The Lessons

Following The Collect of the Day come The Lessons, readings from Holy Scripture: The Hebrew Bible, The Epistles and other Christian Testament writings, and The Gospels. There are readings appointed for each Sunday and major feast which may or may not fall on a Sunday like Christmas, The Day of Epiphany and The Ascension. The readings from The Hebrew Bible (or in Easter Season the Book of the Acts of the Apostles) are of two sorts: readings chosen because they have some connection with the Gospel reading like a prefiguring of Jesus (i.e. the kingship of David) or a topic which Jesus addresses in the Gospel reading (i.e. bad shepherds versus good shepherds); or the Hebrew Bible readings may be read “in course,” a continuous reading of certain sections like the Saga of Abraham, the story of Joseph, and the writings of particular prophets. This “reading incourse in The Lectionary (as this list of ‘proper’ readings is called) recognizes the dignity and integrity of the Hebrew Bible is its own right. That is, the writings of The Older Testament have a power and beauty of their own and not just as “supporting actors” in the story of God’s redemption of Creation. According this dignity to The Hebrew Bible recognizes, among other things, that when “The Scriptures” are referred to in these very Scriptures, it is, with extremely few exceptions, the Hebrew Bible that is being referred to. The Hebrew Bible is the only Bible Jesus and Paul knew. The readings are in a three year cycle that we call Years A, B and C, generally containing, in this order, Matthew, Mark and Luke. The Gospel of John is interwoven among the three years’ readings and is especially prominent during Lent.