrect.
First, in the pre-1964 Roman Catholic liturgy there are plenty of readings from the OT. For example in the traditional Roman Rite (pre-1964) the reading for today's mass of St Philomena is from Ecclesiasticus. Second, readings aside, the Introits and Graduals and Offertories are usually from the OT. Third, it was most unusual for the laity to read Epistles or any other readings in the pre-Vatican II liturgy. The reading, or lesson as it is called, would always be read or chanted by a cleric in major orders. The only exception was when a cantor - who did not happen to be in orders - would chant a lesson during a particular solemnity in which the use of a cantor was considered desirable but where an ordained cantor was not otherwise available.
To: Vera Lex
This is simply incorrect. First, in the pre-1964 Roman Catholic liturgy there are plenty of readings from the OT. Okay, but show me what the original TLM was like. The TKLM has been in use in Rome since the end of the 6th century AD. God only knows how much it was changed between that time and the Council of Trent, which specifically forbade any changes to the liturgy. This lasted one or two popes, and then changes began to occur.
As far as the Eastern liturgy is concerned, the OT readings have been moved to vespers and the Great Lent. The variant (Catechumen) part of the Divine Liturgy has two Psalms buried in the Slavonic version. The Greek version may have some too. The Epistle (Apostolos) is on the cantor's stand, read by a lay person. Only the four Gospels are on the altar. The rest of the New Nestament (the so-called deuterocanonicals) and The Old testament are nowhere to be seen.
You did not clarify some of these point. Where is the Old Testament in the Catholic churches located during the liturgy? Why is it not together with the Gospels if both are presumably the words of the same God?
Why are people sitting when the Epistles are read if presumably Paul's words are really Christ's own words? Why is the entire Bible not carried around but only the Gospels?
319 posted on
08/11/2009 10:49:58 AM PDT by
kosta50
(Don't look up, the truth is all around you)
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