The Liturgy of the Word is the second part of the Mass, and the first of the two most important parts of the whole celebration (the other is the Liturgy of the Eucharist).
The Liturgy of the Word is based on the ancient Jewish synagogue service, and on Sundays it includes 4 readings from scripture (and even more readings, at special times like the Easter Vigil Mass).
This is where we sit still and listen to the Word of God with our ears and with our hearts.
The structure of the Liturgy of the Word is as follows:
- First Reading
- Responsorial Psalm
- Second Reading
- Gospel
- Homily
- Creed
- Prayer of Intercession
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (29) says: ‘When the sacred scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel.’
The Scripture readings at Mass are an interaction between God and us. So, our listening is much more than just paying attention. It’s a two-way act of communication – a dialogue – between ourselves and God, a conversation that is not authentic unless we actively engage in it.
As disciples, we are students and not just followers. So, our challenge is to seriously try to understand the mind and heart of God, so that we can know him ourselves, and make him known to the world.
In every reading, God is saying something to us because we are part of his family. So, a great question to ask is: what is God teaching me here? About himself? About us, as his people? About how we live?
Sometimes the message isn’t always readily understood, so it’s important that we sit with what we’ve heard, and reflect on it – even after Mass.
This is why a little silence is important before and after every reading.
The lector’s job, therefore, is an important one. The Word of God is alive, and it needs to be proclaimed with authority and with clarity. When we discover that our lives are connected to these readings, we find new meaning for our existence.
At the end of the 1st and 3rd Readings, the Lector says, ‘The Word of the Lord,’ emphasising where these messages came from.
We reply ‘Thanks be to God,’ because we realise what a gift these readings are to us. Our thanks need to be heartfelt, because God gives meaning to our lives.
Remember that ‘Eucharist’ means ‘thanksgiving,’ so our response to the readings should sincerely reflect this thanksgiving.
The Ambo
In the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word centres on the ambo. This is the elevated, dignified and sacred place where God’s Word is proclaimed – where the readings, the psalm and the Gospel are delivered. It’s also the location for the homily and the prayer of the faithful.
The word Ambo comes from the Greek word for ‘to go up,’ signifying an elevation for the reading of God’s Word.
In the Bible, mountains or other raised areas are often where people connect with God: Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, the Temple was built on Mount Moriah, the Transfiguration occurs on Mount Tabor, and the Ascension at the Mount of Olives.
Similarly, mountains can signify places from which people proclaim the Good News, as in Isaiah 40:9, where the ‘herald of good tidings’ is told to go up to a high mountain and say to the cities of Judah ‘behold your God!’ Jesus taught the Beatitudes by going up a mountain (Mt 5:1). He also goes up a mountain to pray (Mt 14:23, Lk 6:12) and he takes his disciples up a mountain to appoint the twelve apostles (Mk 3:13, Lk 6:13).
Like the altar, the ambo is a permanent feature of the sanctuary. Both are immovable liturgical furnishings, reflecting the permanence of Christ amidst his people.
Throughout history, ambos have been decorated with precious metals, mosaics, coloured marbles and even gemstones, pointing to the jewel-like radiance of heaven. As well, many ambos feature the cross, symbols of the gospel writers, other saint evangelists, angels as mystical announcers of the message of the resurrection, or other ornamental patterns of leaves and flowers indicating the garden of Christ’s tomb and the new life that flows from his resurrection.
The Readings
The First Reading usually comes from the Old Testament, as does the Responsorial Psalm.
The Second Reading comes from the Epistles (the Letters) in the New Testament. The last reading is always the Gospel, which is also in the New Testament.
The First Reading, Psalm and Gospel are always thematically connected; the Second Reading is not always so.
The Gospel
Although we sit for the first readings, we always stand for the Gospel as a sign of our respect for Jesus and to reflect our eagerness to listen to his message. Standing is what we do whenever an honoured guest enters our space.
As we stand, we all sing or recite the Gospel Acclamation – the Alleluia verse.
Alleluia! is a word that means, ‘Praise the Lord!’ (CCC, n.2589). We are warmly welcoming Jesus and the words he is going to share with us.
After the Gospel Acclamation, the priest or deacon says:
‘The Lord be with you!’
We reply: ‘And with your spirit!’
Then, the presider or deacon introduces the Gospel and all respond,
‘Glory to you, O Lord!’
These back-and-forth dialogues help us to prepare for Jesus speaking to us. They also reinforce the idea that the whole Mass is a dialogue between us and God.
As the priest or deacon says,
‘A reading from the holy Gospel according to…,’ he traces a sign of the Cross with his thumb on the Gospel book. And at the same time the people trace a Cross on their forehead, lips and chest as they silently pray,
‘May God’s word be in my mind, on my lips and in my heart.’
This is a sign of our strong desire to absorb Jesus’ good news, and to share it with others.
As we enter into the Gospel stories, we become witnesses (martyrs, in Greek) of the good work that God has done in history.
At the end of the Gospel, the presider or deacon says,
‘The Gospel of the Lord!’
All reply: ‘Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!’
The presider or deacon then kisses the Gospel book and says silently,
‘Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.’
The Lectionary
Before discussing the homily, let’s spend a moment looking at the Lectionary from which we take our readings.
All the Scripture readings used at Mass are arranged in a book called the Lectionary, which follows a yearly liturgical calendar and a 3-year cycle for Sundays (years A, B & C) and a two-year cycle for weekdays (years 1 & 2).
The weekday Lectionary for Year I is read in odd-numbered years, and Year II is used in even-numbered years. The weekday lectionary includes a first reading, a responsorial psalm, and a gospel reading, but excludes the epistles.
The liturgical year represents a symbolic ordering of our faith journey. It begins with Advent (the four Sundays before Christmas) which always focuses on hope.
The readings at Christmas invite us to reflect on the presence of Jesus through his Incarnation – the act of God becoming human.
The readings for Lent (the 40 days of preparation for Easter) invite us to reflect on what it means and what it takes to follow Jesus as a disciple.
The profound readings of Holy Week, especially of the Easter Triduum, take us right into the heart of our faith. We witness Jesus’ disciples abandoning him at his hour of need, and Jesus’ surrender to the will of his Father.
The joyful readings of the 50 days after Easter (ending on Pentecost Sunday) give us an opportunity to reflect on the new life that always follows resurrection – both Jesus’ resurrection, and our own.
The Scripture readings of Ordinary Time (between Christmas and Lent, and between Pentecost and Advent) invite us to explore many dimensions of the paschal mystery of Christ and the life of discipleship that we are called to.
A Brief Look at the Bible:
The Old Testament was written before the time of Christ and is basically the Jewish Bible. It’s the Bible that Jesus knew and quoted in his teachings. It comprises 45 books, which have all been inspired by God, and it focuses primarily on the history of Israel and God’s law.
We call the first five books of the OT the Pentateuch (in Greek) or the Torah (‘the Law’) in Hebrew. The Torah is pivotal to the Jewish faith.
The Psalms are an important part of the Old Testament, and comprise a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers from different eras in Israel’s history. The psalms have been described as a prayer book for God’s people as they await the arrival of the Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s promises. 73 of the psalms are attributed to King David.
The New Testament documents the life of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the early Church. It comprises 27 books, including 4 Gospels and 21 epistles.
The Gospels focus on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the Epistles are letters written by apostles and inspired by the Holy Spirit, giving guidance on the Christian life either to individual Christians, specific church communities or to the Church at large. 13 of these Epistles are attributed to St Paul.
Having discussed the readings, we now move on to the homily in which the priest or deacon reflects on what we have just heard.
The Homily
At the end of the Gospel, we all sit so that we might listen carefully to the homily that follows.
The word ‘Homily’ comes from a Greek word that means ‘explanation.’ Its purpose is to break open the Scriptures and lead us in a deeper understanding of the mysteries we celebrate. It connects the biblical text to the congregation’s daily lives and it encourages them to live and grow in their faith.
Many people use the words homily and sermon interchangeably, however there is a difference. A sermon us usually a speech about a religious topic delivered separately from the sacred liturgy. It stands on its own and is usually quite long.
A homily, on the other hand, is typically limited to no more than 7-8 minutes, and is always linked to the liturgy itself. It serves as a conversational bridge connecting God’s Word with the hearts of those who hear him, explaining the readings and their relevance to today.
The early Church always considered the homily an indispensable element of the eucharistic sacrifice. It should challenge us to look at life differently and to ask the right questions about the way we have been living.
The homily, along with the Creed and Prayer of the Faithful, also serves as a bridge between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The Creed
The Creed follows the homily, and as a mark of our reverence and respect for what we are about to declare, we all stand. The Creed is a personal profession of faith, beginning with: ‘I believe…’
The word ‘Creed’ comes from the Latin ‘credo’ which means ‘I believe and trust.’
We have two creedal statements: The Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed. The main difference is that the Apostles’ Creed is shorter and focuses more on Jesus’ humanity, while the Nicene Creed is longer, more detailed, and emphasizes his divinity.
The Nicene Creed was written primarily to counter the heresy of Arianism, which denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ. It also sought to establish a unified statement of faith for the early Christian church. It was first formulated at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and it was finalised at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.
The Apostles Creed likely originated in the 2nd century, and gradually evolved over time. In its current form, the Apostles’ Creed dates from the 5th Century.
Both Creeds summarise the Gospels and spell out the core beliefs of our Christian faith. They are very Trinitarian, and declare our trust in God.
Why do we trust in God? It’s because we know that he loves us, we know what he has done for us, and now he wants us to love him in return. The Creed therefore proclaims our relationship with God, and it concludes with the affirmation ‘Amen!’
The Universal Prayer
The Liturgy of the Word ends with the ‘Universal Prayer,’ which is also called the ‘Prayer of the Faithful,’ or ‘Prayer of Intercession.’
We stand at this point because standing is a posture of prayer and respect, unity and readiness. It is a tradition dating back to early Christianity. Through the Universal Prayer we exercise our ‘baptismal priesthood’ by interceding for the needs of the Church and the world.
Why do we pray? Because Jesus told us to.
But what is prayer? It’s talking to God. It’s expressing our love for God, our closeness to him, and our dependence on him. That’s why St Paul tells us to ‘pray without ceasing’ (1Thess.5:17).
The Acts of the Apostles tells us that the first Christians strongly believed in the power of prayer (Acts 2:42), and we should, too. Prayer works.
So, praying for the world, for the community and for ourselves has been an integral part of the Mass since the very beginning.
The timing of these prayers in the Mass is not accidental. Inspired by God’s word, and challenged to transform our lives and trust in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we ask God for his transforming grace.
The Universal Prayer usually follows a set pattern:
- Praying for the needs of the Church,
- for public authorities and the needs of the world,
- for those struggling in some way,
- for the local community,
- for the sick, and
- for the dead.
These Intercessions, and indeed the whole Liturgy of the Word, end with a collect, which is a short prayer led by the priest that collects all the individual prayers of the assembly and presents them to God in one voice.
We then sit down, and the altar is prepared for the third part of the Mass: