Have you ever wanted to learn more about the Bible? We’re putting together a series of pages to help. We’ve organized the material around the readings we hear at Mass. This is a work in progress, so please send us your feedback. Thank you!
From the US Conference of Catholic Bishops: “A Lectionary is composed of the readings and the responsorial psalm assigned for each Mass of the year (Sundays, weekdays, special occasions). The readings are divided by the day or the theme (baptism, marriage, vocations, etc.) rather than according to the books of the Bible. Introductions and conclusion have been added to each reading. Not all of the Bible is included in the Lectionary.”
In the late 1960s as part of the reforms of Vatican II, the Lectionary was reorganized into multi-year cycles so that the faithful would hear a larger sampling of passages from the Bible proclaimed at Mass.
To learn more about the Lectionary, visit the USCCB’s page on Liturgy.
Sunday
The Sunday cycle covers Masses offered on Saturdays after 4 pm and all Masses offered on Sundays. This cycle is divided into three years, Year A, Year B and Year C. We are currently in Year B.
The Daily cycle covers all Masses on Mondays through Fridays, plus Masses on Saturdays before 4 pm. This cycle is divided into two years, Year I and Year II. During the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, the readings are the same in both years. In the 34 weeks of Ordinary Time, the first reading and the response are different in Years I and II, while the gospel readings are the same in both years. We are currently in Year I.
The weekday cycle is divided into two years, Year I and Year II. Year I is read in odd-numbered years and Year II is used in even-numbered years. The Gospels for both years are the same. During the year, the Gospels are read semi-continuously, beginning with Mark, then moving on to Matthew and Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season. For Advent, Christmas, and Lent, readings are chosen that are appropriate to the season. The first reading on weekdays may be taken from the Old or the New Testament. Typically, a single book is read semi-continuously (i.e., some passages are not read) until it is finished and then a new book is started.