Editing Lectionary (section)

==Eastern lectionaries==
[[File:Jaharis Byzantine Lectionary MET DP160636.jpg|thumb|''Jaharis Byzantine Lectionary'', [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jaharis_Byzantine_Lectionary_MET_DP160636.jpg Metropolitan Museum of Art]]]
In the [[Eastern Christendom|Eastern Churches]] ([[Eastern Orthodox]], [[Oriental Orthodox]], [[Eastern Catholic]], the [[Assyrian Church of the East]], [[Ancient Church of the East]], and those bodies not in communion with any of them but still practicing Eastern liturgical customs) tend to retain the use of a one-year lectionary in their liturgy. Different churches follow different liturgical calendars (to an extent).  Most Eastern lectionaries provide for an epistle and a Gospel to be read on each day. Other known witnesses of the Christian Jerusalem-Rite Lectionary are those preserved in [[Georgian language|Georgian]], [[Caucasian Albanian language]], and [[Armenian language|Armenian]] translations (6th to 8th centuries CE).

[[Image:Codex Harcleianus.PNG|thumb|right| An example of Byzantine lectionary — [[Lectionary 150|''Codex Harleianus'']] (''l''<sup>150</sup>), AD 995, text of John 1:18.]]

===Byzantine lectionary===
Those churches (Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic) which follow the [[Rite of Constantinople]], provide an epistle and Gospel reading for most days of the year, to be read at the [[Divine Liturgy]]; however, during [[Great Lent]] there is no celebration of the liturgy on weekdays (Monday through Friday), so no epistle and Gospel are appointed for those days. As a historical note, the Greek lectionaries are a primary source for the [[Byzantine text-type]] used in the scholarly field of [[textual criticism]].

====Epistle and Gospel====
The Gospel readings are found in what Orthodoxy usually calls a [[Gospel Book]] (''Evangélion''), although in strict English terms the Greek ones are in the form of an [[Evangeliary]], and an [[wikt:epistolary|Epistle Book]] (''Apostól''). There are differences in the precise arrangement of these books between the various national churches. In the [[Greek Orthodox|Byzantine]] practice, the readings are in the form of [[pericope]]s (selections from scripture containing only the portion actually chanted during the service), and are arranged according to the order in which they occur in the church year, beginning with the Sunday of [[Easter|Pascha]] (Easter), and continuing throughout the entire year, concluding with [[Holy Week]]. Then follows a section of readings for the commemorations of [[saints]] and readings for special occasions ([[baptism]]s, [[funeral]]s, etc.). In the [[Russian Orthodox|Slavic]] practice, the biblical books are reproduced in their entirety and arranged in the [[Biblical canon|canonical order]] in which they appear in the [[Bible]].

The annual cycle of the Gospels is composed of four series:

#''The Gospel of St. John''
#:read from Pascha until [[Pentecost]] Sunday
#''The Gospel of St. Matthew''
#:divided over seventeen weeks beginning with the Monday of the Holy Spirit (the day after Pentecost). From the twelfth week, it is read on Saturdays and Sundays while the Gospel of St. Mark is read on the remaining weekdays
#''The Gospel of St. Luke''
#:divided over nineteen weeks beginning on the Monday after the Sunday after the [[Elevation of the Holy Cross]]. From the thirteenth week, it is only read on Saturdays and Sundays, while St. Mark's Gospel is read on the remaining weekdays
#''The Gospel of St. Mark''
#:read during the Lenten period on Saturdays and Sundays — with the exception of the [[Sunday of Orthodoxy]].

The interruption of the reading of the Gospel of Matthew after the Elevation of the Holy Cross is known as the "Lukan Jump".<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Lukan Jump - Professor N.D. Uspensky - From the Desk Manual of the Moscow Patriarchate|url=https://www.orthodox.net/ustav/lukan-jump.html|access-date=2023-01-25|website=www.orthodox.net}}</ref> The jump occurs only in the Gospel readings, there is no corresponding jump in the epistles. From this point on the epistle and Gospel readings do not exactly correspond, the epistles continuing to be determined according to the moveable [[Paschal cycle]] and the Gospels being influenced by the fixed cycle.

The Lukan Jump is related to the chronological proximity of the Elevation of the Cross to the Conception of the Forerunner (St. [[John the Baptist]]), celebrated on 23 September. In [[late Antiquity]], this feast marked the beginning of the ecclesiastical New Year.  Thus, beginning the reading of the Lukan Gospel toward the middle of September can be understood. The reasoning is theological and is based on a vision of Salvation History: the Conception of the Forerunner constitutes the first step of the New Economy, as mentioned in the [[sticheron|stikhera]] of the matins of this feast. The [[Luke the Evangelist|Evangelist Luke]] is the only one to mention this Conception ({{bibleverse||Luke|1:5-24|KJV}}).

In Russia, the use of the Lukan Jump vanished; however, in recent decades, the Russian Church has begun the process of returning to the use of the Lukan Jump.

Similarly to the Gospel Cycle, Epistle readings follow this plan although some exceptions vary:

#''Book of the Acts of the Apostles''
#:read from Pascha until Pentecost Sunday
#''Letter to the Romans, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians''
#:From Pentecost to Elevation of the Holy Cross
#''Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Hebrews''
#:From Elevation of the Holy Cross to the Circumcision of Christ, 1st of January
#''James, Hebrews, 1 Peter and 2 Peter''
#:read from the Circumcision of Christ to the Clean Monday, first weekday of Great Lent.

====Old Testament readings====
Other services have scriptural readings also. There is a Gospel lesson at [[Matins]] on Sundays and feast days. These are found in the ''Evangelion''. There are also readings from the [[Old Testament]], called "parables" (''paroemia''), which are read at [[vespers]] on feast days. These parables are found in the [[Menaion]], [[Triodion]] or [[Pentecostarion]]. During Great Lent, parables are read every day at vespers and at the [[Sext|Sixth Hour]]. These parables are found in the Triodion.

===Syriac and Malankara churches: Catholic, Orthodox===
[[Image:Coptic small.jpg|thumb|250px|Small portion of a [[Coptic language|Coptic]] lectionary]]
In the [[Jacob Baradeus|Jacobite]] [[Syriac Churches]], the lectionary begins with the liturgical calendar year on ''Qudosh `Idto'' (the Sanctification of the Church), which falls on the eighth Sunday before Christmas. Both the [[Old Testament|Old]] and the [[New Testament]] books are read except the books of [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]], [[Song of Solomon]], and [[I Maccabees|I]] and [[II Maccabees]]. Scripture readings are assigned for Sundays and feast days, for each day of Lent and Holy Week, for raising people to various offices of the Church, for the blessing of Holy Oil and various services such as baptisms and funerals.

Generally, three Old Testament [[lection]]s, a selection from the [[prophet]]s, and three readings from the New Testament are prescribed for each Sunday and Feast day. The New Testament readings include a reading from Acts, another from the [[Catholic Epistles]] or the [[Pauline Epistles]], and a third reading from one of the [[Gospel]]s. During Christmas and Easter a fourth lesson is added for the [[Vespers|evening service]]. The readings reach a climax with the approach of the week of the Crucifixion. Through [[Lent]] lessons are recited twice a day except Saturdays. During the [[Passion Week]] readings are assigned for each of the major [[canonical hours]].

If there is a weekday Liturgy celebrated on a non-feast day, the custom is to read the Pauline epistle only, followed by the Gospel.