Explore the Roman Catholic Church liturgical cycles and how to determine the current liturgical year

Readings at Mass in the Roman Catholic Church

The liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church includes readings at Mass that are very important. They usually include passages from the Old Testament or Acts of the Apostles, one of the New Testament letters, and a Gospel reading from one of the four Gospels. The Church’s teachings and the liturgical calendar determine which readings are chosen.

Listening to the readings at Mass has several benefits:

• To hear God’s word: The readings at Mass allow Catholics to listen to and think about God’s word as it is written in scripture. They help the faithful to learn and grow in their knowledge of the Church’s teachings.
• To connect with the liturgical calendar: The readings at Mass match the liturgical calendar, which follows the life of Christ and the important events in the Church’s history. By listening to the readings, Catholics can follow the cycles of the Church’s liturgical year and enrich their spiritual life.
• To prepare for the Eucharist: The readings at Mass get the faithful ready for the celebration of the Eucharist, which is the main sacrament of the Catholic Church. The readings remind Catholics of the teachings of Christ and the Church, and inspire them to approach the Eucharist with respect and humility.

In summary, the readings at Mass help Catholics to listen to and think about God’s word, follow the liturgical calendar, and get ready for the Eucharist. They are a vital part of the Catholic liturgy and help the faithful to improve their spiritual life.

The number of readings at Mass in the Roman Catholic Church

The type of Mass being celebrated determines how many readings there are at Mass in the Roman Catholic Church. Generally, there are two main types of Mass: the Daily Mass and the Sunday Mass.

A Daily Mass has two readings: the first one, which usually comes from the Old Testament or Acts of the Apostles, and a Gospel reading.

A Sunday Mass has three readings: the first one, which comes from the Old Testament or Acts of the Apostles; the second one, which comes from one of the New Testament letters; and the Gospel reading, which comes from one of the four Gospels. On some occasions, there may be a fourth reading, which comes from one of the Gospels and is called the “long form” Gospel reading.

The liturgical calendar and the Church’s teachings always decide what these readings are about, even though the number of readings at Mass may change.

The "long form" Gospel reading

Sometimes, the Roman Catholic Church uses a longer version of the Gospel reading for special occasions. This is called the “long form” Gospel reading. One example of this is the reading of the Passion of Christ during Holy Week, which tells the whole story of how Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified by one of the Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John).

The “long form” Gospel reading is usually read on Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, which is the start of Holy Week. The reading is divided into different parts and read by different people, with the congregation standing to listen. After the reading, there is a homily or reflection, which helps the faithful to understand and appreciate the meaning and importance of Jesus’ Passion.

Roman Catholic Church liturgical cycles

The Roman Catholic Church has a rich history of liturgical cycles that guide its worship practices. One of the most important cycles is the three-year cycle of Sunday readings known as Year A, Year B, and Year C. Each year, the Church focuses on a different set of Gospel readings, which are complemented by readings from the Old Testament and Epistles.

But that's not all - the Roman Catholic Church also follows a two-year cycle of weekday Mass readings, known as "odd" and "even" years. These cycles, which correspond to Cycle I and Cycle II, respectively, help ensure that the Church's daily Mass-goers also receive a diverse set of readings over the course of two years.

If you're attending Mass on a Saturday afternoon, it's important to know whether it's part of the Sunday liturgy or not. If it is, then the readings will follow the Sunday liturgical cycle, with Year A, Year B, or Year C readings depending on which year it is. But if the Saturday Mass is not part of the Sunday liturgy, then it will follow the two-year cycle of weekday readings.

How to determine the current liturgical year of the Roman Catholic Church

The liturgical year of the Roman Catholic Church does not match the calendar year

The liturgical year of the Roman Catholic Church does not match the calendar year that goes from January 1st to December 31st. The liturgical year starts with the first Sunday of Advent, which usually happens in late November or early December, and finishes on the last Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent of the next year. Eg:

• The liturgical year 2023 commenced on November 27, 2022, which was the first Sunday of Advent. The Church was follow Year A in the three-year cycle of Sunday readings during this liturgical year.
• The liturgical year 2024 will commence on December 3, 2023, the first Sunday of Advent. During this year, the Roman Catholic Church will follow Year B in the three-year cycle of Sunday readings.

The first Sunday of Advent is always four Sundays before Christmas. Christmas Day is always on December 25th, so we can use that to find the first Sunday of Advent for any year:

• Find the Sunday before December 25 (for example, in 2023 it will be December 24)
• Take away 21 days to get the start of the liturgical year (for example, in 2023, 24 minus 21 gives us December 3, 2023, which is the start of the liturgical year 2024) 

Some other examples are:

• For example, in 2022, December 18 is the Sunday before December 25, so the start of the liturgical year 2023 is 18 minus 21, which is -3. Then we take away 3 more days from November, which gives us 30 minus 3, which is November 27, 2021.
• For example, in 2021, December 19 is the Sunday before December 25, so the start of the liturgical year 2022 is 19 minus 21, which is -2. Then we take away 2 more days from November, which gives us 30 minus 2, which is November 28, 2021.

Please note that this calculation is specifically for the Roman Catholic Church and may not apply to the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The liturgical year follows the main events in the life of Jesus Christ, such as his birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, and it has specific seasons and feast days that are celebrated throughout the year.

You can also check the weekly bulletin or website of your local Catholic parish, which usually lists the current liturgical year and cycle of readings. Additionally, there are many Catholic websites and apps that provide liturgical calendars and daily readings for personal use.

How to determine the Roman Catholic Church liturgical cycles

For Daily Mass: During Cycle I, which is used during odd years, the readings focus on the historical books of the Old Testament, such as Genesis, Exodus, and Joshua. During Cycle II, which is used during even years, the readings focus on the wisdom literature and the prophetic books of the Old Testament, as well as the letters of the New Testament.

For Sunday Mass (or Saturday afternoon Mass in some churches): The Gospel of Matthew is the main focus in Year A, the Gospel of Mark is the main focus in Year B, and the Gospel of Luke is the main focus in Year C. This way, the faithful get to listen to a variety of teachings from the Gospels, such as the stories that Jesus told, the wonders that he did, and what he said about the Kingdom of God.

The Gospel of John is also read throughout the liturgical year, but it is interspersed throughout the three-year cycle rather than being the main focus of a particular year. Some portions of John's Gospel are read during the seasons of Lent and Easter, as well as during other parts of the liturgical year. The Gospel of John is known for its unique style and themes, such as the emphasis on Jesus as the Word of God and the way in which John portrays the relationship between Jesus and his Father in heaven.

The remainder can be utilized to determine the years in the cycle in the following manner:

• If the year's number leaves a remainder of 0 when divided by 3 (e.g. 2022), it is Year A.
• If the year's number leaves a remainder of 1 when divided by 3 (e.g. 2023), it is Year B.
• If the year's number leaves a remainder of 2 when divided by 3 (e.g. 2024), it is Year C.

A number is considered to be evenly divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits is also evenly divisible by 3. For instance, in the case of 2022, the sum of its digits 2 + 0 + 2 + 2 = 6, which is evenly divisible by 3. Therefore, 2022 is a number that is evenly divisible by 3 based on this criteria.

If you need to calculate a date that falls in the last week of November or December, it might belong to the next year because the liturgical year of the Roman Catholic Church does not follow the calendar year. Eg: November 27th, 2022 marks the beginning of the liturgical year for 2023, with the first Sunday of Advent falling on that day.