Editing Lectionary (section)

==Western lectionaries==

===In the Latin liturgical rites before the Second Vatican Council===
Before the liturgical reforms of [[Vatican II]], the [[Latin liturgical rite]] used a one-year lectionary consisting of a limited selection of sacred readings from the Scriptures. The reason for these limited selections was to maintain consistency,{{cn|date=December 2024}} as was a true feature in the Roman Rite. There was one reading to be proclaimed before the Gospel, either taken from the Old Testament (referred to as Lesson) or from the letters of Saint Paul, Saint John, or Saint Peter (referred to as Epistle).{{cn|date=January 2023}}

The Lesson (or Epistle) is contained in a book called the {{lang|la|[[wikt:epistolary|Epistolarium]]}}, a [[liturgical book]] containing the epistles that were to be said or sung by a subdeacon at a solemn High Mass. The Gospels are contained in a book called {{lang|la|[[Evangeliary|Evangeliarium]]}}, or more recently called as "Book of the Gospels", that were to be said or sung by a deacon at a solemn High Mass.

However, the Ambrosian Rite and the Mozarabic Rite have two readings to be proclaimed, called {{lang|la|Prophetia}} and {{lang|la|Epistola}}.

===Catholic Mass Lectionary and the Revised Common Lectionary===
[[Image:Gerard Dou - Portret van een lezende oude vrouw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Portrait of [[Rembrandt]]'s mother reading a lectionary, {{c.|1630}} ([[Rijksmuseum]], [[Amsterdam]]). The painting has more recently been attributed to [[Gerrit Dou]].]]
After the [[Second Vatican Council]] of 1962–1965, the [[Holy See]], even before producing an actual lectionary (in [[Latin]]), promulgated the {{lang|la|[[Ordo Lectionum Missae]]}} (Order of the Readings for Mass), giving indications of the revised structure and the references to the passages chosen for inclusion in the new official lectionary of the [[Roman Rite]] of [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]]. It introduced an arrangement by which the readings on Sundays and on some principal feasts recur in a three-year cycle, with four passages from Scripture (including one from the [[Psalms]]) being used in each celebration, while on weekdays only three passages (again including one from the Psalms) are used, with the first reading and the psalm recurring in a two-year cycle, while the [[Gospel]] reading recurs after a single year. This revised Mass Lectionary, covering much more of the Bible than the readings in the [[Tridentine Mass|Tridentine]] [[Roman Missal]], which recurred after a single year, has been translated into the many languages in which the Roman Rite Mass is now celebrated, incorporating existing or specially prepared translations of the Bible and with readings for national celebrations added either as an appendix or, in some cases, incorporated into the main part of the lectionary.

The Roman Catholic Mass Lectionary as revised after Vatican II is the basis for many Protestant lectionaries, most notably the [[Revised Common Lectionary]] (RCL) and its derivatives, as organized by the [[Consultation on Common Texts]] (CCT) organization located in [[Nashville, Tennessee]].  Like the Mass lectionary, they generally organize the readings for worship services on Sundays in a three-year cycle, with four elements on each Sunday, and three elements during daily [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]]:

*First reading ({{lang|la|Prima lectio}}) from the [[Old Testament]] or, in [[Eastertide]] from certain books of the [[New Testament]];
*[[Responsorial psalm]] ({{lang|la|Psalmus responsorium}}) (ideally, to be sung, as contained in the Simple Gradual) or '''Gradual''' (as contained in the Roman Gradual);
*Second reading ({{lang|la|Secunda lectio}}) from one of the [[General Epistles|New Testament Letters]] (only on Sundays and Solemnities); and a
*Gospel reading ({{lang|la|Evangelium}})

====Three-year cycle====
[[File:St. Nikolaus Germete Ambo mit aufgeschlagenem Lektionar Lesejahr C.jpg|thumb|A German Roman Catholic lectionary for year C on an ambo]]
The lectionaries (both Catholic and RCL versions) are organized into three-year cycles of readings. The years are designated A, B, or C. Each yearly cycle begins on the first Sunday of [[Advent]] (the Sunday between 27 November and 3 December inclusive). Year B follows year A, year C follows year B, then back again to A.

*Year A: [[Gospel of Matthew]] (Advent 2025 through 2026)
* Year B: [[Gospel of Mark]] (Advent 2026 through 2027)
* '''Year C: [[Gospel of Luke]] (Advent 2024 through 2025 – current year)'''

The [[Gospel of John]] is read throughout [[Easter]], and is used for other liturgical seasons including [[Advent]], [[Christmas]], and [[Lent]] where appropriate. In Year B, [[John 6|chapter 6 of the Gospel of John]] is read on the 17th to the 21st Sundays of [[Ordinary Time]] (ninth to thirteenth Sundays after Trinity), during July and August.

====Daily lectionaries====
The Roman Catholic lectionary includes a two-year cycle for the weekday mass readings (called Cycle I and Cycle II). [[Parity (mathematics)|Odd-numbered]] years are Cycle I; even-numbered ones are Cycle II. The weekday lectionary includes a reading from the Old Testament, Acts, Revelation, or the Epistles; a responsorial [[Psalm]]; and a reading from one of the gospels. These readings are generally shorter than those appointed for use on Sundays. The [[pericopes]] for the first reading along with the psalms are arranged in a two-year cycle. The gospels are arranged so that portions of all four are read every year. This weekday lectionary has also been adapted by some denominations with congregations that celebrate daily Eucharistic services. It has been published in the Episcopal Church's [[Lesser Feasts and Fasts]] and in the [[Anglican Church of Canada]]'s [[Book of Alternative Services]] (among others).

This eucharistic lectionary should not be confused with the various Daily Office lectionaries in use in various denominations. The Consultation on Common Texts has produced a three-year Daily Lectionary which is thematically tied into the Revised Common Lectionary, but the RCL does not provide a daily Eucharistic lectionary as such. Various Anglican and Lutheran churches have their own daily lectionaries. Many of the Anglican daily lectionaries are adapted from the one provided in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

====Other lectionary information====

In some churches, the lectionary is carried in the entrance procession by a [[lector]]. In the Catholic Church, the [[Book of the Gospels]] is carried in by a [[deacon]] (when there is no deacon, a lector might process in with the Book of the Gospels). When the Book of the Gospels is used, the first two readings are read from the lectionary, while the Book of the Gospels is used for the final reading.

The lectionary is not to be confused with a [[missal]], [[gradual]] or [[sacramentary]]. While the lectionary contains scripture readings, the missal or sacramentary contains the appropriate prayers for the service, and the gradual contains [[Gregorian chant|chants]] for use on any particular day. In particular, the gradual contains a [[responsory]] which may be used in place of the responsorial psalm.

===Anglican lectionaries===
Present day Church of England [https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/lectionary Common Worship Lectionaries] were derived from the [[Revised Common Lectionary]] and published between 2000 and 2010.
{{main|Book of Common Prayer}}