Weekday Saints
Reflections on Their Scriptures
Mark G. Boyer
Dedicated to my Benedictine teachers
in St. Meinrad School of Theology,
St. Meinrad, Indiana,
1972–1976:
Aurelius Boberek, OSB
Daniel Buechlein, OSB
Ephrem Carr, OSB
Cyprian Davis, OSB
Damian Dietlein, OSB
Colman Grabert, OSB
Harry Hagan, OSB
Columba Kelly, OSB
Sebastian Leonard, OSB
Conrad Louis, OSB
John Machielsen, OSB
Nathan Mitchell, OSB
Matthias Neumann, OSB
Christopher Shappard, OSB
Raymond Studzinski, OSB
Introduction
The Roman Catholic Church issued its first, modern, one volume Lectionary—a book of biblical texts assigned for every day of the year—in 1970 in response to the Second Vatican Council’s call for a greater fare of Scripture during Mass. A three-year Sunday cycle of biblical texts were presented in that book along with a two-year weekday cycle of texts. Neither of those includes the texts for specific saints’ memorials, feasts, and solemnities. By the time the Lectionary was revised and published between 1998 and 2002 it had grown to four volumes which provide even more of a richer fare of God’s word for his people. Because of the revision, many weekday celebrations of saints were assigned texts that were not in the 1970 Lectionary.
Because of its success, many other Christian denominations adopted and adapted the Lectionary to fit their own needs. So, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and many others began to use the Lectionary, which was published in various volumes and mandated or made optional, depending on the Christian denomination. Thus, as is often the case, in churches using a Lectionary worshipers will hear the same biblical text on a given Sunday; all that may differ is the English translation used. Furthermore, in those churches that have weekday services, the same Scripture texts may be heard along with the same celebration of a saint.
During some years in the Roman Catholic Church, particular solemnities and feasts of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and some others which fall on Sunday take precedence over a Sunday, particularly one in the Season of Ordinary Time. According to the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, “For solemnities and feast of the General Roman Calendar proper readings are always assigned” (84.1). There are also solemnities, feasts, memorials, and optional memorials (the four hierarchical rankings) that interrupt the weekday cycle of readings; these solemnities, feasts, memorials, and optional memorials are never celebrated on a Sunday. Solemnities and feasts always have proper Scripture texts. However, some memorials and optional memorials during the weekdays have proper first readings and/or proper gospel passages that are to be read on the memorial or optional memorial. According to the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, these “proper readings are given for celebrations of the saints, that is, biblical passages about the saint or the mystery that the Mass is celebrating” (83).
This volume provides reflections on these proper biblical passages which “must take the place of the weekday readings for the same day” (83). Any member of a Christian congregation marking the celebration of a saint on a weekday will find these reflections on the Scripture texts assigned to a particular saint very helpful.
Using the Book
This book is designed to be used by individuals for private study and prayer and by ministers for study, prayer, and preaching. A five-part exercise is offered for every solemnity, feast, memorial, and optional memorial that occurs during the liturgical year on a weekday and has proper readings. In each exercise I bring together the study of the Bible and the praying of the Bible. The result is a biblical spirituality that is the foundation for the church’s proclamation and preaching during the liturgical year.
1. A title is given to the exercise for the day. If two choices are presented for Scripture texts, these are numbered as (1) and (2). The title is followed by the name of the solemnity, feast, memorial, or optional memorial. Then, the notation (biblical book, chapter, and verses) for the reading is given. I recommended that the reader find the passage in his or her Bible and read it in its context.
2. A few short verses of Scripture are taken from the reading provided in the Lectionary for the solemnity, feast, memorial, or optional memorial.
3. A reflective study follows the Scripture selection. The reflection critiques the passage by applying modern forms of biblical criticism and gives it a context for understanding it. As it offers the individual and the minister valuable background and contextual information concerning the reading, the reflection yields new perspectives for personal study on and suggestions for application of the biblical passage for the day.
Where appropriate I quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The quotations are meant to help contextualize the biblical passages. At the end of a quote from the Catechism, the reference is indicated by the paragraph number in parentheses.
Throughout the reflections, I use the masculine pronoun for God, LORD, LORD God, etc. I am well aware that God is neither male nor female, but in order to avoid the repetition of nouns over and over again, I employ male pronouns, as they are also used in the Lectionary and throughout most biblical translations.
4. The reflection is followed by a question for personal meditation. The question functions as a guide for personal appropriation of the message of the Scripture passage. People who like to journal may find the question appropriate for that activity. The minister can use the question as a basis for a sermon or brief homily.
5. A prayer summarizes the original theme of the Scripture reading, which was studied and explored in the reflection and which served as the foundation for the meditation. The prayer concludes the daily exercise for the individual or it can be adapted and used as a fitting conclusion to the Universal Prayer during the celebration of Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours, or any other type of prayer that may be a part of the weekday observance.
It is my hope that through study and prayer with the saints, the reader will come to a deeper knowledge of and a closer relationship with the One around whom all solemnities, feasts, memorials, and optional memorials turn—the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who has revealed himself as One through his Word in both the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and Christian Bible (New Testament).
Mark G. Boyer
August 6, Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Weekday Saints
Reflections on Their Scriptures
Copyright © 2014 Mark G. Boyer. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
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