How many verses of the Epistle were read today? Was it too long for some folks?

[benedictgal]

The Sunday readings for 12/30 gave the option of reading Colossians 3:12-17 instead of 3:12-21.

This is what was “optionally” cut out:

“18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”

They cut out submission within Scripture just when we need this virture most. This shows their pure ignorance of what it means to be submissive. God help me because I am still required to submit and be subject to them in their authority given by Him.

This past Saturday evening, I got drafted by the PV (parochial vicar) of our cathedral to proclaim the readings because the person scheduled didn’t show up. I chose to read the longer form of the Epistle.

Inasmuch as the short form is optional, I believe that reading the epistle in its entirety keeps to the integrity of the Feast of the Holy Family, as these last “optional” verses show the link between the first reading, the psalm and the second reading.

This feast centers around the Family. God chose to be born into a family and he chose to submit himself to the authority of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. The father is the head of the family, just as Jesus Christ is the head of His Body (and spouse) the Church.

The Gospel gives us a wonderful account of St. Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family, taking Mary and Jesus out of Bethlehem to protect them from Herod’s wrath. Granted, the Lord told St. Joseph that he must flee, the silent saint wasted no time in putting this command into action. As the head of the family, Joseph protected, supported and sustained the household. It must have been rather unnerving, at first, for St. Joseph and and the Blessed Mother to have to “teach” the Son of God how to be human (how to walk, how to talk, etc). But, they did.

The Church gives us these readings for a reason. She reminds us of the importance of the family. Leaving out the section of St. Paul’s epistle, in my opinion, takes out the tie that binds all three readings and the psalm together.

I am curious to know if other English-speaking countries have the same option, or, even other countries, for that matter. I am not sure if the Mexican lectionary has it, as I don’t remember seeing it in the one from which I proclaimed the reading.

 

[Rand_Al_Thor]

If it was optional, then I fail to see the problem with the omission.

Because the reason that it is optional is that people don’t like the language of wives being submissive to husbands. They think it is anti-woman. I don’t like the fact that those people have a say in what parts of Scripture are read or not in Mass. They shouldn’t have it as an optional part of the reading.

In Christ,
Rand

 

[Cathryn]

I don’t think there was any reason for a long and short version because the Epistle was not very long and it only added 4 sentences. It seems to be an underhanded and dishonest way to deal with verses of Holy Scripture some people don’t want to hear.

 

[IrishAm]

Because the reason that it is optional is that people don’t like the language of wives being submissive to husbands. They think it is anti-woman. I don’t like the fact that those people have a say in what parts of Scripture are read or not in Mass. They shouldn’t have it as an optional part of the reading.

In Christ,
Rand

Are you so very convinced that is the “reason”? There have been optional shorter versions in readings for many, many years – not just this particular one which some may see as “anti-woman.” Personally, a fully pro-woman woman myself, I think the juxtapositioning of the verse is quite beautiful, with calls to perfection made to every member of the family. Men, in fact, get two – as husband and father; I guess Paul didn’t think women needed any instruction on how to love their children tenderly.

18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged."

And, yes, the entire section was read at our mass. I read it. No one boo’d me either . . .

 

[Joysong]

The crux of optional readings is that the choice of which to use is lawfully given by the Church. Just before Christmas, the Church gave two reading options for December 12th and December 21st. It happens more frequently than one might think.

There are also options the celebrant may legitimately use as to which mass to celebrate; i.e., the memorial of a saint, or the mass for ordinary time. I have a hard time in my heart understanding this criticism of a priest of God for doing what he is permitted to do. Does our response to any choice a priest makes in lawfully selecting what to read or celebrate, include the right to undermine either him or the Church and judge his motivations for doing so?

We may retain our own opinion as to which one we would read and why we might think our opinion is better than the lawful choice of the celebrant’s, providiing we do not enter into private speculation about his intentions, which the Lord does forbid. That judgment would make the person more seriously aberrant than the celebrant or the Church.

 

[Phemie]

T
I am curious to know if other English-speaking countries have the same option, or, even other countries, for that matter. I am not sure if the Mexican lectionary has it, as I don’t remember seeing it in the one from which I proclaimed the reading.

The option was there in the Canadian lectionary.

 

[AJV]

The Lectionary used at my church (Jerusalem Bible) does not give the option for having the shorter reading.

I wonder whether the shorter reading is a US adaptation or whether it is in the Latin Ordo Lectionum Missae.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

I did not go to Mass on Sunday at my normal parish because I was visiting family in Virginia. There they used the “politically correct” shorter version.

I remember a few years ago when I lived in PA, the Lector used the PC version and the pastor decided to read the rest of the reading before he gave his homily