The Weird Ways of the Liturgy?

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Sometimes I really wonder about what almost appear to be arbitrary rubrics with regard to the Mass.

Why can the OT and the NT (less the Gospels) be proclaimed by a layperson yet the Gospel cannot be? Other than “that’s what the rubics call for” why is this so? I have never heard anything about the priest/deacon proclaiming the Gospels in the Person of Christ so why? Why isn’t this same standard applied to the other readings? I can see how a layperson should not preach, but if they can already read, why not read the Gospel as well?

Another example. EMsHC can distribute communion yet they cannot purify the sacred vessels unless they have been instituted into their ministries? Other than “that’s what the GIRM says” I really wonder about the reason(s) for this?
 
This is the difference between the ‘reading’ and ‘proclaiming’. The lessons are read, the Gospel is proclaimed.

In the TLM the priest prays (for himself or bless the deacon):

Cleanse my heart and my lips, O almighty God, who didst cleanse the lips of the prophet Isaias with a burning coal, and vouchsafe, through Thy gracious mercy, so to purify me, that I may worthily announce Thy holy Gospel. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Give me Thy blessing, O Lord. The Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I may worthily and in a becoming manner, proclaim His holy Gospel. Amen.

Proclaim:
a : to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing : announce b : to give outward indication of : show

Traditionally in regular feasts or Sundays the Subdeacon read the lesson, the Deacon the Gospel. In case of multiple lessons (like the 12 lesson at the tenebrae liturgy in Holy Saturday) lectors read the lessons. They were all clerics.

Before St Pius X, the priest proclaimed the Gospel in vernacular, and that was the only thing in vernacular, except the announcements and sermon. After St Pius X’s reform lay lectors started to read the lesson but never the Gospel.
 
The Gospel: it’s special, deserves special reverence, always has. It has a key place, beyond the rest of Scripture, though all Scripture is inspired. That’s why it’s read by the Deacon. Historically it has been read by laymen, but the way in which we honor it has developed. In the EF, the scripture outside of the Gospel is read by a subdeacon. In the OF an layperson is designated.

Communion: it is only due to certain difficult circumstances that laypersons can help distribute communion – that’s the current law of the Church. If we had enough priests and deacons, EMHCs should not be needed at all – even priests and deacons would take Communion to homes and hospitals – if there were enough!

Purifying the vessels can be done by one person, and should always be done by the priest. If he is really unable, how is he able to celebrate Mass? (I’m not sure if the deacon can help or do it?).

Good questions, just remember: what appears arbitrary to you probably isn’t actually arbitrary. Beyond the little I know, I highly recommend you read more about the liturgy from better sources. I would start with Ratzinger’s The Spirit of the Liturgy.
 
As to the former, I believe that anciently all the lections were read by a lector. Eventually, the functions were taken over by deacons and subdeacons, the proclaiming of Scripture seen as an extension of their special ministries. I don’t recall when this change took place, though presumably it was between the 3rd and 5th centuries. I know St. Gregory made a change regarding election of deacons: they were no longer to be chosen because of their vocal skill. I know this really isn’t an answer to your question.

As to the latter, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should only be used rarely. Again, I can not truly answer your question, except to say that distribution and purification properly belong to the ordained, whose hands have been blessed and have been granted special faculties by God, through Christ, in the Spirit.

Perhaps reading Ecclesia de mysterio would help.
 
Luger said:
Sometimes I really wonder about what almost appear to be arbitrary rubrics with regard to the Mass.
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Surely there are rubrics which appear just as arbitrary in the Divine Liturgies.
Luger said:
Why can the OT and the NT (less the Gospels) be proclaimed by a layperson yet the Gospel cannot be?
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Redemptionis Sacramentum 63 says “Within the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, the reading of the Gospel, which is ‘the high point of the Liturgy of the Word’, is reserved by the Church’s tradition to an ordained minister.” So it is an ancient tradition that the Gospel, which has pre-eminence among all the Scriptures (cf. Dei Verbum 18)
Luger said:
EMsHC can distribute communion yet they cannot purify the sacred vessels unless they have been instituted into their ministries?
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Probably because it has been the tradition since time immemorial that priests (or deacons) purify the sacred vessels, back when there were not EMHCs. The purification, which was once done after Mass, became part of the liturgy itself, and it was the duty of the priest to carry it out at the altar.
 
newyorkcatholic said:
The Gospel: it’s special, deserves special reverence, always has. It has a key place, beyond the rest of Scripture, though all Scripture is inspired. That’s why it’s read by the Deacon. Historically it has been read by laymen, but the way in which we honor it has developed. In the EF, the scripture outside of the Gospel is read by a subdeacon. In the OF an layperson is designated.

Communion: it is only due to certain difficult circumstances that laypersons can help distribute communion – that’s the current law of the Church. If we had enough priests and deacons, EMHCs should not be needed at all – even priests and deacons would take Communion to homes and hospitals – if there were enough!

Purifying the vessels can be done by one person, and should always be done by the priest. If he is really unable, how is he able to celebrate Mass? (I’m not sure if the deacon can help or do it?).

Good questions, just remember: what appears arbitrary to you probably isn’t actually arbitrary. Beyond the little I know, I highly recommend you read more about the liturgy from better sources. I would start with Ratzinger’s The Spirit of the Liturgy.
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Yes, deacons can and so can instituted acolytes.
 
After thinking about it a bit I suppose one reason why the Church requires a priest or deacon to read the Gospel is because at least a priest WILL be at the Mass so why not? That of course begs the question why the laity read the rest of the Bible when ordained are there.

This does lead to a problem in my parish. Our deacon can barely read – it’s painful. The deacon and not the priest has primacy of reading the Gospels even though it’s ultimately the presider’s decision. The deacon in my parish would be very upset if the presider decided to read the Gospel although I have seen visiting priests who know him do so.
 
japhy said:
Redemptionis Sacramentum 63 says “Within the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, the reading of the Gospel, which is ‘the high point of the Liturgy of the Word’, is reserved by the Church’s tradition to an ordained minister.” So it is an ancient tradition that the Gospel, which has pre-eminence among all the Scriptures (cf. Dei Verbum 18)
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That’s not answering my question. I asked in addition to the prevailing rubrics. I know why the four Gospels are special in ANY Christian denomination – the are the words of Christ Himself. What I am asking is WHY the Church limits their reading to ordained when laypersons can read the rest of the Bible?

Other than “because the Church says so” (which I acknowledged in my original post) I see no reason at all.
 
Another good example – our parochial vicar is from Mexico. He really speaks no English and his reading of the language is abominable. When no deacon is available (maybe 75% of the time) he reads the Gospel himself and he’s intelligible. It would make sense in such cases for one of the lay readers to read the Gospel yet that’s not allowed. I think matters like this cast a very weird light on the liturgy.
 
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