38. THE QUESTION WAS:

Which Church uses more Scripture during Sunday worship than any other Church on Earth?

 

 

THE ANSWER IS……THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (obviously)  J

 

At every Sunday Mass, there are three different Bible readings. The first reading is taken from the Old Testament, and it usually relates to the Gospel reading, which is the third reading. The second reading is an epistle (letter) from the New Testament.

 

Besides those three Bible readings, there are the responsorial psalm, which are almost always taken from the Book of Psalms. They are preferably sung, requiring participation from the assembly.

 

The “Holy Holy Holy” prayer is based on Isaiah 6:3 and Matthew 21:9

The “Our Father” is of course Biblical

The “peace be with you” is Biblical.

 

When the priest holds up the Eucharist and says, "This is my body, which will be given up for you…” he is echoing Luke 22:19. The other Eucharistic prayers are also from Scripture.

The rest of the Mass is just as steeped in Scripture.

 

By the end of the Mass, well over a dozen books of the New Testaments, plus many Old Testament books, will be touched upon.

 

Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass seven days a week. If they do that, they will hear the whole Bible in one year (not counting personal reading and Bible studies).

 

Because we are the universal church, the Bible readings for Mass on any given day are the same whether you are in the United States or Europe or Asia or South America or anywhere. When we receive Communion, we receive Jesus Christ Himself, a gift we can hardly begin to appreciate fully.

 

Because other Catholics around the globe receive the same changed bread, we become connected to them in a special way.  It is a true demonstration of the communion of saints.

 

1 Cor 10:16-17
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

 

 

For a few pages worth of Biblical references in the Mass, see

http://www.rc.net/norwich/st_joseph/massguide.htm

 

OTHER SITES ON THE MASS

http://www.catholicsites.com/beggarking/Mass.html (What is the Mass?)

http://www.catholicsites.com/beggarking/first_Christians/ (The First Christians)

http://clawww.lmu.edu/faculty/fjust/Bible/Biblical_Mass_Texts.htm (Biblical Texts Related to Mass)

http://www.churches.kconline.com/stroberts/massbible.html (Studying the Bible During Mass)

http://www.catholic.com/library/Sacrifice_of_the_Mass.asp (The Sacrifice of the Mass)

http://davidmacd.com/catholic/mass.htm (Questions About the Mass that non-Catholics might have)

http://www.catholic.com/library/liturgy/cag_changes.asp (Changes in the Mass)

http://www.cin.org/users/james/reference/info_sacraments.htm (Information on the Sacraments)

 

Suggested book: The Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

Suggested book: The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Dr. Scott Hahn

 

 

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