By Ken Miller
For The Catholic Messenger
Sunday of the Word of God, instituted by Pope Francis and to be held every year on the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, reminds us of the importance and value of Sacred Scripture for the Christian life.
In our diocese, and in most, there are opportunities to take part in presentations highlighting the theological, ritual and pastoral principles surrounding the Word of God proclaimed at Mass and other liturgical celebrations.
In his 2019 Apostolic Letter, Pope Francis recalled the importance given by the Second Vatican Council to rediscovering Sacred Scripture for the life of the Church.
It is thought-provoking to look back at changes made during Vatican II that focused on the importance of the Word of God in the Liturgy.
Prior to Vatican II, we rotated the same Sunday readings each year. There were two readings each Sunday: the Epistle and the Gospel. Today we have a three-year cycle of readings: years A, B, and C. For the 2026 liturgical year, we are in “Year A.” We now proclaim four readings at each Sunday Mass: the first reading usually from the Old Testament, the Responsorial Psalm, the second reading from the New Testament, and the Gospel reading. (I could argue that with the Alleluia verse, we have five Sunday readings!)
Prior to Vatican II, rarely did we have a reading from the Old Testament. Today, the first Sunday reading is usually from the Old Testament. (During the Easter season, the first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.)
In Year A, we read mostly from the Gospel of Matthew. In Year B, we read the Gospel of Mark and chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. In Year C, we read the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is read during the Easter season in all three years. The first reading, usually from the Old Testament, reflects important themes from the Gospel reading. The second reading is usually from one of the epistles, a letter written to an early church community. These letters are read semi-continuously. Each Sunday, we pick up close to where we left off the Sunday before, though some passages are never read.
Prior to Vatican II, most weekday Masses did not have proper readings, but used readings from the previous Sunday or a saint’s day. Today, proper readings for weekdays are now in the Daily Lectionary. The Daily Lectionary has a two-year rotating cycle; years 1 and 2. For the 2026 liturgical year, we are in “Year 2.”
In taking a quick glance at some of this history, we realize the Church has placed a greater importance on what is now a more profound and extensive use of the Holy Scriptures.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy summarizes:
“Sacred Scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. For it is from Scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in their inspiration and their force, and it is from the Scriptures that actions and signs derive their meaning.”
(Ken Miller, a member of St. John Vianney Parish in Bettendorf, has conducted Reader workshops at many parishes in the diocese.)
