Why do weekday masses have fewer readings than Sunday and Holy Day masses?

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I just recently have been trying to go to weekday masses when I have an opportunity too, I was just wondering why on Sunday and Holy Days there is a reading from the Old Testament (not always but in general), the Psalm, a second reading normally being an epistle of Paul or the other epistles, and then the Gospel reading, however on week day masses it seems it is a first reading, the Psalm, and then the Gospel reading? Just noticed and was curious if anyone had the answer.
 
Weekday masses typically do not have a 2nd Epistle reading. We only have the 2nd Epistle reading on a Solemnity or Sunday.

NOTE: all Holy Days of Obligation are Solemnities, but not all Solemnities are Holy Days of Obligation. Example: The Solemnity of St. John the Baptist.
 
jas84173 said:
I just recently have been trying to go to weekday masses when I have an opportunity too, I was just wondering why on Sunday and Holy Days there is a reading from the Old Testament (not always but in general), the Psalm, a second reading normally being an epistle of Paul or the other epistles, and then the Gospel reading, however on week day masses it seems it is a first reading, the Psalm, and then the Gospel reading? Just noticed and was curious if anyone had the answer.
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I don’t know why this is. Weekday Masses typically also don’t have the Creed, and by custom, the homilies tend to be shorter.

I wonder if it’s because the Church is taking into account that during the week, the faithful also have other duties at work and at home?
 
You are obviously talking about the Ordinary Form of the Mass so I can’t answer your question. Where I go to Mass, we say the Extraordinary Form and there is always the same format. (the Epistle and the Gospel) During the week it is not always read in English but in Latin. On Sundays it is always read in both Latin AND English.
 
corsair said:
You are obviously talking about the Ordinary Form of the Mass so I can’t answer your question. Where I go to Mass, we say the Extraordinary Form and there is always the same format. (the Epistle and the Gospel) During the week it is not always read in English but in Latin. On Sundays it is always read in both Latin AND English.
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Purely speculation on my part, but I always presumed this was the key. The EF (or pre-V II Mass, if you will) only had the two readings. After V II, there was a desire to expand the laity’s exposure to scripture during Mass, introducing the new cycle of 3 readings. Daily Mass, I presumed, was simply not that well attended by the laity and thus no ‘tinkering’ with the reading cycles. So the daily Mass isn’t shorter; Sundays and Holy Days got longer.
 
Cor_ad_Cor said:
Purely speculation on my part, but I always presumed this was the key. The EF (or pre-V II Mass, if you will) only had the two readings. After V II, there was a desire to expand the laity’s exposure to scripture during Mass, introducing the new cycle of 3 readings. Daily Mass, I presumed, was simply not that well attended by the laity and thus no ‘tinkering’ with the reading cycles. So the daily Mass isn’t shorter; Sundays and Holy Days got longer.
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I agree. I am sure that the modern use is to expose catholics to more scripture.

The ‘average catholic in the pew’ has an abysmal knowledge of Scripture in contrast to our protestant cousins.
 
Sunday is the most important day of the week. We recall The Resurrection as well as God’s Command to “keep holy The Sabbath Day”.

I presume that The Church celebrates Sunday, therefore, with a grander liturgy to highlight that Sunday is indeed the most important day of our week and a day on which we are commanded to rest and celebrate, keeping it as day that is holy to us.
 
jas84173 said:
I just recently have been trying to go to weekday masses when I have an opportunity too, I was just wondering why on Sunday and Holy Days there is a reading from the Old Testament (not always but in general), the Psalm, a second reading normally being an epistle of Paul or the other epistles, and then the Gospel reading, however on week day masses it seems it is a first reading, the Psalm, and then the Gospel reading? Just noticed and was curious if anyone had the answer.
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They don’t. They have less readings, not fewer. Pet peeve, partially because using fewer isn’t always accurate. My guess is, people usually have to work on weekdays.
 
Sorry, Adam, but I think you are wrong.

‘Less’ is for quantity, something that can be measured or weighed.

So it would be correct to say ‘The weekday Masses involve less use of Scripture’.

‘Fewer’ is for number, for things that can be counted. so ‘Weekday Masses have fewer readings’.
 
paperwight66 said:
Sorry, Adam, but I think you are wrong.

‘Less’ is for quantity, something that can be measured or weighed.

So it would be correct to say ‘The weekday Masses involve less use of Scripture’.

‘Fewer’ is for number, for things that can be counted. so ‘Weekday Masses have fewer readings’.
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That’s also my understanding of how those words are used. “Buy less milk when the boys are on holidays, and fewer tomatoes.”
 
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