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THE CALENDAR OF READINGS
(LECTIONARY)

From its beginnings the Church has read aloud from the Scriptures in its worship. As the Calendar of seasons and festivals developed certain readings became attached to particular occasions, and in time a scheme of readings for the services of each day of the year was devised. This is called the Lectionary and there have been many over the centuries. One of the consequences of the denominational division of the church, especially from the 16th century onwards, has been that each denomination has followed its own Lectionary without reference to others. In the Church of England the Book of Common Prayer (1662) has its own lections, the epistle and gospel, printed in full for each Sunday and major festival of the year. In this parish, as we use the Book of Common Prayer for Holy Communion on Sundays at 8am, we also use its lectionary at that service. However, one of the fruits of the movement for church unity - ecumenism - has been the formation of a lectionary which is now followed by many churches, including Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic. This is called the Common Lectionary and we follow its provision at our Common Worship services, principally the Parish Eucharist (9.45am St Marks). The Common Lectionary gives unity to the Church's worship across cultural and denominational boundaries. It follows a three year cycle of readings, with one of the three synoptic gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke - being the dominant text for the Sunday Gospels in a given year. Advent Sunday marks the beginning of the Church's year and on 3rd December we begin the cycle of readings from St. Luke's gospel (Year C). In each of the three years most of St. John's Gospel is also used, especially during the season of Easter.

The readings printed below reproduce the Lectionary as it is followed in this parish for both 8am and 9.45am Sunday services and festival occasions during December and January. The bracketed reading is usually omitted in Church. A quiet and prayerful reading of the lections beforehand is recommended as way of preparing oneself for worship

SUNDAY 7th THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
8.00am Isaiah 55. 1 - 9; Luke 13. 1 - 9.
9.45am Isaiah 55. 1 - 9; Luke 13. 1 - 9.
SUNDAY 14th FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
8.00am 2 Corinthians 5. 16 - end; Luke 15. 1 - 3, 11b - end
9.45am 2 Corinthians 5. 16 - end; Luke 15. 1 - 3, 11b - end
SUNDAY 21st FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
8.00am Philippians 3. 4b - 14; John 12. 1 - 8
9.45am Philippians 3. 4b - 14; John 12. 1 - 8
SUNDAY 28th PALM SUNDAY
8.00 am Liturgy of theh Palms Luke 19. 28 - 40
9.45 am Liturgy of the Passion Luke 22. 24 - 23.end

Advent Calendars always begin on 1st December but the actual beginning of the season is dependant on the day on which Christmas itself falls. There are always four Sundays in Advent and if Christmas day also falls on a Sunday then Advent Sunday will be as early as 27th November. If Christmas Day is a Monday then Advent Sunday will be as late as 3rd December. Advent Sunday (this year 29th November) marks the beginning of the Liturgical Year which in the Revised Common Lectionary is Year C in which the principal gospel text is St. Luke. However, the celebration of the Word made flesh, the unifying theme of the Christmas & Epiphany season, draws as heavily on the narratives of Matthew & John as it does on Luke. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas) falls on 2nd February but is often transferred to the nearest available Sunday and marks the culmination of forty days of the Church's celebration of the Incarnation of Our Lord