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BIBLICAL READINGS IN THE MASS
BIBLICAL READINGS IN THE MASS You have the bible in your hands. With the help of this perpetual liturgical calendar you will be able to use this bible as a Missal. The Sunday Readings are in three cycles: A, B, C. Sundays also have three readings: the first reading is from the Old Testament, the second is ordinarily from one of the Epistles or Letters of the New Testament. In the three-year cycle almost all the Letters are read. The third reading is the Gospel. There is an “Evangelist of the Year” – Matthew is read on cycle A, Mark on cycle B, and Luke on cycle C. The gospel of John comes at various times in each liturgical year: on Advent and Lent Sundays and in some readings of cycle B year. Weekly Masses have two readings: the first from the Old or New Testament and the Gospel. The first reading during ordinary weeks of the year (see chart below) is arranged in a two-year cycle. Series “I” is for the odd years (1999, 2001, 2003, etc.) and series “II” is for even years (2000, 2002, 2004, etc.). The readings for weekdays are arranged semi-continuously or thematically depending on the presence of a theme for a particular season.
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The Liturgical Cycle
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