Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Question du Jour

Sometimes on my way to church for daily Mass, I hear the readings of the day on Sirius/XM radio's Catholic Channel.

And then I get to church, and I hear the same first reading, same responsorial pslam, and a completely different Gospel.

If it happened just once in a blue moon, I'd think that Father had just turned one page too many in the Lectionary. Mistakes happen, after all. But I'm beginning to suspect, as one of the Blues Brothers band members famously observed, "these lights are off on purpose." Father's reading a certain Gospel because he wants to.

This only happens at weekday Masses. And based on the homily that's delivered after the Gospel reading, he came prepared to read that Gospel and preach about it afterward.

But it's kind of weird, and it definitely bothers me. I just don't know what to do with it. Just attend daily Mass at some other parish? Speak to the pastor, who hardly ever celebrates daily Mass at our church, leaving Father to his own devices each morning? Just let it go?

5 comments:

Barbara said...

Check the USCCB website or a daily missal to see if the readings are correct. You might be hearing the replay of another day's Mass on the radio. Also, on some days there are alternate readings (for a feast day, for example).

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

Barbara, I thought that too, so I have checked the USCCB just to be sure. And on feast days, I think nothing of it.

There have been weeks where Father read the upcoming Sunday gospel starting on Wednesday, all the way through Saturday, and preached on it each of those days. Other times I have no idea where he's pulling the readings from.

Barbara said...

Have you asked Father why does he do that? It seems to me he would have to have special permission (and a good reason) from the Bishop for that.

Michelle said...

Is Father a religious priest? Different orders have a different ordo?

I'd just ask...the readings are not mix and match after all, but are built to go together!

Milehimama @ Mama Says said...

I would make a note of it when it happens, then later ask Father about it.

And I think the bishop definitely needs to know. Maybe Fr. has the bishops permission, but as far as I know, you can't just pick and choose what the readings are. One of the POINTS of a universal church is that we have the same readings, and the bible is read through on a 3 year schedule.