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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Cardinal Ranjith on “Active Participation”
    From 2005–2009, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith served as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He was considered ‘papabile’ during the last conclave. On 8 December 2008, he wrote this powerful statement concerning Gregorian Chant, participatio actuosa, celebration “ad orientem,” and other subjects.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 22nd in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 31 August 2025, which is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “The Worm That Dieth Not”
    My pastor asked me to write a column for our parish bulletin with reflections on the sacred liturgy and church music. In my most recent article, I discuss “The Worm That Dieth Not.” At this website, you can access it conveniently; simply scroll down to the one dated 31 August 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“It is the same Church which has introduced the vernacular into the sacred liturgy for pastoral reasons, that is, for the sake of people who do not know Latin, which gives you the mandate of preserving the age-old solemnity, beauty and dignity of the choral office, in regard both to language, and to the chant.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (15 August 1966)

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