What percentage of the bible is actually read from the Lectionary

[taliesinrose]

I have heard it said that if you go to daily mass you will hear the entire Bible read. But I have looked at statistical analysis of how much is actually read in the daily and weekly masses in tree years and it comes out to about 70%.

Which is correct?

 

[Church_Militant]

Lectionary Statistics

I don’t really know and I don’t really think that it was ever intended to replace Bible reading, (nor do I suspect that that is what you are trying to infer, btw. ). We Catholics have always been encouraged to read the Bible as literacy began to increase.

However, from my own personal experience I have to say that that still compares very favorably with most of the n-C services that I have seen. I’ve also heard that from some other converts from other n-C faith communities, but they’d have to speak to that themselves on here.

I don’t know if that helps though.

 

[taliesinrose]

Doesn’t help much. I am really just trying to figure out the true percentages of Scriture read in the Mass over the three year lectionary cycle.

 

[COPLAND_3]

catholic-resources.org/Lectionary/Statistics.htm

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Doesn’t help much. I am really just trying to figure out the true percentages of Scriture read in the Mass over the three year lectionary cycle.

Did you look at the link Church Militant gave you? Fr. Felix Just has compiled the statistics you’re looking for. The short answer: Over a three-year cycle Sunday Masses include 3.7% of the Old Testament (plus Psalms) and 40.8% of the New Testament. If you add weekday Masses you’ll hear 13.5% of the Old Testament (plus Psalms) and 71.5% of the New Testament.

 

[taliesinrose]

Oh sorry, I had not realized that was a link. So these statistics are correct and the commonly heard
“The entire bible is read every three years” would be incorrect?

 

[James0235]

Oh sorry, I had not realized that was a link. So these statistics are correct and the commonly heard
“The entire bible is read every three years” would be incorrect?

Correct. It is untrue that the entire bible is read in the Lectionary. For instance the book of Obadiah is not used at all in the Mass.

To see which verses are used in the Mass for the Readings as well as the Entrance and Communion Antiphons (which, unfortunately, most priests like to replace with hymns) take a look at this site.

It covers all Sunday and daily Masses, all Feast days, and the Ritual Masses, Common Masses, and Masses for Special Needs and Occasions. I believe the only thing that is not quite complete are the Votive Masses.

James

 

[drforjc]

I wonder what the percent would be if the entire Liturgy of the Hours was added, including the Office of Readings.

 

[patrick457]

Oh sorry, I had not realized that was a link. So these statistics are correct and the commonly heard
“The entire bible is read every three years” would be incorrect?

In a sense, the statement “the entire Bible is read every three years” is a half-truth: while a great majority of the Scriptures is read during this three-year period (during which there are three cycles of Scripture readings), the readings used during the Mass in this period does not use the whole Biblical text fully.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I wonder what the percent would be if the entire Liturgy of the Hours was added, including the Office of Readings.

Interesting question. The numbers Fr. Just gives don’t include the Psalms at all so between Masses and the Liturgy of the Hours you’d cover them. Someone would have to figure out how much more the Office of Readings would add.

 

[Mark77]

Having drifted away from the Catholic Church for many years, I initially found solace in the various Protestant denominations. Being lazy and self centered, the bible alone “sola scriptura” teaching was an easy way out for me as, I could pull a random quote from Holy Scripture to prove anything I wanted to prove.

The “once saved always saved” idea was even better. I didn’t really have to work at Christianity, I just had to answer the altar call and accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I was guaranteed eternal
salvation.

As I prayed daily I realized that these Christian brothers all had various parts of the truth, but they were all missing something important. Worse yet, most of them were totally wrong on some key elements like the Holy Eucharist and Apostolic Succession!

The bible alone, interpreted by men without the 2000 years of Jesus’ Church’s Tradition and the Holy Magisterium to guide us is bound to be polluted by man’s weakness.

I have attended numerous protestant services over the past 5 years, and I am sure that the amount of Scripture that we hear at Holy Mass is far superior to the selected verses chosen at random to emphasize the speaker’s agenda in those protestant services.

There is no big picture or overall focus at most of these services, while our liturgical calendar keeps us focused on Christ’s life and message throughout the year.

It is far superior in two categories. First the Holy Scriptures read at Mass are presented in the context of Jesus’ entire teachings. As John says “But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose the entire world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (JN 21:25).

The bible alone diminishes Jesus’ eternal perfection and leaves out 99+% of His message.

Secondly, the Holy Scriptures read in the Holy Mass are a part of an entire liturgy, which includes us in the eternal sacrifice made by Christ at Calvary, when He died on the Cross for our sins!

When I was seeking a return to Jesus, I realized that there is no easy way.

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (LK 9:23)

Mark

 

[MDK]

I have heard it said that if you go to daily mass you will hear the entire Bible read. But I have looked at statistical analysis of how much is actually read in the daily and weekly masses in tree years and it comes out to about 70%.

Which is correct?

Another important point to maintain perspective is how much of what is read from the lectionary is correct?

Answer 100%