The Liturgy at Mass can contain verses from books not Canon in the Church?

[jas84173]

I noticed the Entrance Antiphons for Sunday and Monday are from 4 Esdras 2: 36-37 Sunday and 4 Esdras 2: 35 on Monday. Now in the Latin Vulgate Ezra and Nehemiah are 1 and 2 Esdras. 3 and 4 Esdras which are more commonly known as 1 and 2 Esdras and the Prayer of Mannaseh were affirmed not Canon however were put in an appendix to the Latin Vulgate. However these three books are not in the majority of Catholic Bibles, some early D-R Bibles put them in an appendix as well as it wanted to stay true to the Bible. I just thought this was interesting, I always thought all of the antiphons and readings had to be from books that were affirmed as Inspired, not also books that are put in an appendix “lest they be lost forever” as the appendix says in the introduction. Is anyone else perplexed by this?

 

[Lugubrious_DBB]

It’s actually not as uncommon as one might think. After all, there is no divine law that absolutely mandates that every single text in the Missal, Office, or Ritual be taken directly from Scripture. Greg DiPippo of New Liturgical Movement has an excellent piece on this very point here:

newliturgicalmovement.org/2017/01/actual-apocrypha-in-liturgy.html#.WPvc-PkrK00

In the traditional Roman Rite, for example, the Introit and Gradual of the Requiem Mass are based upon 4 Esdras 2:34, 35. Likewise, the Offertory of the votive Mass for the election of a pope is from 3 Esdras 5:40. The Church, in her wisdom, has incorporated a beautiful variety of texts for her worship over the past 2,000 years. Just because they may not be from a book of canonical Scripture does not mean they are without value; after all, as you correctly noted, the three books of the Catholic apocrypha were retained in the Vulgate and in the original Douay–Rheims (sadly, not in the Challoner), so there is no reason for them to be off limits for liturgical use.

 

[jas84173]

It’s actually not as uncommon as one might think. After all, there is no divine law that absolutely mandates that every single text in the Missal, Office, or Ritual be taken directly from Scripture. Greg DiPippo of New Liturgical Movement has an excellent piece on this very point here:

newliturgicalmovement.org/2017/01/actual-apocrypha-in-liturgy.html#.WPvc-PkrK00

In the traditional Roman Rite, for example, the Introit and Gradual of the Requiem Mass are based upon 4 Esdras 2:34, 35. Likewise, the Offertory of the votive Mass for the election of a pope is from 3 Esdras 5:40. The Church, in her wisdom, has incorporated a beautiful variety of texts for her worship over the past 2,000 years. Just because they may not be from a book of canonical Scripture does not mean they are without value; after all, as you correctly noted, the three books of the Catholic apocrypha were retained in the Vulgate and in the original Douay–Rheims (sadly, not in the Challoner), so there is no reason for them to be off limits for liturgical use.

Thanks! This is very interesting. I had always known that books not considered Inspired could have based many of our traditions, such as the Apostolic Fathers etc; but I was always under the impression what we said in Liturgy was always scripture. It confused me at first because even though I knew these three books have been revered in the Latin Church ( I believe Orthodox actually do consider these three as inspired), but I confused me as to whether being in the appendix did give it some para canonical status in the Catholic Church. Thanks for the link though that is very interesting. I like researching this stuff. Most lay Catholics wouldn’t have even noticed but when I saw the antiphon said c.f. 4 Esdras; I was like " woah what? Thanks for the clarification!

 

[drforjc]

The Office of Readings always contains a non-biblical reading.

 

[jas84173]

It’s actually not as uncommon as one might think. After all, there is no divine law that absolutely mandates that every single text in the Missal, Office, or Ritual be taken directly from Scripture. Greg DiPippo of New Liturgical Movement has an excellent piece on this very point here:

newliturgicalmovement.org/2017/01/actual-apocrypha-in-liturgy.html#.WPvc-PkrK00

When you say traditional Roman rite is that saying they may not be in English Missals in the United States but only in Traditional Latin Missal? Or are all Missals the same?

In the traditional Roman Rite, for example, the Introit and Gradual of the Requiem Mass are based upon 4 Esdras 2:34, 35. Likewise, the Offertory of the votive Mass for the election of a pope is from 3 Esdras 5:40. The Church, in her wisdom, has incorporated a beautiful variety of texts for her worship over the past 2,000 years. Just because they may not be from a book of canonical Scripture does not mean they are without value; after all, as you correctly noted, the three books of the Catholic apocrypha were retained in the Vulgate and in the original Douay–Rheims (sadly, not in the Challoner), so there is no reason for them to be off limits for liturgical use.