The Lectionary is a book which contains the readings for Mass (Sundays and Weekdays), for Saints and Sacraments, and other occasions, such as funerals.
At the Second Vatican Council the Lectionary was revised so that more of the treasures of scripture would be heard in the Lectionary. For example, whereas prior to the Council only 3% of the Gospel of Mark was heard now 96% is read. One consequence of this was that the Lectionary was, once more, a separate volume separated from the prayer texts of the Mass.
For the liturgical texts there is a primary Latin text which gives the official texts of the Liturgy. So the prayers used in Sunday Mass are found in the Missale Romanum — the Roman Missal. This is known as the editio typica — the typical or normative edition of the text. The Ordo Lectionum Missae (OLM) is the name of the volume which gives the contents of the Lectionary; the title can be translated as the Order of Readings for Mass. OLM was published in 1969.
Unlike the other liturgical books which provide a complete set of texts the OLM does not give the complete text of the readings in Latin. It provides the key information:
All these texts are given in Latin and so need to be translated or drawn from the scripture text.
A revised edition of OLM, an editio typica altera, was issued in 1981. In addition to including texts for rites and celebrations which had been added since 1969 it offered the following:
Though there has not been a new Latin edition of the Lectionary since 1981 there have been developments which the new 2024 edition of the Lectionary will encompass.
In addition, following the example of the 1981 Lectionary in England and Wales additional texts have been included for celebrations which occur without Mass but it was understood to be useful to include in the Lectionary. These include texts for RCIA and the readings for the Order of Penance.
Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 | Volume 4 |
Sundays, Solemnities and Feasts of the Lord | Weekdays I | Weekdays II | |
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