Liturgy and Scripture

As the Second Vatican Council teaches, “the Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures as she has venerated the Lord’s body, in that she never ceases, above all in the sacred liturgy, to partake of the bread of life and to offer it to the faithful from the one table of the word of God and the body of Christ” (Dei Verbum, 21).

The word of God is in no way less than the Body of Christ; nor should it be received less worthily. 

I ask you, brothers or sisters, tell me:  which to you seems the greater, the word of God, or the Body of Christ?  If you wish to say what is true you will have to answer that the word of God is not less than the Body of Christ.

Therefore just as when the Body of Christ is administered to us, what care do we not use so that nothing of it falls from our hands to the ground, so should we with equal care see that the word of God which is being imparted to us shall not be lost to our soul, while we speak or think of something else. 

For he who listens carelessly to the word of God is not less guilty than he who through his own inattention suffers the Body of Christ to fall to the ground.

St Caesarius of Arles (469-541) Sermo 300

Lectionary for Mass

Resources for the new publication of Lectionary for Mass.

Sunday of the Word of God

Pope Francis has issued a ‘Motu Proprio” instituting the Sunday of the Word of God. It will be marked each year on the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time.

The Holy Father had proposed the idea at the conclusion of the Year of Mercy when he wrote: a Sunday given over entirely to the word of God, so as to appreciate the inexhaustible riches contained in that constant dialogue between the Lord and his people.

The document provides a summary of the Church’s teaching on Scripture and the place of Scripture within the Liturgy. It suggests a number of ways that the day might be marked. (See News page for more information.)

• Motu Propro, Aperuit illis (pdf)
• 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The God who Speaks

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has an ongoing project in collaboration with the Bible Society on the Bible and ‘The God Who Speaks’.

• Further details about The God who Speaks.

The Gift of Scripture

The Bishops of England and Wales, and of Scotland, have prepared a teaching document, The Gift of Scripture, in which the teaching of Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation of the Second Vatican Council, and subsequent Church documents are explained. What the Catholic Church has to say about the Holy Scriptures builds on ancient insights as well as utilising modern understandings. This document is offered to Catholics, to other Christians, and to all who value the 'gift of Scripture', so that we may be more richly nourished at 'the table of God's word'.

Liturgy Office Resources for The Gift of Scripture

• Opening the Gift of Scripture (pdf)
  material for Deanery Meetings
  • Leader's notes (pdf)
• Preaching the Word (pdf)
  Reflections on preaching drawn from The Gift of Scripture
• Celebrating the Word (pdf)
  Preparing a liturgy of the word
• Praying the Word (pdf)
  Lectio Divina and the Sunday Scriptures
• Sharing the Word (pdf)
  Lectionary based Catechesis
  (This is an 8 page A5 booklet so the pdf will need to be copied 'back to back' and folded.)
• Proclaiming the Word (pdf)
  Guidelines for Ministering the Word at Sunday Mass
  (This is an 8 page A5 booklet so the pdf will need to be copied 'back to back' and folded.)
• Ministers of the Word (pdf)
  Guidelines prepared by the Liturgy Office

Further Liturgy Office Resources

• Statement on the Name of God
• Order of Celebrating Matrimony
  • Lectionary Readings
• Order of Christian Funerals
  • Lectionary Readings
• In Communion with Christ
  A preaching resource for Mass
• Opportunities and Challenges
  The Liturgy of the Word
  • Participating in the Liturgy of the Word (pdf)
  • Preparing a reading (pdf)
  • Preparing a homily (pdf)
  • Preparing the Prayer of the Faithful (pdf)
• Ministry Leaflets
  • Deacons (pdf)
  • Liturgical Preaching and Catechesis (pdf)
  • Readers and the Ministry at Mass (pdf)
  • Ministry of Reader — Children (pdf)
• Deanery Meetings
  • MInistering the Word (pdf)
• Common Responsorial Psalms (pdf)

Other Resources

• Dei Verbum
  Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation
• Lectionary for Mass
  • Introduction (pdf)
  • Scripture versions approved for Liturgical Use
• Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church
  40th Anniversary of Dei Verbum
  Rome, September 14–18, 2005
  • Articles from Bulletin Dei Verbum
• Pontifical Biblical Commission
  • Interpretation of the Bible in the Church
• Catholic Biblical Federation
  • Biblical Pastoral Ministry: Methods and Approaches
• Fulfilled in your Hearing
  The Homily in the Sunday Assembly — a document of the United States Conference of Catholc Bishops
• Living and Sharing our Faith — The National Project, published by Matthew James
  • Gift of Scripture unwrapped — for Study Groups
  • Take and Read — a scripture study resource

• © CBCEW