how much of the bible is read throughout the course of the lectionary

by Jayson Welch Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 7 min read

Sunday Masses use a three-year cycle of readings, whereas daily Masses use a two-year cycle. It has been reported by Fr. Felix Just, S.J., that the Sunday and weekday Lectionaries contain: 13.5 percent of the Old Testament (not counting the Psalms)

I bet if you ask around you'll hear that many Catholics think the lectionary includes the whole Bible. To be fair, these numbers do get a bit higher if you include the complete lectionary (with weekdays). The total coverage of the Old Testament is ~14% (again excluding Psalms) and for the New Testament it is ~72%.Oct 27, 2018

Full Answer

How much of the New Testament is in the lectionary?

It has been reported by Fr. Felix Just, S.J., that the Sunday and weekday Lectionaries contain: 13.5 percent of the Old Testament (not counting the Psalms) 54.9 percent of the non-Gospel New Testament. 89.8 percent of the Gospels. 71.5 percent of the entire New Testament.

What are the lections in the Bible?

Answer (1 of 2): The common Sunday lectionary covers almost all of the four Gospels and about 20% of the Protestant Bible overall in the course of three years. The percentage is somewhat lower if you include the Deuterocanonical books in the …

What are the years in the lectionaries?

The DO Lectionary, over a two year period, reads from almost every book in the canon (except most of the Deuterocanon and 1/2 Chron as stayhungrystayfree mentioned), but that doesn't mean it covers 100% of the Bible. Verses and passages are left out. According to this enterprising blogger,, the percentages work out like this:

Do all Christian churches use the same lectionary?

During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. ... "During the fasting month of Ramadan, the entire Qu'ran is read over the course of the month ...

Does the Catholic lectionary cover the whole Bible?

Such is the length of the Scriptural canon that no Sunday lectionary can cover the whole of Scripture without the necessity of very long readings on a Sunday or a longer cycle of years. Sometimes there has to be a choice between telling a long story or omitting it entirely.

What version of the Bible does the lectionary use?

In the USA – the New American Bible (NAB)

Though there is a newer version of the NAB (called the NAB-RE), the American Lectionary still uses a modified version of this translation. It is produced by America's Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.Nov 18, 2018

Where do the readings in the lectionary come from?

lectionary, in Christianity, a book containing portions of the Bible appointed to be read on particular days of the year. The word is also used for the list of such Scripture lessons. The early Christians adopted the Jewish custom of reading extracts from the Old Testament on the Sabbath.

Which Bible is read at Catholic Mass?

U.S. Catholic Church Rolls Out New Bible Translation The New American Bible, Revised Edition is the first new Catholic Bible in 40 years. The new version updates many Old Testament passages based on newly translated manuscripts discovered in the past 50 years.Mar 6, 2011

Who reads the lectionary?

The one-year Jewish lectionary reads the entirety of the Torah within the space of a year and may have begun in the Babylonian Jewish community; the three-year Jewish lectionary seems to trace its origin to the Jewish community in and around the Holy Land.

What is the liturgical year for 2021?

2020-2021 is liturgical year B. The feast days of saints celebrated in one country are not necessarily celebrated everywhere. For example, a diocese or a country may celebrate the feast day of a saint of special importance there (e.g., St.

What churches use the lectionary?

It is the official lectionary of the United Methodist Church, Presbyterians, United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ. Because of its general adoption by the ELCA, the RCL is currently the most widely used lectionary in American Lutheran churches (Just look which reading is listed first in your AAL calendar).

What does proper mean in the lectionary?

The proper (Latin: proprium) is a part of the Christian liturgy that varies according to the date, either representing an observance within the liturgical year, or of a particular saint or significant event.

What liturgical cycle year is 2022?

2021-2022 is liturgical year C. The feast days of saints celebrated in one country are not necessarily celebrated everywhere. For example, a diocese or a country may celebrate the feast day of a saint of special importance there (e.g., St. Patrick in Ireland, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, St.

What does NRSV stand for?

New Revised Standard Version

The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1989 by the National Council of Churches.

Do Catholics use the King James Bible?

The King James Bible for Catholics is a near replica of the 1611 edition of the King James Bible (Authorized Version) which has been updated to reflect the order of books and text found in the Catholic Bible.

Is the Catholic Bible different?

Bibles used by Catholics differ in the number and order of books from those typically found in bibles used by Protestants, as Catholic bibles retain in their canon seven books that are regarded as non-canonical in Protestantism (though regarding them as non-canonical, many Protestant Bibles traditionally include these ...

What is the lection of the Bible?

During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles.

When was the Common Lectionary published?

The Revised Common Lectionary, first published in 1992, derives from The Common Lectionary of 1983, both based on the Ordo Lectionem Missae of 1969, a post-Vatican II ground-breaking revision of the Roman Lectionary. "The post-Vatican II Roman Lectionary represented a profound break with the past.

What is the Revised Common Lectionary?

The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days.

What is the Consultation on Common Texts?

The Consultation on Common Texts understood that to bring the Revised Common Lectionary to common acceptance across the community of Christian faith, the commonality would need to include some flexibility. The most significant number of options occurs during the Season after Pentecost.

How many sets of Hebrew Bible readings are there?

During Ordinary Time, there are two sets of Hebrew Bible readings. One set progresses semi-continuously through the Patriarchal/Exodus narratives (Year A), the Monarchial narratives (Year B), and the Prophets (Year C). The other set is related thematically to the gospel lections for those dates.

Does the Roman lectionary use the Old Testament?

Following the liturgical tradition of the Ambrosian and Hispanic rites in the West and also that of the majority of the Churches in the East, the Roman lectionary of 1969 does not use the Old Testament during the Great Fifty Days from Easter to Pentecost.

Can you read the Passion narrative on Sunday?

For some churches, the length of the Passion narrative is problematic for Sunday worship, or the churches choose to read the Passion narrative at a special service before Easter. Some churches choose to read both, celebrating Palm Sunday but also reading the Passion narrative in lieu of a sermon .

How many lectionaries are there in the Bible?

It is a nice discipline, but it is not exactly the same as reading the Bible through in a year. There are two lectionaries at play. The Revised Common Lectionary, or rather a slightly modified version of it, which is a 3-year cycle, and 2-year weekday lectionary. Of course, the lectionary does change sometimes.

How many years is the Catholic lectionary?

The Revised Common Lectionary, or rather a slightly modified version of it, which is a 3-year cycle, and 2-year weekday lectionary. Of course, the lectionary does change sometimes. The Catholic lectionary being used today is not the same as the one in use prior to the 1970s.

How many years is the Revised Common Lectionary?

The Revised Common Lectionary (by far the most common, used by Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, and others) is a three year cycle, and if you attend every Sunday, you are guaranteed to hear selections from every book of the canon, but not necessarily the entirety of each book.

Does the Catholic lectionary change?

Of course, the lectionary does change sometimes. The Catholic lectionary being used today is not the same as the one in use prior to the 1970s. There are also some slight differences between American and Canadian lectionaries, etc.

Do we read from the Bible at Mass?

Readings from Scripture are part of every Mass. At least two readings, one always from the Gospels, (3 on Sundays and solemnities) make up the Liturgy of the Word. In addition, a psalm or canticle is sung.

How is the Lectionary arranged?

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

Is the New American Bible the only translation of Scriptures we can read from at Mass?

Since May 19, 2002, the revised Lectionary, based on the New American Bible is the only English-language Lectionary that may be used at Mass in the dioceses of the United States, except for the current Lectionary for Masses with Children which remains in use.

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What is a lectionary book?

A lectionary ( Latin: lectionarium) is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion. There are sub-types such as a "gospel lectionary" or evangeliary, and an epistolary with the readings from the New Testament Epistles .

How long is the Eastern lectionary?

In the Eastern Churches ( Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, the Assyrian Church of the East, Ancient Church of the East, and those bodies not in communion with any of them but still practicing eastern liturgical customs) tend to retain the use of a one-year lectionary in their liturgy.

Where did the Jewish lectionary originate?

The one-year Jewish lectionary reads the entirety of the Torah within the space of a year and may have begun in the Babylonian Jewish community; the three-year Jewish lectionary seems to trace its origin to the Jewish community in and around the Holy Land .

Why did the Roman Rite use a one year lectionary?

The reason to these limited selections is to maintain consistency, as is a true feature in the Roman Rite.

What is a weekday lectionary?

The weekday lectionary includes a reading from the Old Testament, Acts, Revelation, or the Epistles; a responsorial Psalm; and a reading from one of the Gospels. These readings are generally shorter than those appointed for use on Sundays. The pericopes for the first reading along with the psalms are arranged in a two-year cycle.

Who is the lectionary carried in?

In some churches, the lectionary is carried in the entrance procession by a lector. In the Catholic Church, the Book of the Gospels is carried in by a deacon (when there is no deacon, a lector might process in with the Book of the Gospels).

What is the oldest Christian lectionary?

Most Eastern lectionaries provide for an epistle and a Gospel to be read on each day. The oldest known complete Christian Lectionary is in the Caucasian Albanian language . An example of Byzantine lectionary — Codex Harleianus ( l150 ), AD 995, text of John 1:18.