Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781784698065
CTS Booklet LT13
Over the last several years I have read over 400 volumes from the CTS. I have read books from many series, and many authors. A few authors so captured my attention I tried to track down all the books by them. This however was the third book I have read by Bishop Hugh Gilbert. This is the first of the volumes about the new Lectionary being introduced in England and Wales that I have read. Even though I am across the pond, I am greatly interested in reading about this new Lectionary and the supplemental materials around it. Unfortunately, as of the writing of this review there is no eBook edition available for this volume even though the physical edition has been available for over a month. I finally caved and ordered the physical copy, and this is the review of it.
The description of this volume is:
“Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB, provides further explanation of the Bishops’ desire to provide the Catholic faithful access to a reliable and contemporary version of Scripture through which to hear the Word of God proclaimed in the Mass, offering answers to the questions that have arisen.
This is the publication we recommend for parishes wanting to help the faithful understand the changes to the Lectionary.
The new Lectionary for England & Wales and Scotland is a sign of the Bishops’ desire to provide the Catholic faithful access to a reliable and contemporary version of Scripture, to enable their ongoing liturgical encounter with the Word of God and thus help us all become “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that [we] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pt 2:9).
This book, by Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB, provides some further explanation of this decision and answer the questions that have arisen.
• Why a new Lectionary?
• What is a Lectionary?
• What is the Liturgy of the Word?
• Why this version of Scripture? And why this new version of the Psalms?
• What is done in other parts of the Catholic world?
• What will it ask of us and what will it bring us?”
And the chapters are:
Introduction: Unrolling the Scroll
Why a New Lectionary?
What is a Lectionary?
What is the Liturgy of the Word?
Why this Version of the Bible?
What is the English Standard Version?
What Happens Elsewhere?
What Will the New Lectionary Ask of Us and What Will It Bring Us?
Conclusion: Extinguishing the Lamps
I only highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, some of them are:
“On the first Sunday of Advent 2024, throughout England, Wales and Scotland, a new Lectionary comes into force. Countless readers at ambos in churches throughout the country will open newly published books and proclaim the word of the Lord. TI1is will be a continuation and an echo of what the Lord did in Nazareth and does in heaven. It is the same event of the unfolding of the mystery, the plan, of God. It is Christ the Lector, Christ the Word in action.”
“A new Lectionary is a fresh chance to hear Christ speaking to us with the ears of faith; to take a fresh look at the Liturgy of the Word; to sense the "living and active" quality of God's word (Heb 4:12); to let it bring us together with others; and to incorporate it more into our lives.”
“This booklet seeks to address some of the questions that naturally arise with the advent of a new liturgical book, and such a major one:
• Why a new Lectionary?
• What is a Lectionary?
• What is the Liturgy of the Word?
• Why this version of Scripture? And why this new version of the Psalms?
• What is done in other parts of the Catholic world?
• What will it ask of us and what will it bring us?”
“The Lectionary is unique among the liturgical books of the Roman Rite: in others, the original Latin text is rendered directly into the contemporary languages concerned: a Lal in Collect or Preface, for example, lll'1 '"111'S English or Swedish or Swahili, or whatever. With the Lectionary, however, the translations of the Scripture readings it contains are made from the original biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, not from the Latin version of the Bible. In practice, this normally means adopting a version of the Bible already existing in the vernacular language concerned.”
“So, on the first Sunday of Advent, we will bid farewell to the version of the Lectionary familiar to us for over fifty years, based on the Jerusalem Bible and the Grail Psalms, and we will begin use of a version based on the English Standard Version Catholic Edition and the Revised Grail Psalms (also known as The Abbey Psalms and Canticles).”
“A Lectionary is the liturgical book of the Roman Rite which contains the biblical readings used at Mass and on certain other occasions (such as baptisms, weddings and funerals) . It is one of the three liturgical books which enable the celebration of Mass: the Lectionary for the readings, the Missal for the rites and prayers of the Mass as a whole and the (generally overlooked) Gradual which contains the chant or musical settings of some of the Mass texts - the hymn-book of the Roman Church.”
“Behind our current Lectionary lies, first of all, the long tradition of ordered biblical readings at the liturgy, a tradition with roots in the Old Testament and the Synagogue services of the Jewish people, and which is evidenced in Christian circles from at least the second century of the Chris tian era. Arrangements of readings are found, with variations, in all the major liturgical families of the Church.
A second influence on the Lectionary is closer to our own time: the desire of the Second Vatican Council to bring the faithful into fuller contact with the written
Word of God, Holy Scripture.”
“A Lectionary is only an instrument. It is an instrument at the service of the Liturgy of the Word. A new Lectionary provides a golden opportunity for a fresh appreciation of what is happening in the Liturgy of the Word.”
“In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we are close to the Mother of Jesus as she stood by the cross of her son. In the Liturgy of the Word, we can share her open ear and pondering heart.”
I hope those samples give you a feel for this volume. This volume was an excellent book to work through. As mentioned this lectionary is not used where I attend mass in Canada, but this booklet provides a lot of great information and history on the lectionary and why the Bishops of England and Wales decided to use this translation and some of the changes involved in creating the lectionary from it.
It is an excellent little book that honestly any Catholic could benefit from reading. I can easily recommend it but especially for those in England and Wales.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.
Books by Bishop Hugh Gilbert:
Living the Mystery
Unfolding the Mystery
Words for Feast and Saint Days
Words for the Advent and Christmas Season
Words for the Lent and Easter Season
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