Liturgical Bible Usage Statistics

[Apollos]

How do I calculate what percentage of the Mass is Biblical?

Occasionally I hear objections that the Mass isn’t Biblical. Some objections seem to mean the *concept *of the Mass isn’t Biblical, but some seem to mean the *words *aren’t Biblical. For the sake of responding to the latter sense, I’d like to do a little statistical work on Biblical quotations and allusions in the texts of the Mass.

I can’t do this I work out some definitions. How do I decide what percentage of a written text is quotation or allusion to another? Do I count the number of English words that are part of direct quotations (for example the Holy Holy Holy is all direct quotation from Isaiah and Luke), then tally words that are allusions (like here and there in the Creed), and then divide by the total number of words in the Order of Mass?

(Also, related, how would I calculate what percentage of the Bible is read in the Lectionary? Do I count numbers of verses or numbers of English words?)

 

[melchesidechpio]

You don’t have to calculate how much of the mass is biblical. The answer is 100% [BIBLEDRB][/BIBLEDRB]

 

[Rolltide]

Here is a site that tells precisely how much of each book of the Bible is used in the Lectionaries of both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Mass:

catholic-resources.org/Lectionary/Statistics.htm

For the record, here are the raw percentages, which include ALL Sundays, weekdays, and feasts from the cycle:

Ordinary Form
Old Testament: 13.5%
New Testament: 71.5%

Extraordinary Form
Old Testament: 1%
New Testament: 16.5%

 

[Rolltide]

Here’s a site that has many of the scriptural references for the Mass:

catecheticsonline.com/apologetics_mass.php