Posted on 09/01/2017 1:40:56 PM PDT by NYer
The first part of the Catholic Mass is known as the Liturgy of the Word. It consists of the congregation listening to the word of God. The word “liturgy” means the rites and ceremonies of the Mass. During the Mass, trained parishioners called lectors read aloud two Scripture passages to the congregation; typically one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. In between the readings, a psalm is sung or read. The readings are all found in the Bible, but the lectors read from a book known as the lectionary. This book contains Scripture, psalm and Gospel readings assigned for each day of the Church year. After the lectors complete their readings, a deacon or a priest (only an ordained minister) reads the Gospel.
On Sundays, the deacon or priest doesn’t use the lectionary but another book called the Book of Gospels, which is the book you see being carried during the opening procession of Sunday Mass; it is the same book the deacon or priest carries from the altar to the ambo and from which the Gospel is read. Neither the Scriptures nor the Gospel is randomly selected; they are set on a three-year schedule in a very regulated and assigned order (see sidebar). There are a total of four readings on Sunday and three during the weekday Masses.
The Scriptures always have been at the heart of Catholic teaching. On any given Sunday in every Roman Catholic parish around the world, the identical Scriptures, psalm and Gospel are read. This universal practice, this sign of oneness, is often a surprise to those inquiring about the Faith. The first reading on Sunday is most always from the Old Testament and tied to the theme of the Gospel for that day. The second reading is typically from the epistles of the New Testament. During the week, the one Scripture reading is from the Old Testament and, like Sundays, is connected to the Gospel.
In most every Catholic parish, instead of Bibles in the pews there are books known as Mass books (or missals) that contain not only the Sunday Mass readings but the prayers and sequence of the Mass. Weekly parish bulletins contain a list of daily readings for the forthcoming week so parishioners can use their Bible at home and prepare in advance.
The absence of Bibles in the pews goes back to an early period in the Church when Catholics, other than the clergy, were not encouraged to read the Scriptures because the Church was concerned that the ordinary person would not understand or would misinterpret God’s word. Additionally, especially in the Middle Ages, heretical movements against the Church resulted in erroneous and corrupt interpretations.
Until the 15th-century invention of the printing press, there were few copies of the Scriptures. Monks often manually hand-copied the Scriptures — a process that took years to complete. Consequently, each parish was fortunate if it had one handwritten copy, and that copy was secured in the church. Even if other copies were available, many parishioners couldn’t read anyway. Thus, the Scriptures were proclaimed verbally and then explained by the bishop or priest.
This situation changed somewhat with the invention of the printing press as more Bibles became available. Catholics, those who could do so, were encouraged to read the holy Scriptures, but they were cautioned to read only the Catholic version of the Bible, as there were many other versions with interpretations other than Catholic.
Today the Church hierarchy exhorts us to read and study the word of God. However, the Church remains concerned over the proper interpretation of the Scriptures and considers the magisterium — the teaching authority of the Church — the pope and bishops, as the one true teaching authority. If individual Catholics were encouraged to reach their own private conclusions on God’s word, there would be thousands of different interpretations and even splinter groups, each with their own set of conclusions — not unlike other churches today. The unity of our Church would be greatly impacted.
Once it was suggested to a Protestant that he read the wonderful story about Susanna found in Chapter 13 of Daniel. He said he didn’t know the story, but he would read it. The next day he said he was confused because there was no Chapter 13 in Daniel; further, he couldn’t find the story anywhere in the Bible. Well, Chapter 13 is in the Catholic Old Testament but not in the Protestant version. Catholics use a Bible that is different from that used by Protestants and, in fact, there have been occasions when the Catholic Church has been accused of adding books to the Bible. That is not the case.
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| How is the Lectionary Arranged? |
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The Lectionary is arranged in two cycles, one for Sundays one for weekdays. The Sunday cycle is divided into three years, labeled A, B and C — [2015 was Year B, 2016 was Year 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 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 (2015, 2017, etc.) and Year II is used in even-numbered years (2014, 2016, 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.”
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Catholic ping!
There are missals in Church which contain a lot of the New Testament.
Catholics use a Bible that is different from that used by Protestants and, in fact, there have been occasions when the Catholic Church has been accused of adding books to the Bible.
Since shortly after my coming into full communion I opined that the liturgical culture of the Roman rite is “pre-printing press.” You learn the words by hearing, not by reading along.
The Mass, even the LOTH ... these are not classes; we are not studying.
Study should be a part of every adult Xtian's life. But the Mass and the offices ain't it.
Agreed, on both points. Regarding the section titled "Different Bibles," I can't tell you how many non-Catholics have thanked me for lending them a copy of the Douay-Rheims so that they could read about Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon, and more. They often even appreciate Machabees, at least more than they expected to.
I especially like that they alluded to the "chained bibles" (since Protestants occasionally raise the question), though I wish the author had gone further and explained the expense of such bibles in those days (an entire herd of cattle to produce enough parchment for just one), and the consequent risk of theft.
The Catholic syndicate has a long criminal record of forbidding commoners from reading the bible and was executing church members for such heresy right up thru the 1850s.
Domino go stick’em up
Domino go frisk’em
Roman Catholic “Church” Prohibited Bible Reading
The following is excerpted from an article by David Cloud entitled, “The KJV and the Latin Vulgate”.
The Council of Trent (1545-1564) placed the Bible on its list of prohibited books, and forbade any person to read the Bible without a license from a Roman Catholic bishop or inquisitor. The Council added these words: “That if any one shall dare to read or keep in his possession that book, without such a license, he shall not receive absolution till he has given it up to his ordinary.”
Rome’s attempt to keep the Bible from men has continued to recent times. Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) denounced the Bible Society and expressed shock at the circulation of the Scriptures. Pius VII said, “It is evidence from experience, that the holy Scriptures, when circulated in the vulgar tongue, have, through the temerity of men, produced more harm than benefit.” Pope Leo XII called the Protestant Bible the “Gospel of the Devil” in an encyclical letter of 1824. Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) railed “against the publication, distribution, reading, and possession of books of the holy Scriptures translated into the vulgar tongue.” Pope Leo XII, in January 1850, condemned the Bible Societies and admitted the fact that the distribution of Scripture has “long been condemned by the holy chair.”
Perhaps these will help:
Horsefeathers.
An excellent source:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible/
Books of the Bible in Canonical Order
Old Testament
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Tobit
Judith
Esther
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Wisdom
Sirach
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Baruch
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
New Testament
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
USCCB Approved Translations of the Sacred Scriptures for Private Use and Study by Catholics
http://www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translations/index.cfm
In the King James Bible, Susanna is a separate book found in the Apocrypha. According to the subtitle of my version, a replica of the first edition issued in 1611, it was set apart from Daniel "because it is not in Hebrew."
I don’t need any help, other than my own two eyes.
Rather than ditch their graven images, they changed the commandments, splitting one of them into two parts to keep the total at ten.
Of course, if it appeases your sense of cynicism.
Since shortly after my coming into full communion I opined that the liturgical culture of the Roman rite is “pre-printing press.” You learn the words by hearing, not by reading along.
In my parish, our missals do not include the scripture readings, just the liturgicl prayers. Personally, I find it easier to close my eyes during the readings thus eliminating any and all distractions. Try it.
The Mass, even the LOTH ... these are not classes; we are not studying.
While 'study' may not be the best word, you are no doubt reflecting on the prayers, no?
Study should be a part of every adult Xtian's life. But the Mass and the offices ain't it.
Agreed but let's be realistic. The majority of mass attendees go no further than what they heard on Sunday. They rarely pursue it any further. I teach religious education at my small parish. On a whim, I asked some of the children if they were familiar with the Genesis stories of Noah and the ark, Joseph and his brothers, Daniel in the lions' den ... and was met with blank stares. How sad ... truly sad! These are wonderful stories, filled with inspiration. Most alarming, though, was that they did not know the 10 Commandments. The grandmother brings the children to church; I've never met the parents. I've commissioned grandma to work with them at home.
They didn’t/don’t care much for the Jewish Bible...So they invented their own...Kinda like the Jehovah Witnesses, the Izlamics, Mormons -—
That's one explanation. Another is they didn't want anyone else to be able to question whatever they told them was the word of God.
My mother raised us as Southern Baptists. We were in church two or three times a week. In my adulthood, I got into a very limited discussion of religion with Mom. She became very agitated with me when I told her the Trinity was not composed of Jesus, God, and Mary. Lord knows how many hundreds of sermons she had sat through.
Mostly it’s because the Holy Sacrafice of the Mass is not a Bible study, but a time for our Confession of sins, prayers for Mercy, consideration of Christ’s holy death on the Cross, for the Consecration, for consumption of His Precious Body and Blood, hearing the Word in Sacred Scripture, for admonishment and teaching on the Gospel Reading, singing the Psalms, and out in time for football. (Sadly.)
Bibles are provided nowhere that I know of. People may bring their own if Missals are not provided.
“The alteration is inexplicable and to a cynic, self-serving.”
Not at all. Compare Exodus with Deuteronomy.
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/command.htm
Everyone should read the Apocrypha at least once, to see why Protestants don’t have it in their bibles. Some are OK, some are historical and some are hysterical.
For the same reason we don’t have the Shepherd of Hermas in the bibles, not even Catholic bibles, as the oldest complete bibles do.
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