The Gospel Reading

       The climax of the Liturgy of the Word comes with the proclamation of the Gospel. Everything tells us that something important is happening. We stand. We sing special acclamations. Servers with candles and sometimes incense lead the deacon or priest to the ambo, where the reading is proclaimed from a special book.

       All of the readings are important, but the liturgy directs special attention to the Gospel for a reason. “[A]mong all the inspired writings, even among those of the New Testament, the Gospels have a special place, and rightly so, because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Saviour” (Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation of the Second Vatican Council, 18). In the Gospels, the narrative of Christ’s saving life, death, and resurrection continues to be proclaimed in our midst.

Our Sunday Lectionary is structured so as to allow us to hear as much of the Gospels as possible. The readings are arranged in a three-year cycle. In Year A, the Gospel readings are taken mainly from Matthew; in Year B, from Mark and John; and in Year C, from Luke. In this way, over the course of three years, we hear a substantial portion of all four Gospels.