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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

    2-Voice Arr. • “Creator of the Starry Height”
    Do you direct a choir consisting of women or children only? (Some call this a “treble” choir.) Download a two-voice arrangement of Creator of the Starry Height set to the tune of IOANNES by clicking here and then scrolling to the bottom. In our times, this hymn is normally used during ADVENT, and the Latin title is: Cónditor alme síderum. It’s important to say “cónditor”—placing the accent on the antepenult—because ‘condítor’ in Latin means “one who embalms the dead.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Equal Voices” Choir Pieces
    My colleague, CORRINNE MAY, has posted some delightful compositions for equal voices: that is, choirs consisting of all men or all women. Included there are settings of the “Ave Maria” and “Tantum Ergo.” They strike me as relatively simple and not excessively lengthy. (In other words, within reach of volunteer singers.) Even better, all the scores have been made available as instant PDF downloads, completely free of charge. Bravo!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Typo in the “Missale Romanum” (1962)
    The 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM was a transitional missal. It was on its way to becoming the 1970 version, but wasn’t there yet. It eliminated certain duplications, downplayed the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, expanded the role of laymen, minimized the Last Gospel, made many items optional, and so forth. Father Valentine Young spotted many typos in the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, especially incorrect accents. The Offertory Antiphon for this coming Sunday (OF kalendar) contains an error, citing the wrong verse from Psalm 118. It should be 118:107b, not 118:154. If you read verse 154, you’ll understand how that error crept in. [In this particular case, the error pre-dates the 1962 Missal, since the 1940s hand-missal by Father Lasance also gets it wrong.]
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “Our Father” • Musical Setting?
    Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

Random Quote

“We decided to entrust this work to learned men of our selection. They very carefully collated all their work with the ancient codices in Our Vatican Library and with reliable, preserved or emended codices from elsewhere. Besides this, these men consulted the works of ancient and approved authors concerning the same sacred rites; and thus they have restored the Missal itself to the original form and rite of the holy Fathers.”

— ‘Pope St. Pius V (Quo Primum, 1570)’

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