Whys of the Mass Part III
By Mike Lambrecht
Last week we looked at what happens in the Introductory Rites of the Mass. This week we will explore the Liturgy of the Word.
The Liturgy of the Word begins with the First Reading. The readings for Mass are taken from a book called the Lectionary which contains selections of readings from the Bible that are arranged on a three year cycle for Sunday Masses and a two year cycle for weekday Masses.
Many Protestants think erroneously that Catholics do not know the Bible. I would disagree. The reason for this is because, “There is never a celebration of the Mass in which the Bible is not read.”1 Most Catholics can tell you what happens in the Bible because each celebration of Mass on Sunday has three readings from Scripture. We just may not know exactly what chapter and verse the Scripture is taken from.
Outside the Easter Season, the First Reading is always taken from the Old Testament.
Additionally, if we listen carefully, we will see that “every Sunday’s First Reading and Gospel have some connection.”2 This means that the First Reading should help to shed light on the Gospel and bring us to a better understanding of it. This connection may not always be clear, but it is there, if we only look for it.
During the Easter Season, the First Reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles to tell us about the early Church. “The Acts of the Apostles makes it clear that all Jesus did, He now has empowered His Church to do.”3 Whether taken from the Old Testament or the Acts of the Apostles, the First Reading ends with the proclamation, “The word of the Lord.” We respond “Thanks be to God.” This “is a response to God’s love for us.”4 We are giving thanks to God for giving us His word preserved throughout the ages by the Holy Spirit.
Next comes the Responsorial Psalm. This response is taken from the book of Psalms, the
majority of which were written by King David. Even though the Psalms were written well before the time of Jesus, they can often be read in light of his suffering and death.5 The Psalm is our chance to reflect on and respond to the First Reading.
On Sundays, after the Psalm comes the Second Reading. This reading always comes from the New Testament. “Unlike the First Reading and Responsorial Psalm, it is not in concert with the Gospel Reading each Sunday, but rather is a continuation of the previous Sunday’s Reading.”6 This means that the meaning of the Second Reading may not be directly connected to the meaning of the Gospel. However, it does give us an opportunity to hear from the New Testament in a sequential manner.
The Gospel Acclamation comes next. This takes the form of an “Alleluia” except during Lent. Alleluia means “Praise the Lord!” It is our chance to recognize God’s greatness for His words to us and to prepare for the high point of the Liturgy of the word – the Gospel. During Lent, the Alleluia is replaced with a different acclamation in order to draw our attention to our need for salvation and the coming of Easter.
The Gospel is then proclaimed. “We stand to ‘acknowledge and confess Christ present and speaking’ to us.”7 The word Gospel means “good news.” This is in reference to the good news of Jesus Christ that we are about to hear. The priest or deacon begins by saying, “The Lord be with you” and then announcing what Gospel is to be proclaimed. We respond by saying “Glory to you, O Lord.” At this point, all present should make the sign of the cross over their forehead, lips, and hearts. We should then call to mind “May the Lord purify my understanding, my speech, and my heart, so that I may receive the words of the Gospel” or a similar statement as we sign ourselves. We then “Listen to the Gospel to see how Jesus has revealed God perfectly to us.”8 At the end, we once again proclaim God’s glory in our response.
Join me next week as we finish looking at the Liturgy of the Word and begin our study of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
1-4,6-8 Dubriel, Michael. The How-To Book of the Mass. Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 2006.
5 See Psalm 22 in light of the life of Christ.