A
lection
, also called the
lesson
, is a reading from
scripture
in
liturgy
. In many
Christian denominations
, the readings of the day are appointed in the
lectionary
.
History
[
edit
]
The custom of reading the
books of Moses
in the
synagogues
on
Sabbath
is a very ancient one. Since the
prophetic books
were written after the books of Moses, readings from them began later, and were common at the time of
Jesus
. This element in synagogue worship was taken over with others into the
Christian divine service
, as may be gathered from passages in the
gospels
such as
St Luke
4:16?20 and 16:29. During
early Christianity
, readings began to be made from the writings of the
Apostles
and
evangelists
as the
New Testament canon
developed. Mention of this is found within the
New Testament
itself, for example in
Colossians
4:16 and in
First Thessalonians
5:27.
[1]
The oldest manuscripts of the Gospels have marginal marks, and sometimes actual interpolations, which can only be accounted for as indicating the beginnings and endings of liturgical lessons.
[1]
From the
2nd century
onwards references multiply, though the earlier references do not prove the existence of a fixed
lectionary
or order of lessons, but rather point the other way.
Justin Martyr
, describing divine worship in the middle of the 2nd century says: "On the day called Sunday all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the Apostles, or the writings of the Prophets are read as long as time permits" (
Apol.
i. cap. 67).
Tertullian
about half a century later makes frequent reference to the reading of Holy Scripture in public worship (
Apol.
~9;
De praescript.
36;
De amina
, 9).
[1]
The canons of
Hippolytus
, written in the first half of the
3rd century
says, "Let
presbyters
,
subdeacons
and
readers
, and all the people assemble daily in the church at time of cockcrow, and betake themselves to
prayers
, to
psalms
and to the reading of the Scriptures, according to the command of the Apostles, until I come attend to reading" (canon xxi).
[1]
There are traces of fixed lessons coming into existence in the course of the 3rd century.
Origen
refers to the
Book of Job
being read in
Holy Week
(
Commentaries on Job
, lib. i.). In the 4th century such references are frequent.
John Cassian
(c. 380) states that throughout Egypt the
Psalms
were divided into groups of twelve, and that after each group there followed two lessons, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament (
De caenob. inst.
ii. 4), implying but not absolutely stating that there was a fixed order of such lessons just as there was of the Psalms.
St Basil the Great
mentions fixed lessons on certain occasions taken from
Isaiah
,
Proverbs
, St
Matthew
and
Acts
(Hom. xiii.
De bapt.
). From
Chrysostom
(Horn. lxiii. in Act. etc.), and
Augustine
(Tract. vi. in Joann. &c.) both state that
Genesis
was read in
Lent
, Job and Jonah in
Passion Week
, the Acts of the Apostles in
Eastertide
, lessons on the
Passion
on
Good Friday
, and lessons on the
Resurrection
on
Easter
Day.
[1]
In the
Apostolic Constitutions
(ii. 57, ca. 380) a service is described which is required of the church. First come two lessons from the Old Testament by a reader, the whole of the Old Testament being made use of except the books of the
Apocrypha
. The Psalms of
David
are then to be sung. Next the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of
Paul
are to be read. Finally the four Gospels are to be read by a deacon or a priest. Whether the selections were
ad libitum
or according to a fixed table of lessons is not mentioned.
[1]
The
Third Council of Carthage
(397) forbade anything but Holy Scripture to be read in church. This rule has been adhered to so far as the liturgical
epistle
and
gospel
, and occasional additional lessons in the
Roman Missal
are concerned, but in the
divine office
, on
feasts
when nine lessons are read at
matins
, only the first three lessons are taken from Holy Scripture, the next three being taken from the
sermons
of
ecclesiastical writers
, and the last three from expositions of the day's gospel; but sometimes the lives or Passions of the saints, or of some particular saints, were substituted for any or all of these
breviary
lessons.
[1]
Nothing in the shape of a
lectionary
is extant older than the 8th century, though there is evidence that
Claudianus Marnercus
made one for the church at
Vienna
in 450, and that
Musaeus
made one for the church at
Marseille
ca. 458.
[1]
Conclusion of readings
[
edit
]
In many
Christian denominations
, when the lector finishes reading the scripture lesson, they say one of the following:
[2]
- "The Word of the Lord."
[2]
- "May God bless the reading of His Word."
[3]
- "Here endeth the first/second lesson."
[2]
The congregation responds with "Thanks be to God."
[2]
If the reading is from one of the
Epistles
in the Bible, lectors may conclude it with:
[2]
- "Here endeth the Epistle."
[2]
If the reading is from one of the
Gospels
in the Bible, lectors may conclude it with:
"The Gospel of the LORD."
The congregation responds with "Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ" (along with a
bowing their heads
at the mention of the name "Jesus Christ").
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
Look up
lection
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.