Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation
ROME, MARCH 9, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Related to the question as to the use of the Eucharistic Prayers for Masses of Reconciliation (Feb. 23), a reader had inquired about the different cycles of readings:
"My question is: When in one of the three year Sunday readings cycles (A, B and C) are priests allowed to substitute a different year's readings for the current year at Sunday Mass? This was done in two parishes near me recently (Fourth Sunday in Lent) on the basis that there were RCIA candidates being initiated into the Church at Easter and that a different year's readings were deemed more relevant to the reception/preparation of the candidates. If there are initiations every year at Easter (as seems to be the case in at least one of the parishes), it would seem to me that these parishes might never have the readings of the omitted year. Are there any rules about swapping around the Sunday readings?"
This might effectively be the case. The introduction to the lectionary specifically mentions this possibility. To wit:
"97. The Gospel readings are arranged as follows:
"The first and second Sundays [of Lent ndr] maintain the accounts of the Temptation and Transfiguration of the Lord, with readings, however, from all three Synoptics.
"On the next three Sundays, the Gospels about the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus have been restored in Year A. Because these Gospels are of major importance in regard to Christian initiation, they may also be read in Year B and Year C, especially in places where there are catechumens."
Thus, a parish that has catechumens every year might never use the Lenten readings from cycles B and C, at least at those Masses attended by the elect. This might be a small disadvantage, but I believe it is far outweighed by the privilege of being able to receive new members into the Church every Easter season.
Related to the question as to the use of the Eucharistic Prayers for Masses of Reconciliation (Feb. 23), a reader had inquired about the different cycles of readings:
"My question is: When in one of the three year Sunday readings cycles (A, B and C) are priests allowed to substitute a different year's readings for the current year at Sunday Mass? This was done in two parishes near me recently (Fourth Sunday in Lent) on the basis that there were RCIA candidates being initiated into the Church at Easter and that a different year's readings were deemed more relevant to the reception/preparation of the candidates. If there are initiations every year at Easter (as seems to be the case in at least one of the parishes), it would seem to me that these parishes might never have the readings of the omitted year. Are there any rules about swapping around the Sunday readings?"
This might effectively be the case. The introduction to the lectionary specifically mentions this possibility. To wit:
"97. The Gospel readings are arranged as follows:
"The first and second Sundays [of Lent ndr] maintain the accounts of the Temptation and Transfiguration of the Lord, with readings, however, from all three Synoptics.
"On the next three Sundays, the Gospels about the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus have been restored in Year A. Because these Gospels are of major importance in regard to Christian initiation, they may also be read in Year B and Year C, especially in places where there are catechumens."
Thus, a parish that has catechumens every year might never use the Lenten readings from cycles B and C, at least at those Masses attended by the elect. This might be a small disadvantage, but I believe it is far outweighed by the privilege of being able to receive new members into the Church every Easter season.
posted by Chipi Buenafe at
2:51 PM
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