Sunday Mass Readings

[Ashurie]

Hi,

I have a few weeks before I can officially start my RCIA journey, due to me living quite a distance from my new Parish. I asked what I could do in the mean time, and my answer to to read and reflect the readings for the next few Sunday’s Mass.

I will be attending Mass in my local Parish, so I can hear the readings and get used of going to Sunday Mass (up until now, I have only attended Mass at my University during the week). Where am I able to get the readings here online before hand? I know it is the 33rd Sunday in ordinary time…are all reading the same? Or at least similar?

Sorry for all the questions! It is just that in two weeks time when I attend my first RCIA, we will be discussing the readings from the Last Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Thank you in advance!!

 

[Digitonomy]

This site lists the readings, liturgical colors, etc:
litcom.net.au/about/ordo/ordo.php

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops owns the copyright to the New American Bible, and so is able to provide the actual readings on its website:
usccb.org/nab/

The translation will differ slightly from the readings in the Australian lectionary, which I believe are from the Jerusalem Bible.

 

[Ashurie]

Thank you so much!

Is there much difference between the New American Bible and the New International Bible (I was given this one)?

 

[Digitonomy]

Is there much difference between the New American Bible and the New International Bible (I was given this one)?

Yes, definitely. As Wikipedia notes,

The NIV is an explicitly Protestant translation. The deuterocanonical books are not included in the translation. It preserved traditional Evangelical theology on many contested points for which the Revised Standard Version has been criticized [by Evangelicals].

So you’ll be missing the deuterocanonical Old Testament books found in Catholic bibles (such as 2 Maccabbees, a reading from which was used last Sunday), and from time to time the translation will have a more Protestant rather than Catholic emphasis.

As a result, the NIV isn’t a good choice if you’re hoping to use it to carefully prepare for upcoming readings. However, it is sometimes useful to compare more than one bible translation, since some meaning is usually lost in translation, and a different choice of words may give you a better appreciation for what the original scripture was driving at. Just keep in mind the respective biases of the translations you have. Finally, whatever the negatives of different translations, the best bible is the one you read.

 

[Ashurie]

Ah! Right, thank you so much!!

I will look into getting a new one, I would rather have one that is more Catholic and a proper translation.

 

[Digitonomy]

:tiphat:Good luck on your journey, you’ll be in my prayers.

 

[corsair]

My wife uses the Ignatasius Revised Standard Version while I prefer the Douay Rheims, Challoner version.
we got rid of our NAB’s. Won’t have them in the house.

 

[MarkThompson]

My wife uses the Ignatasius Revised Standard Version while I prefer the Douay Rheims, Challoner version.
we got rid of our NAB’s. Won’t have them in the house.

Luckily, though, you get to hear lots of it at the OF Masses you go to!

 

[Ashurie]

Okay…

so overall, what would one suggest to a new RCIA member, reading the bible for the first time, and wishes to get the most out of it?

Kinda confused now

 

[MarkThompson]

Okay…

so overall, what would one suggest to a new RCIA member, reading the bible for the first time, and wishes to get the most out of it?

Kinda confused now

My suggestion would be to get one of these. Google around, read the reviews on Amazon, or go to your bookstore or library and read (for instance) John 1 in a couple of different versions and see which you like. It’s not an exact science, but I’d say the RSV-CE is almost certainly your best bet; it’s used in the Catechism, in other Church documents in English, and is generally considered very good. Make sure you get the Catholic edition, and don’t bother with the NRSV unless you like constantly reading “Brothers and sisters*,” looking down to the footnote, and seeing “Greek: Brothers.” It’s pretty phony, and definitely tiresome.

As for the Douay-Rheims, it reads pretty much like the KJV but without all the icky Protestantism, so if you like thees and thous you’ll dig it. Also, it was translated from the Latin Vulgate, rather than from the original languages in which the Scriptures were written, so it suffers from being a twice-removed translation. Some people insist on it so they can boast about how old-fashioned they are.

 

[Ashurie]

My suggestion would be to get one of these. Google around, read the reviews on Amazon, or go to your bookstore or library and read (for instance) John 1 in a couple of different versions and see which you like. It’s not an exact science, but I’d say the RSV-CE is almost certainly your best bet; it’s used in the Catechism, in other Church documents in English, and is generally considered very good. Make sure you get the Catholic edition, and don’t bother with the NRSV unless you like constantly reading “Brothers and sisters*,” looking down to the footnote, and seeing “Greek: Brothers.” It’s pretty phony, and definitely tiresome.

Rightio I will have a look around for it then.

My Catholic Chaplain gave a “Catechism of the Catholic Church” book, what is your opinion of this version of Catechism? For doesn’t matter?

Didn’t think there would be so many versions of the Bible and Catechism