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The Catholic Telegraph
November 19, 1999The series of articles that will begin next week in The Catholic Telegraph consists of short commentaries on the second readings that we hear at Mass on Sundays. These readings are almost all from the writings of the apostles in the New Testament, most of which are in letter form. They are important for the nourishment of our faith life, but they are often overlooked or disregarded.
The Second Vatican Council called for a reform of the Sunday readings. Before the Council, there were only two readings at each Mass, an epistle reading and a gospel reading, and there was only one set of readings which was unvaried from year to year. The Council fathers determined that there should be "more reading from holy Scripture," and that it was to be "more varied and suitable." (S.C. 35) They wanted the treasures of the Bible "to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s word." (S.C. 51) A more representative portion of the holy Scriptures was to be read to the people over a set cycle of years. (ibid.)
The result of the Council’s mandate was the Lectionary, whose first Latin edition was published in 1969. A revised edition appeared in 1981. The purpose of the Lectionary was "to draw up and edit a single, rich, and full Order of Readings that would be in complete accord with the intent and prescriptions of the Council." (Introduction to Second Edition, no. 59) The Lectionary offers "an arrangement of biblical readings that provides the faithful with a knowledge of the whole of God’s word." (ibid. 60) There was now a three year cycle with three readings for each Sunday. The first reading is generally from the Old Testament, the second from the writings of the apostles (usually letters), the third from the gospels.
The Lectionary with its three year Sunday cycle has been one of the great successes of the post-conciliar Church. The faithful are exposed to a much wider selection of Scripture and those who preach have a much richer source with which to work. Everybody has reason to be grateful for it.
Yet the Lectionary has not yet been fully exploited. Most preachers seem to prefer to concentrate on the gospel readings, bringing in allusions to the first and second readings as they see fit. Generally (though not always) the Old Testament reading has been chosen for its relationship with the gospel, but much of the time the second reading, from the apostles, has not. It seems to be rare for a preacher to give his major attention - or any attention at all - to the second reading. This is unfortunate because the writings of the apostles have much to teach us, much to say about the circumstances and needs of our contemporary church. They are not just relics of the past, but offer life-giving wisdom for the present.
The selection and arrangement of the apostolic writings is not uniform. Sometimes (e.g., during Advent and on solemnities) the second reading is chosen for its connection with the theme of the day. But more often these readings are in a cycle of their own and are arranged in a more or less continuous reading of the various apostolic letters, independent of the other two readings, with the result that, over a period of a few weeks, we hear the highlights of one single epistle.
My intent in this series of reflections is to focus on the second readings in the hope of clarifying their relationship with the other readings, where this is applicable, and of communicating the significance of the letters as a whole when they are read semi-continuously and without reference to the other readings. It is my hope that these reflection may be helpful to Scripture groups and prayer groups as well as to those who exercise the responsibility of preaching. Ultimately, I hope that they may prove helpful to all those to whom these apostolic letters are addressed, that is, to all and each of us. Maybe we will get to know the apostles better, learn more about what they have to communicate to us, and have a richer experience on Sunday when we hear their words proclaimed in the liturgy.
I plan to say something about the context of each reading - how each fits in to the liturgy and/or to the letter of which it forms a part. I want to say something about the content - what the selection says and means, and then something about its consequences - how it applies to us. Finally there will be conversation questions - subjects for conversation with God or with other readers of the live letters.
I believe that the best way for the reader to engage these reflections is to read the reading in your Bible or worship aid first, then to read and consider what is offered here, and then to pay special attention to the reading at the Sunday liturgy. (Note that the translation of the New Testament used in the Second Edition of the Lectionary is a modified version of the Revised New American Bible.)
I have chosen to entitle the series Live Letters to contrast the readings that form their subject from dead letters. Dead letters are letters that the post office cannot deliver because their addressees are not known and there is no indication of where they come from. We know to whom these "live" letters are addressed: to us. And we know where they come from: from the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the apostles of the Lord. They are not dead letters!
But there is another reason for the title. We speak of "dead letter" as something that is still officially on the books, but really doesn’t have any force any more. By contrast, the letters that Scripture offers us are still very much alive and offer nourishment and challenge to all who receive them.
May God bless this undertaking on my part and on yours and deepen our life in the Lord through our contact with the live letters of His apostles.
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