Epistle and Gospel

[TantumErgo90]

In the TLM what is the reasoning for the epistle and gospel not to be read facing the people? Thank you for your responses.

 

[kleary]

In the TLM what is the reasoning for the epistle and gospel not to be read facing the people? Thank you for your responses.

The Epistle is read or sung facing Eastward, the same direction as the orientation of the altar. (Now the altar may not be facing East- but people and priest facing the same direction designates “Liturgical East.”

I do not know why the Epistle is chanted facing East, but the Gospel is done facing North which is the direction of the pagans.

Ken

 

[TantumErgo90]

At a solemn high mass, the gospel is sung to the north and the epistle is sung to the south. But at a low mass it is read just to the east. or is the north side and south side of the altar considered reading it to the north and south?

 

[AJV]

At a solemn high mass, the gospel is sung to the north and the epistle is sung to the south. But at a low mass it is read just to the east. or is the north side and south side of the altar considered reading it to the north and south?

The missal is positioned a little differently for the Gospel. For the Epistle, it is placed facing straight ahead, perpendicular to the longer side of the altar (like | ). For the Gospel it is placed at an angle (facing outwards like \ ) so the priest faces north-east.

Fr. Jungmann presents the reason for the reading of the Gospel facing North as follows. The deacon had to read in such a way so as not to turn his back to the bishop and the priests around the bishop - and still face the people (i.e the men, since it was improper to face the women’s side) . The best way for this was to turn sideways.

Another reason is explained in an early tract (which Fr. Jungmann gives less credence too, as being an explanation for a practice that the author saw was wrong but the exact meaning was lost) This tract ([Micrologus] De Ecclesiasticis Observationibus), when exploring the Mass and Liturgical Year, compares the Roman liturgy as it was practiced in Gaul with the Roman liturgy as it was actually practiced in Rome.

In no. IX (De Evangelio, in qua parte sit legendum) the author writes “…diaconos in ambone, contra Romano ordinem, se vertat ad Aquilonem…” (the deacon in the ambo, contrary to the Roman order, faces towards the North) and he objects since this is the side of the women (ad partem foeminarum) and says that this is not done in Rome. (Diaconus cum legit Evangelium iuxta Romanum Ordinem in ambone vertitur ad Meridiem … non ad Aquilonem, ubi foeminae consistunt - the deacon reads the Gospel, according to the Roman order, in an ambo towards the South…not the North, where the women are)

His explanation for the deacon facing north is that it is copying the priest at the low Mass who reads at the North side of the altar. The reason he gives why the priest reads at the ‘north side’ of the altar is because the ‘south’ side is begin used to prepare and receive the sacrificial oblations, so it is expedient to read the Gospel on the other (north) side.

That the deacon was intended to face the people when reading the Gospel, even though facing north, is preserved in the missal in the rubric on the reading of the Gospel. My ISP does not allow me to access the SanctaMissa site but if you go and look under the rubrics of the Missal, you’ll see (perhaps surprisingly) that the missal does not mention the north direction but does mention facing the people.