Bible in 3 years of Masses?

[trimont]

I’ve heard more than once that we hear the entire Bible at Mass every three years. I understand they mean 365 days each year times 3, but I still don’t believe it. Any insight or clarification on this thinking?

 

[Catholic4aReasn]

trimont:

I’ve heard more than once that we hear the entire Bible at Mass every three years. I understand they mean 365 days each year times 3, but I still don’t believe it. Any insight or clarification on this thinking?

Why don’t you believe it?

In Christ,
Nancy

 

[MrS]

All of the Gospels, almost all of the epistles, and much of the theoolgically related parts of the OT fall into the group of readings that are presented in 3 “cycles” over three years.

That represents so much more of the Bible being presented to Catholics in a Catholic setting than in any other community. Really strange is the comment often made by fallen-away Catholics “I left so I could hear the Word of God.”

Wow… an adult aged 30 “hears” the bible 10 times, then slaps the hand which feeds him as he walks away from the One, True Church.

 

[MrS]

By the way… ever notice how the readings all relate on any given day?

That is because the Church teaches that the NT is a fullfillment of the OT

 

[puzzleannie]

Cycle A, which will begin on the first Sun of advent 2004 covers most of the Gospel of Matthew, Cycle B, next year, covers Luke, Cycle C covers Mark, the shortest gospel, with John’s gospel to make up the weeks after Mark “runs out”. During Lent and Easter seasons John’s gospel is used, with Acts of the Apostles as the first reading. during Lent specific readings from John are used in Masses where RCIA rites & scrutinies are celebrated. The OT readings are the first reading outside of the EAster season, and are chosen to “harmonize” and complement the gospel. The rest of the NT, the epistles are read from beginning to end, over the 3 year cycle, so they don’t always “match” the theme of the 1st reading and Gospel.

For daily Mass there is a 2-year cycle and the daily Masses “fill in” most of the gospels that are missed on Sunday, and the OT cycle is also 2 yrs, again from beginnign to end.
The office of readings, part of the liturgy of the hours, which is the other component of the public prayer of the church, has a first reading from OT, and second reading from church fathers or the writings of the saints. These OT readings complement the daily cycle and are read in a definite order. Almost all the psalms except for a couple of the very harsh “kill the enemy” type of psalm are also sung over the liturgical cycle, and of course over the 4-week psalter in the LOH.

these cycles are in your NAB and in front of your Daily Roman Missal. You will of course see some gaps as repetition is avoided, and some of the “boring” (inspired and necessary but not immediately relevant to the gospel of the day) OT books like parts of numbers & leviticus are left out, but every book is represented. but most of those gaps in the Sunday cycle are “filled in” with the daily cycle.

I must also point out that during Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum the passion narratives of all gospels are proclaimed, and the entire salvation history is encapsulated in the 9 readings of the Easter Vigil.

 

[trimont]

Catholic4aReasn:

Why don’t you believe it?

In Christ,
Nancy

Because I cannot remember hearing some of the more obscure OT Chapters… Nahum, Obadiah, Nehemiah, just to name a few examples … at least not in their entirety. I’ve been a nearly daily communicant for over 10 years, not always as attentive as I could be , but I was just curious about this in the literal sense.

Thanks to all for their (name removed by moderator)ut - it’s been helpful.

 

[puzzleannie]

trimont:

Because I cannot remember hearing some of the more obscure OT Chapters… Nahum, Obadiah, Nehemiah, just to name a few examples … at least not in their entirety. I’ve been a nearly daily communicant for over 10 years, not always as attentive as I could be , but I was just curious about this in the literal sense.

Thanks to all for their (name removed by moderator)ut - it’s been helpful.

some of those “obscure” books are pretty short and covered in one or two days, or sometimes in readings for saint days that are optional, or in the office of Readings.

 

[Chris101]

I think I heard that you read/hear the entire bible in 3 years if you read the Liturgy of the Hours as well every day in addition to the daily mass readings.

 

[davidc2]

Chris101:

I think I heard that you read/hear the entire bible in 3 years if you read the Liturgy of the Hours as well every day in addition to the daily mass readings.

Even reading the Liturgy of the Hours won’t cover the whole Bible - but it does cover a good bit more - especially old testament readings in the Office of Readings.

In addition, the Office of Readings second reading covers a wide range of church fathers and various saints thru the centuries. It is well worth reading even if you don’t have time for any of the rest of the LotH.

 

[mark_a]

Where do you guys get all this information and how does one go about a step by step approach to learning it?

 

[puzzleannie]

trimont:

I’ve heard more than once that we hear the entire Bible at Mass every three years. I understand they mean 365 days each year times 3, but I still don’t believe it. Any insight or clarification on this thinking?

I realized today (I am slow but I eventually get there) that your question could also be construed to ask whether the Mass has a biblical basis, or whether it is unscriptural as many Protestants and fundamentalists assert. Fr. Peter Stravinskas had a pamphlet on the Mass and the Bible, and most of that info is in his book The Catholic Church and the Bible from Our Sunday Visitor, and has great detail on where in the bible virtually every prayer of the Mass has come from. I have read a review but not purchased yet Thomas Nash’s Worthy is the Lamb, that goes into even greater detail on biblical origins of the actions and rituals of the Mass. Of course you have seen Scott Hahn’s book the Lamb’s Supper discussed here as well which ties the Mass to the vision of heaven in Revelation.

Another point for those who adhere strictly to lectionary based catechesis for CCD and RCIA, it is important to understand, as you note, that you do not read all of the Bible in the liturgical cycle. Some linking passages in the gospels are missing, and whole chunks of the more tedious passages of the OT. What you do get is salvation history and the life and mssion of Christ and the foundation of the church in great biblical detail. You also get far more in Catholic and Protestant churchses that use the revised lectionary than you do in churches where the pastor is free to choose the scripture he will preach on. There is the distinct possibility that entire themes and doctrinal points will never be proclaimed or preached.

 

[thann]

mark a:

Where do you guys get all this information and how does one go about a step by step approach to learning it?

The Daily Roman Missal has an appendix in the back that lists every Bible passage included in the cycles of readings (A, B, C for Sundays, and I and II for weekdays, plus all optional Masses).

The Daily Roman Missal is a great resource for a lot of information and might be a good place to start. Of course the complete Liturgy of the Hours would be a great addition, but a hard copy is costly.

'thann

 

[thann]

puzzleannie:

You also get far more in Catholic and Protestant churches that use the revised lectionary than you do in churches where the pastor is free to choose the scripture he will preach on. There is the distinct possibility that entire themes and doctrinal points will never be proclaimed or preached.

This is an excellent point. Churches that do not follow a lectionary tend to have the same scriptures proclaimed and sermonized over and over, based on the pastors’ favorites.

'thann