The Gospel and the Gospels

MODULE 2: THE READINGS AT MASS

SCHOOL OF THE WORD

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WELCOME

• The School of the Word

• Initiative of Dublin diocese

• Adult faith formation

• Return to the person and message of Jesus

• By means of a return to the sources, especially the Bible, both Old and New Testaments

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OVERALL PLAN

• Part 1: the Gospel and the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

• Part 2: Jewish Bible in Christian worship (the “Old Testament)

• Part 3: The early church (Paul, John, Acts, Revelation)

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PART 1

Module 1: The current context of faith

Module 2: The readings at Mass

Module 3: What is a gospel?

Module 4: The Gospel of the current year

Module 5: Mark’s portrait of Jesus

Module 6: Discipleship according to Mark

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SEQUENCE

• Your experience of the Sunday Readings

• Before Vatican II

• Vatican II: The Table of the Word and the Table of the Eucharist

• Lay-out of the “new” lectionary

• Ordinary Time in the new lectionary

• Seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Pentecost)

• Conversation

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EXPERIENCE: NEXT 3 SUNDAYS

Jan 22 Jan 29 Feb 5

Old Testament Jonah 3:1-5, 10Repent!

Deut 18:15-20Prophet like Moses

Job 7:1-4, 6-7Human condition

PsalmPs 25 (24)Teach me your ways

Ps 95 (94)Listen to his voice

Ps 147 (146)He heals the humble

New Testament 1Cor 7:29-31Time growing short

1Cor 7:32-35Celibacy

1Cor 9:16-19, 22-23Free of charge!

Gospel Mk 1:14-20Repent!

Mk 1:21-28Exorcism

Mk 1:29-39Healing and prayer

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EXPERIENCE

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EXPERIENCE

• Your experience as a listener?

• Your experience as a reader?

• Your experience of the homily?

• Questions which arise as a result

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BEFORE AND AFTER VATICAN II

The Bible before Vatican II

The “rediscovery” of the Word

The Bible after Vatican II

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BEFORE VATICAN II

• One-year lectionary: Epistle and Gospel

• All in Latin (Gospel sometimes in English)

After Pentecost Epistle Gospel

Fourteenth Gal 5:16-24 Mt 6:24-33

Fifteenth Gal 6:1-10 Lk 7:11-16

Sixteenth Eph 3:13-21 Lk 14:1-122

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BEFORE VATICAN II (1963-65)

Matthew Mark Luke John

Sundays 21 3 18 12

Feasts 5 1 3 8

Total 26 4 21 20

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VATICAN II

The treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In this way a more representative portion of the holy scriptures will be read to the people in the course of a prescribed number of years.

Vatican II

Constitution on the Liturgy 51

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VATICAN II

• Rediscovery of Liturgy and the Bible

• Ecumenical relationships

• XXth century: the post-war world

• A new vision of church in the world

• The Table of Eucharist

• The Table of the Word

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AFTER VATICAN II

Sundays and Feasts Pre Vatican II Post Vatican II

OT (minus Psalms) 250 vv. 1% 832 vv. 3.7%

NT (minus Gospels) 461 11% 1063 vv. 25.4%%

Gospels 848 22.4% 2184 57.8%

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AFTER VATICAN II

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LAYOUT: ORDINARY TIME

• A three-year cycle: a Gospel per year

• Matthew, Mark, and Luke (2013)

• Continuous reading, story after story

• What about John?

o Christmas, Lent and Easter

o In the year of Mark: John 6 (summer)

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LAYOUT: ORDINARY TIME

• The Gospel sets the theme

• In preparation, the First Reading (usually OT)

• In response, the psalm “voices” our reception

• The Second Reading is continuous reading from the Acts or a letter (thematically unconnected).

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LAYOUT: ORDINARY TIME

FOR EXAMPLE YEAR OF Luke (2013)

Advent 1: Mk13; Advent 2: Mk 1.

Sundays 3-7: Mark 1-2

Lent: Mk 1, Mk 9, (Jn 2), (Jn 3), (Jn 12), Mk 14-15

Easter Sunday: Mk 16; Ascension: Mk 16

Corpus Christi: Mk 14

Sunday 11-16 Mk 4-6

Sunday 17-21: John 6

Sunday 22-33 : Mk 7-13

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LAYOUT: ORDINARY TIME

Mark Sundays Feasts

1-2 Sundays 3-7+ Advent 2 (1), Baptism (1), Lent 1 (1)

4-6 Sundays 11-16

7-13 Sundays 22-33 + Advent 1 (13), Lent 2 (9)

14-15 Palm Sunday + Corpus Christi (14)

16 Easter Sunday + Ascension (16)

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LAYOUT: THE FESTIVE SEASONS

• All three readings are on the same theme

• The Gospels are chosen topically

• Even the Gospel is not read consecutively

• The Second Reading is also not consecutive

• A good example might be Lent in Year B (2012)

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LAYOUT: LENT 2012

Old Testament Psalm New Testament Gospel

Lent 1 Covenant with Noah (Gen 9)

He guides the humble (Ps 24)

Noah read as baptism (1Pet 3)

Good News (Mark 1)

Lent 2 Sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22)

I trusted (Ps 116) God gave up his Son (Rom 8)

This is my Son (Mk 9)

Lent 3 The Ten Words (Ex 20)

God’s law is perfect (Ps 19)

God’s wisdom in Christ (1Cor 1)

Temple Action (Jn 2)

Lent 4 The Exile (1 Chron 36)

Babylon (Ps 137) God’s gift in Christ (Eph 2)

God loved the world (Jn 3)

Lent 5 New Covenant (Jer 31)

A pure heart (Ps 51)

Jesus learned to obey (Heb 5)

I shall draw all to myself (Jn 12)

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LAYOUT OF THE LECTIONARY

• The challenge of the lectionary to the faithful

• The challenge of the preacher!

• Pluses and minuses of the lectionary

• The Revised Common Lectionary

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TASK FOR THE NEXT DAY

• Read through all of Mark

o Only 16 chapters

o About 75 minutes

• Would be great in a group

• Write down anything you noticed

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CONVERSATION