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TwinMommy
Guest
Why does the Priest do all the daily readings?
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landon13
Guest
What do you mean by Daily Readings? Are you talking about the readings that are said at Mass from the Lectionary? Or are you talking about the readings and prayers said by the Priest daily in the Liturgy of the Hours?
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TwinMommy
Guest
The ones at Mass. I don’t know what the difference is between the ones you listed.
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CalCatholic
Guest
At our parish we have a lay reader read the first reading at daily mass and then Father reads the Gospel.
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landon13
Guest
Okay, so the readings at Mass are organized in the Lectionary of each country. Like here in the US the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or USCCB organizes the readings, I believe, for the lectionary. You can find the lectionary readings for each day on this website: usccb.org So, the priests don’t just like pick whatever readings they choose from the Bible for mass. The readings follow the themes of the Liturgical Season.
Now the Liturgy of the Hours is a traditional set of prayers said at certain times throughout the day that was established by practicers of monasticism, i.e. monks and priests. It is the daily prayer of the Church and is basically arranged, for the lay person, into three hours Morning, Evening, and Night. These prayers are centered around praying the Psalms and are, like the Lectionary, centered around whatever liturgical season it is. I have dabbled with the Liturgy of the Hours and own two volumes of it and I would suggest for you to try it out and see if you like the prayers and the contemplation associated with it. I have to say, though, that it takes a good commitment of time to center yourself around these prayers that could take 15-20 minutes to complete at key times throughout the day when people are the busiest.
The Liturgy of the Hours can be prayed in either English or Latin. For the beginner like yourself I would suggest to avoid the many different Latin versions of this that are out there because they are not that easy to follow and I’m assuming you are not a Latin expert
So the English version of the modern Liturgy of the Hours can be done in three different volumes that are all the same prayers, just some are more abridged.The smallest volume is: Shorter Christian Prayer. This is the volume I started out with and I find it is simple enough to get into and is good for someone who is busier and isn’t either retired or a monk. It has the Morning, Evening, and Night prayers in it.
The next volume is: Christian Prayer. This volume has pretty much everything you need to say the Liturgy of the Hours and get almost the same effect that a monk would. This has full morning, evening, and night prayers as well as an abbreviated daytime prayer and an abbreviated office of the readings. This is the volume I use whenever I pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
Then there is the 4 Volume Liturgy of the Hours. This has all the prayers that would be prayed throughout the day of a monk. I would not suggest you to buy this unless you are really committed to doing the Liturgy. I have plans to get these when I retire but probably no sooner than that.
I hope I have helped you at least a little bit and if you need me to clear anything up or have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me here or PM me.
God bless!
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PatriceA
Guest
He may not have anybody that wants to volunteer to be the lector at the daily Mass. Depends upon if anyone is available where I go to morning Mass, sometimes our priest doesn’t even have an altar server and has to do everything himself, including the readings.
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VivienneJ
Guest
The lectionary is the same throughout the world - the readings you had this Sunday in the USA are the same as the ones I had in Arabia and my daughter had in South Africa and my friends in various parts of Europe had the same too.
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landon13
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Okay I was not sure if the Lectionary readings were different in different parts of the world because I have a Lectionary published by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that says English translation approved by the Holy See so I guess it is just the translation of the Scripture in the Lectionary that is different here. Thanks for pointing that out.
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VivienneJ
Guest
It is one of the wonderful things about being part of a “universal” church
When I went to Mass in the Netherlands with friends, the Mass was “the same” just the language being used was different.
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TwinMommy
Guest
Totally messed up that question.
Why DOESN’T the priest do all the readings at Mass?
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landon13
Guest
Okay one more question TwinMommy for you. Are you talking now about the Bible readings at Mass or the readings in the Ordinary of the Mass (how the mass flows). If you are talking about Bible readings the Priest or whomever is engaged in celebrating the liturgy will do all of the readings of the mass. If you are talking about like the prayers in the Ordinary of the Mass, the priest does what the Sacramentary tells him to do each day during mass.
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TwinMommy
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In my Order of the Mass, they are under The Liturgy of the Word, Readings and Responsorial Psalm.
Sorry if I am struggling with figuring all of this out LOL
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VivienneJ
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Landon, don’t try to overthink what a newly-come-from-Protestantism is asking
I think TwinMommy is asking why the priest doesn’t do all the readings that come from the Bible during the Mass.I don’t know the reason, but it did just strike me that I’m used to Anglicans doing it similarly to Catholics; but I do recall that when I was in the Baptist and the other 3 small denominations I attended at various points the priest did all the Bible readings.
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TwinMommy
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Yep, that is what I am asking LOL Yeah I have the background of Baptist and non-denominational, so not use to anyone doing any reading or anything other than the Pastor.Landon, don’t try to overthink what a newly-come-from-Protestantism is asking
I don’t know the reason, but it did just strike me that I’m used to Anglicans doing it similarly to Catholics; but I do recall that when I was in the Baptist and the other 3 small denominations I attended at various points the priest did all the Bible readings.
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Lisa1967
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Ok, I think I understand what you are asking.
Since Vatican II (I believe), there has been greater participation by the laity in the service. That includes lectors.
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landon13
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Thats okay. Sorry I overthought your questions
I too am a new comer from Protestantism but I’ve known I’ve wanted to be catholic for years. lol. So I’m joining the Church next easter.
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TwinMommy
Guest
That is when I am joining too!!! I would never have thought this would happen. I wasn’t anti-catholic I don’t think but everything I thought I knew was totally wrong and my outlook on it was totally off base.Thats okay. Sorry I overthought your questions
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TwinMommy
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What kept you from joining sooner?Thats okay. Sorry I overthought your questions
To elaborate on that…
The Catholic Church has long considered there to be a number of clerical orders. The highest of these are the divine orders of bishop, priest, and deacon. Those are the ones conferred via the Sacrament of Holy Orders. But there were also a number of lessor orders of ecclesiastical institution. Lector was one of those ecclesiastical orders.
(As a result of all the changes after Vatican II, the minor orders have generally been abolished but the instituted ministries of lector and acolyte remain. In the absence of instituted ministers, a lay person may fill that role.)
Historically the role of reading the Gospel at a Catholic Mass belonged to the Deacon and the role of reading the Epistle to the Subdeacon, both of whom would have been lectors. It was common for priests to fill those roles (since they hold those orders). In fact at “low” masses a single priest would have been the only man who could have read the epistle and gospel.
Most protestants have adopted the low Mass model of having the single officiant at a service do all scripture readings. But at Catholic Masses it is usual for a lay person (who is either an instituted lector or someone acting in that ministerial role) to read the non-Gospel scriptures and to have a deacon(priest/bishop) read the Gospel.
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