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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

The Lectionary for Mass

Fr. David Friel · November 29, 2011

Along with the Roman Missal, the other book necessary for the proper celebration of Holy Mass is the Lectionary. The recent translation changes that began with Advent this year affect only the Missal, not the Lectionary. But the Lectionary, also, can cause its share of confusion when some of its fundamentals aren’t understood.

For starters, the readings are in two major cycles. The first cycle consists of readings for Sunday Mass, broken into Years A, B, & C. The second cycle is for weekday readings, and they are classified as Years I & II. In addition to these two major cycles, there is a section of Common readings provided for various celebrations and feast days (e.g., dedication of a church, feasts of martyrs, etc.), as well as a volume of readings for ritual Masses (e.g., weddings, funerals, confirmation, etc.).

So, which readings get read when? It might be helpful first to understand the structure of the different types of liturgical celebrations:

1. Solemnities: all Sundays & celebrations of major mysteries of faith and occasions of highest local importance (e.g., Christ the King, Immaculate Conception, feast of parish patron, etc.)
2. Feasts: celebrations of Our Lord, Our Lady, or the saints that are of particular importance, but not such importance as solemnities (e.g., Transfiguration, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Lawrence, etc.)
3. Memorials: celebrations of the saints that do not rise to the significance of feasts or solemnities (e.g., St. Isaac Jogues, St. Rose of Lima, St. John Neumann); the celebration of some memorials is obligatory, while for others it is optional
4. Ferial Days: celebrations in which no specific mystery, title, or saint is celebrated (e.g., Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Advent)

By and large, the readings for Sunday Masses and other solemnities are “proper” and not to be replaced by other readings. Exceptions to this are very rare. Readings for feasts, similarly, are often proper. On the contrary, very few memorials have proper readings (e.g., the Gospel of Martha & Mary on the memorial of St. Martha, the Gospel of the crucifixion on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, etc.). It is permissible to use readings from the Common of Martyrs/Pastors/Doctors/Virgins/Holy Men on memorials, but most priests will not choose to do so.

Instead, most priests will use the readings from the daily cycle (either year I or II, appropriately) for memorials and ferial days. The primary reason for this is that the daily cycle contains continuous readings of books of the Bible. The fewer interruptions to this continuous reading, most liturgists would say, the better and more cohesive the liturgy becomes.

So, with weekday readings, there is a greater degree of latitude. A priest could choose to use special readings for a votive Mass, or the readings of the day, or readings from the Common appropriate to a particular saint. At all times, these choices are to be made not simply out of deference to the convenience or devotion of the priest, but in favor of the good of the people of God.

If you find the Lectionary & and the choice of readings for Mass confusing, you are not alone. But we can be confident in our mother, the Church, for she always provides us with an abundance of rich nourishment through the Word of God.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF example) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“When we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.”

— C. S. Lewis

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