Gospel (liturgy)
The Gospel in Christian liturgy refers to a reading from the Gospels used during various religious services, including Mass or Divine Liturgy (Eucharist). In many Christian churches, all present stand when a passage from one of the Gospels is read publicly, and sit when a passage from a different part of the Bible is read. The reading of the Gospels, often contained in a liturgical edition containing only the four Gospels (see lectionary), is traditionally done by a minister, priest or deacon, and in many traditions the Gospel Book is brought into the midst of the congregation to be read.
Usage in the Eastern Churches
Byzantine Rite
The
The reading of the Gospel is usually preceded by the chanting of a
Divine Liturgy
During the
The Gospel is read after the
Shine forth within our hearts the incorruptible light of Thy knowledge, O Master, Lover of mankind, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of the
preachingof Thy Gospel; instill in us also the fear of Thy blessed commandments, that, trampling down all lusts of the flesh, we may pursue a spiritual way of life, being mindful of and doing all that is well-pleasing unto Thee. For Thou art the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thine unoriginate Father, and Thy Most-holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon will ask a blessing from the celebrating priest or bishop:
Bless, master, the bringer of the Good Tidings of the holy Apostle and Evangelist _______(here he names the author of the Gospel he is about to read).
The priest (or bishop) blesses him saying:
May God, through the intercessions of the holy glorious, all-praised Apostle and Evangelist _______, give speech with great power unto thee that bringest good tidings, unto the fulfillment of the Gospel of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The priest hands him the Gospel Book, and he brings it out to the
Prior to the reading, the following exchange takes place:
Deacon: Wisdom! Arise! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel!
Priest: Peace be unto all.
Choir: And to Thy spirit.
Deacon: The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to _______.
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!
Priest: Let us attend!
The deacon then reads the selection from the Gospel, after which the priest blesses him:
Priest: Peace be unto thee that bringest good tidings.!
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!
After the reading, the deacon returns the Gospel Book to the priest who places it in its place on the Holy Table.
Other Services
In the Sunday
On Weekdays, if there is a higher-ranking feast there will be a Gospel at Matins (normal weekday Matins does not have a Gospel reading). If so, the Gospel is still read by the priest, but from the center of the Temple, facing east, after which he returns the Gospel Book to the Holy Table. Instead of venerating the Gospel Book, the faithful venerate the Icon of the Feast, and receive the celebrant's blessing.
There will also be Gospel readings at other occasional services from the Euchologion. These are usually read by the priest and normally follow the pattern of Matins.
When a bishop or priest passes away and his body is prepared for burial, a Gospel Book is placed in the coffin with him. After the preparation of the body and before the funeral itself begins, it is traditional for the Gospels to be read continuously over him. The reading may be performed by a bishop, priest or deacon. During the funeral procession, the Gospel Book is carried in front of the coffin, and there are several Gospel readings during the funeral.
Cycle of readings
Gospel
The reading is determined according to the annual
The entirety of the four Gospels is read in the course of the liturgical year, beginning with
Once Great Lent begins (during the service of Vespers on Forgiveness Sunday), there are no Gospel readings on weekdays; instead, three Old Testament readings are appointed, one each from Genesis, Isaiah, and Proverbs (note: the Lenten services have a different structure so as to allow this arrangement of readings without the Gospel; see Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts). On Saturdays and Sundays, a Gospel is read with a message applicable to what the theme of that Sunday is (e.g. St. Mary of Egypt, the Cross, Restoration of the Icons).
There are Gospel lessons appointed for
There is a Vesperal Divine Liturgy on
In the Greek practice, there is a reading of the Resurrectional Gospel at Midnight, during the procession of the Paschal Vigil. In the Slavic tradition there is no Gospel reading at the procession, but both traditions have a Gospel at the Paschal Divine Liturgy which concludes the vigil.
Uses in the Western Churches
In the
Many Western churches follow a Lectionary cycle of readings, such as the Revised Common Lectionary, which uses a three-year cycle of readings.
In
In the Lutheran Divine Service, the pastor reads a passage from one of the gospels before the homily.
External links
- WELS Questions & Answers : Standing for the Gospel Lesson (a Confessional Lutheranperspective)
- Gospel in the Liturgy - Catholic Encyclopedia entry
- Excerpts from the Gospel Commentary — An explanation of each Sunday's Gospel reading in the Orthodox Church, attributed to St. John Chrysostom.
- DailyGospel.org - daily reading from the gospels (Roman Catholic)