Why is the Bible read in a weird order?

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TomS333

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Why do readings usually not follow from one day to the next?

All due respect but what’s the point in writing a book in order if you’re not going to read it in order?
It’s not like a recipe book where you want a specific thing.
Who decides what Today’s Readings are or are they set throughout certain times of the year like “this bit two weeks after Easter Sunday”?
 
From the link above:

What’s the difference between a Bible and a Lectionary?
A Lectionary is composed of the readings and the responsorial psalm assigned for each Mass of the year (Sundays, weekdays, and special occasions). The readings are divided by the day or the theme (baptism, marriage, vocations, etc.) rather than according to the books of the Bible. Introductions and conclusions have been added to each reading. Not all of the Bible is included in the Lectionary.

Individual readings in the Lectionary are called pericopes, from a Greek word meaning a “section” or “cutting.” Because the Mass readings are only portions of a book or chapter, introductory phrases, called incipits, are often added to begin the Lectionary reading, for example, “In those days,” “Jesus said to his disciples,” etc.

How is the Lectionary arranged?
The Lectionary is arranged in two cycles, one for Sundays and one for weekdays.

The Sunday cycle is divided into three years, labeled A, B, and C. 2008 was Year A. 2009 was Year B, 2010 is Year C, etc. In Year A, we read mostly from the Gospel of Matthew. In Year B, we read the Gospel of Mark and chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. In Year C, we read the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season in all three years. The first reading, usually from the Old Testament, reflects important themes from the Gospel reading. The second reading is usually from one of the epistles, a letter written to an early church community. These letters are read semi-continuously. Each Sunday, we pick up close to where we left off the Sunday before, though some passages are never read.

The weekday cycle is divided into two years, Year I and Year II. Year I is read in odd-numbered years (2009, 2011, etc.) and Year II is used in even-numbered years (2010, 2012, etc.) The Gospels for both years are the same. During the year, the Gospels are read semi-continuously, beginning with Mark, then moving on to Matthew and Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season. For Advent, Christmas, and Lent, readings are chosen that are appropriate to the season. The first reading on weekdays may be taken from the Old or the New Testament. Typically, a single book is read semi-continuously (i.e., some passages are not read) until it is finished and then a new book is started.

The year of the cycle does not change on January 1, but on the First Sunday of Advent (usually late November) which is the beginning of the liturgical year.

In addition to the Sunday and weekday cycles, the Lectionary provides readings for feasts of the saints, for common celebrations such as Marian feasts, for ritual Masses (weddings, funerals, etc.), for votive Masses, and for various needs. These readings have been selected to reflect the themes of these celebrations.

Maybe that will start to help…?
 
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Sorry, that’s not quite what I meant. More like: Why do certain verses and chapters get skipped
eg Day 1: Acts 1:1-16, Day 2: Acts 1:17-20, Day 3: Acts 3:1-7 Day 4: Revalation 1:1-9

(The above are purely examples, I don’t know how long each of those books are or if the reading would go on through so many verses.)
 
The readings taken from the Gospels are probably following the order more closely but that is the nature of the readings themselves that they can be selected not according to the order as in the Bible.

The readings usually have a theme or teaching, which would be from the Gospel generally. Thus the other reading (or first and second for Sundays) would be its reference (in the OT or the Epistles), or at least connected and relevant to the Gospel passage. Sometimes, it may be difficult to tie them up, but usually they are connected in some ways.

I have been using the readings for my daily prayers and reflection for more than twenty years now, and I thought I could always find a theme from the day’s readings.
 
The Calendar is actually a reconciliation of two calendars, one of which flows with the sequence of time, while the other is a succession of commemorations of events, saints, etc. The sequence of readings is more consistent in he temporal calendar, but it gets interrupted by he particular celebration. A semi-continuous reading of Acts is interrupted on Ascension Thursday by returning to Acts 1, where the Ascension is described.

The biggest intrusion on the temporal calendar is Easter; for 40+ days before Easter and 57 days after the readings are arranged as Lent and Easter. The intrusion is more obvious because it is based on a combination of lunar and solar calendars. Advent/Christmas also interrupt, but since they are solar based, it is less noticed.

Individual days can even be set aside, like Ascension Thursday or for St Catherine of Siena. There are fairly simple rules for when a day is celebrated; St Catherine is normally remembered on 29 April, but not this year since he Sundays of Easter are more important. If she is particularly imprtant to a group, like to her Dominican brothers and sisters, they probably will commemorate with special readings on Monday. That may break the continuous reading of Acts that will happen in other churches.

These interruptions serve various needs, but they do interrupt a continuous reading. This tends to promote an episodic view of the bible, dividing books into pieces instead of reading stories in context. This can be a problem for understanding. But placing the episodes in the context of the liturgy provides some benefits that can help understanding.
 
TomS333 said:
Why do readings usually not follow from one day to the next?

All due respect but what’s the point in writing a book in order if you’re not going to read it in order?
It’s not like a recipe book where you want a specific thing.
Who decides what Today’s Readings are or are they set throughout certain times of the year like “this bit two weeks after Easter Sunday”?
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It is something that was divinely inspired. You need to take it up with God and the Holy Spirit.
 
TomS333 said:
Sorry, that’s not quite what I meant. More like: Why do certain verses and chapters get skipped
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The short answer is “the Mass is not a Bible study class.”

Scripture is an important part of our experience of Liturgy, but it’s not the primary focus of Liturgy: in fact, the Eucharist is what we, as Catholics, should regard as the “source and summit” of our relationship with Christ.

As @Pup7 pointed out, the Sunday liturgies follow a three-year cycle: one year we hear readings from the Gospel of Mark, in another, Matthew, and in the third, Luke. Each of the week’s readings have some thematic link: there is always a link between the Old Testament reading and the epistle to some facet of the Gospel reading.

It would be quite difficult to simply pick up where we left off and still maintain that thematic integrity, and therefore, sometimes we pick up a few verses later or in a subsequent chapter.

Ideally, Catholics should participate in Bible studies during the week, whenever possible. That would give us the background that we’d need in order to enter into the readings and homilies that we encounter on Sundays!

In addition, some Scripture readings require a bit of background information in order to understand them in their context and in the cultural references they make. It would be impossible to explain all those references in the context of Mass, and so (IMHO) the decision not to just throw them out there and let people walk away confused, is a good decision. Again, a good Bible study helps a Catholic to understand what the Scriptures are telling us, as they reach across millennia of cultural experiences from half-way around the world!
 
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The Scriptures are divinely inspired. The lectionary is not. I’m sure there are well-thought-out reasons for the chosen order, but “take it up with the Holy Spirit” is not an appropriate response.
 
Do you really believe that the “well thought out reasons for the chosen order” were not divinely inspired? God doesn’t leave details like that up to chance.
 
The present Order of Readings for Mass is an arrangement of biblical readings that provides the faithful with a knowledge of the whole of God’s word, in a pattern suited to the purpose. Throughout the liturgical year, but above all during the seasons of Easter, Lent, and Advent, the choice and sequence of readings are aimed at giving Christ’s faithful an ever-deepening perception of the faith they profess and of the history of salvation. Accordingly, the Order of Readings corresponds to the requirements and interests of the Christian people.

The celebration of the Liturgy is not in itself simply a form of catechesis, but it does contain an element of teaching. The Lectionary of the Roman Missal brings this out and therefore deserves to be regarded as a pedagogical resource aiding catechesis.

This is so because the Order of Readings for Mass aptly presents from Sacred Scripture the principal deeds and words belonging to the history of salvation. As its many phases and events are recalled in the liturgy of the word, it will become clear to the faithful that the history of salvation is continued here and now in the representation of Christ’s paschal mystery celebrated through the Eucharist.

The pastoral advantage of having in the Roman Rite a single Order of Readings for the Lectionary is obvious on other grounds. All the faithful, particularly those who for various reasons do not always take part in Mass with the same assembly, will everywhere be able to hear the same readings on any given day or in any liturgical season and to meditate on the application of these readings to their own concrete circumstances. This is the case even in places that have no priest and where a deacon or someone else deputed by the bishop conducts a celebration of the word of God.
 
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Usagi said:
The Scriptures are divinely inspired. The lectionary is not. I’m sure there are well-thought-out reasons for the chosen order, but “take it up with the Holy Spirit” is not an appropriate response.
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The three year cycle is based directly on the three year ministry Jesus taught His disciples. If one attended every Mass for three years, you would of have walked and experienced the birth, baptism, three year ministry of Jesus, Passion, death, resurrection on earth, while He walked the earth with His disciples. Jesus is Resurrected and through the Mass Jesus continues to be present to us and teach us as He taught His first 12 disciples.

The “weird order” reflects the whole context of the book of Revelation which reveals the thrice historical cycle of past, present and future from eternity, that is celebrated in the Mass.

The readings especially the Gospel’s, is the Word of God present, Who reveals Himself from the past (Old testament readings), present with His Angels and prophets from the prophetic Psalms, and speaks to His bride the Catholic Church in the present (New testament) Gospels.

The readings read at Mass are not to be taken as a bible study lesson. At the conclusion of each reading, it is said; “Word of the Lord”. It is not “weird” when the Word of God is speaking directly to you or when the Word of God is giving you divine revelation. God is teaching, instructing, edifying, correcting His Church in every age, while feeding us with His threefold (perfected) Gospel, while we are in His Presence.

cont;
 
cont;
The Catholic Church assisted with Her Comforter the Holy Spirit has ordered the divine Liturgy to be celebrated with the eternal heavenly liturgy in a festal gathering, this joining together includes God’s creation to which the creation order of things such as all the cosmos present themselves before God.

For example; during Mass celebration of John the baptist ministry and beheading, reveals John saying; “I must decrease while He (Jesus) must increase”, darkness begins to overtake day light hours, until we get to Christmas and Easter day light hours begin to overtake darkness, not to mention how much the resurrection reflects new life celebrated in spring or at the Equinox, when the earth, sun and moon position themselves in a moment that reveals the Cross.

The readings at Mass are not “in a weird order” when the eternal bride groom and His bride are present in space and time celebrating the Wedding feast of the Lamb with the heavenly Angelic Choirs, Martyrs, Saints and heavenly Virgins while God’s creation gives witness.

In summary, the order of the readings are ordered by divine revelation given to us in space and time. While at Mass, we should not hear letters being read to us, as if from a book. I pray that at every reading, I am listening and hearing directly from the living Word of God, when I respond at each conclusion “thanks be to God”. At the conclusion of every Gospel reading, I pray, I am hearing directly from Jesus Christ Himself as I stand in reverence to His presence and His Word being proclaimed to me, when I respond to His Kingship, “Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ”. It is here during the Gospels, where all the previous readings find their correct order and become fulfilled and divinely revealed in the Personal Presence of Jesus Christ Gospels.

Peace be with you
TomS333 said:
Why do readings usually not follow from one day to the next?
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Sacred Apostolic Tradition did not hand it that way down to us.
 
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The Liturgy of the Word each day follows a teaching theme. It is often derived either from the time of the liturgical year or from a point in the Gospel (which influences the choice of the other readings also).

The Lectionary is primarily about proclaiming the Good News effectively and in a thematic and connected pattern from day to day and season to season. It is not interested in reading the Bible straight through unless that makes kerygmatic sense. Often it is better to break things up to communicate the theme of the day.

The the way Christians do not regard the Bible as a “book”, nor even as a collection of “books” (which it actually is). We are a People of the Word, not a People of the Book (like Muslims are).

Really it is a bit of a waste of time to read the Bible straight through from cover to cover. there are far more effective ways of absorbing its contents.
 
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