How is the Liturgy of the Word structured at Sunday Mass?
The Liturgy of the Word feeds the faithful from the table of God's Word. On Sundays and Solemnities, it follows a three-year cycle (Years A, B, C) featuring: 1) The First Reading (almost always from the Old Testament, harmonizing with the Gospel); 2) The Responsorial Psalm (the sung prayer of Israel); 3) The Second Reading (from the New Testament Epistles or Revelation); 4) The Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia); 5) The Gospel reading (proclaimed by a deacon or priest while the assembly stands); followed by the Homily, the Creed, and the Universal Prayer (Prayers of the Faithful).
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1349
- Luke 4:16-21
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.