Welcome, and thank you for joining us in our first year of field testing!
We are glad that you have signed up to use the preliminary temporal lectionary for The Lutheran Missal and provide feedback through the next year. As a result, we ask that you not share the materials found on this page with others. A great deal of time and effort has been expended by many people in researching and preparing these texts, and we offer them here with the understanding that everyone who is using them will respond with feedback on the brief questionnaires that will be emailed out as we go through the year. If you have a friend who may be interested, even partway through the year, please invite him or her to provide contact information here. (If you didn’t sign up for field testing, but found your way here anyway, congratulations! You’re now one of our field testers. Please submit your information above.)
Here is the Temporal Lectionary PDF, formatted for printing and placing in a three ring binder. Take care to read the Preface, as it will provide necessary information for using and understanding the pages that follow. The readings are, whenever possible, formatted so that you can print all of the readings for any given day on the front and back of an 8.5×11 sheet of paper. The PDF will be updated regularly with further readings as time goes on. If you encounter any typographical errors, please let us know so that we can fix them.
Here are the unformatted Lectionary Texts, provided so that you can easily paste them into your service leaflets as desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this year’s field testing materials provide the Collects, Introits, Tracts, and so on for the upcoming year?
We do not yet have the Collects and Minor Propers entirely sorted and prepared for distribution, and would encourage you to use the materials provided in either The Lutheran Hymnal or Lutheran Service Book for the time being.
Which Minor Propers and Collects should I use on a Wednesday or a Friday?
The Wednesday and Friday masses are almost entirely a repetition of the preceding Sunday, with the sole exception of the Epistle and Gospel, and you can read more in this blog post. There are a few exceptions, such as Ember Days and weekdays in Lent, but you will probably be best served in the short term by repeating the Sunday propers for those, too. If you would like to use the proper Collects for Ember Days, they can be found in the Brotherhood Prayer Book from Emmanuel Press.
Why does the number of historic sources sometimes differ between Epistles and Gospels for the same day?
We have a several different genres of sources, largely medieval and Lutheran missals and service books, but with some early medieval lectionaries. Among these are Epistolaries that offer only an Epistle and not a Gospel. A number of our sources have also suffered the effects of time and are periodically missing pages or sections of pages. In addition, as you will see on Fridays through most of the year, a number of sources would provide an appointed Gospel for Fridays, but simply repeat the Sunday Epistle alongside it.
First Week in Advent
Sunday
Jeremiah 23:5–8 / Romans 13:11–14 / Matthew 21:1–9
Textual Notes
The First Sunday in Advent begins, if you will, at the end. As the Church begins her new year and we look forward to the Nativity of Our Lord, we are reminded from the outset that the Child soon to be born is being born precisely so that He may ride into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday to suffer, die, and rise again. St. Paul’s exhortation in the Epistle sounds the first eschatological note of Advent, reminding us that “now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed,” and that this same Lord will, one day, return and bring with Him a new day. That is precisely what we look forward to during the season of Advent—the threefold approach of our salvation, first in His birth on earth, today as He approaches in His Word and Sacraments, and finally on that Last Day, when He will come to make all things new. A major focus of Advent will be learning to live as people who walk in the day and leaving the night of sin behind us.
The Prophecy from Jeremiah inflects St. Paul’s exhortation toward wakefulness and holy living with the prediction that the “salvation” of which St. Paul speaks will outdo everything that has been seen in the past, and that we will see the people of God return from their long exile. You might well remember the closing words of the hymn “O Lord, How Shall I Meet Thee”: “Send forth Thy beams most cheering / And guide us safely home!” In the collect for the day, then, we pray that God would “stir up” His mighty power and come to bring us this deliverance.
Historical Notes
While the medieval sources, as well as a few Lutheran sources, ended the Epistle at 14a: “…the Lord Jesus Christ” and the Gospel at 9a: “…in the name of the Lord”, the majority of the Lutheran sources extend both the Epistle and Gospel to the close of the verse, and we have followed the Lutheran majority. If you would like to read more on this specific question and the textual questions of the rest of the week, see this post.
The Prophecy as found in Lutheran Service Book, Jeremiah 23:5–8, was also appointed in some of our oldest sources as the Epistle for the Fifth Sunday before Christmas—the Sunday preceding this Sunday in a time when Advent was a season of five weeks at the close of the year. In late medieval use, the Fifth Sunday before Christmas would instead become the final (usually 25th) Sunday after Trinity. The use of this Prophecy on our First Sunday in Advent underscores the continuity of the closing themes of Trinitytide with those now being taken up in Advent.
The Sunday Gospels as found in Lutheran usage and in this lectionary reflect the practice of the substantial majority of the Western Church for a thousand years or more, but there is a variant tradition followed by the Roman Church that shifts the Gospels by one Sunday. You can read more about that question here.
Wednesday
James 5:7–10 / Matthew 3:1–6
Textual Notes
As we begin to see today, the ferial readings of Advent—apart from the Ember Days—are focused on St. John the Baptist. On this first Wednesday, we begin with the inauguration of St. John the Baptist’s ministry according to St. Matthew. The Epistle from James 5 underscores the Baptizer’s call of “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” with “The Judge is standing at the door!” We also see in the Epistle the introduction of agricultural imagery for the return of Christ, this time as a farmer who is waiting patiently for his crops to bear fruit.
Historical Notes
Both the Epistle and Gospel are nearly unanimous, with 44 sources providing the Epistle as given here, 4 sources adding another verse to the end, and only Halberstadt 1511 ending a verse earlier. This slight difference may be due to the tendency to conclude Epistles with some variation of “our Lord Jesus Christ,” which is slightly difficult to do in this instance, given the word order found in the text. The majority use, which we have followed, remedies this difficulty by adjusting the order of the clauses in the final verse from
“My brethren,
take the prophets,
who spoke in the name of the Lord,
as an example of suffering and patience”
to
“My brethren,
take, as an example of suffering and patience,
the prophets,
who spoke in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The sources for the Gospel have only one outlier in Sarum 1516, which assigns Mark 1:1–8 instead.
Friday
Titus 2:1–10 / Luke 3:7–18
Textual Notes
The ministry of St. John the Baptist continues, this time from St. Luke’s Gospel, with a lively back-and-forth between the Baptizer and the crowds who have come to see the prophet in the wilderness. As he speaks to the succession of inquirers, he lays out a table of duties for everyone, each in his own station in life. In the paired Epistle, St. Paul provides his own, more broadly applicable, table of duties to the modern hearers who, like those in the Gospel, seek to “bear fruits worthy of repentance.”
Historical Notes
The Sunday lectionary usually demonstrates unanimity in its readings across both time and place, but the weekday lections can sometimes be just the opposite. The Wednesday readings after the First Sunday in Advent are unusually consistent for an ordinary weekday, but the Friday lections for today are, in some ways, a more typical example of the variety that can appear. Some sources provide only a Gospel and no Epistle, giving us a rather smaller pool from which to draw. So, for example, 50 of our sources provide a Gospel for this day, while only 27 provide an Epistle, the remainder assuming that you will repeat the Epistle from Sunday.
Of those 27 sources that provide an Epistle, there are 6 possibilities. The majority, totaling 17, assign Titus 2:1–10. Substantially less well-attested is Zechariah 9:9–14a, provided by 5 sources. Romans 13:11–14a and 1 Corinthians 7:20–24 are prescribed by 2 sources each, and Regensburg 1485 alone provides 2 Peter 3:8–14. These varying uses follow definite geographic distributions, as can be seen in the last map in this post.
The tradition followed here and on the other Fridays in Advent is that of the medieval majority, largely popular among our more southern sources. Another distinct tradition was followed by a small but consistent group in the northeast, which favored Epistles from the Prophets (in this case Zechariah) rather than the New Testament, a pattern that these sources also follow in Eastertide by prescribing readings from the Acts of the Apostles rather than the Pauline Epistles. Magdeburg 1613, our primary Lutheran source for weekday readings, sits squarely in the middle of this area, but uses the Epistle from the previous Sunday on Fridays, and so was unable to provide any direction.
The Gospels for Fridays tend to be more unified than the Epistles, and this Friday bears that out more than most. The Gospel from Luke 3 is provided in 49 sources without any variation, and only Sarum 1516 dissents, providing Matthew 3:1–6 instead.
Second Week in Advent
Sunday
Song of Songs 2:8b–14 / Romans 15:4–13 / Luke 21:25–33
Textual Notes
Somewhat unexpectedly, the predominating note in St. Luke’s Gospel for the day is one of hope. While the signs and distress and fear preceding the return of the Son of Man will make the hearts of many fail for fear, these are, for the Christian, like the buds on the trees that signal the approach of summer—not a cause for fear, but an encouragement that the winter of sin is coming to an end and that He is on His way. Likewise, the Epistle from Romans begins and ends with hope, a hope that is given to us by means of Holy Scripture. The Church is encouraged to see these signs of destruction as reminders that the kingdom of God is near, that even though everything else may give way, His words and promises will never pass away. In the words of a neglected stanza from Rejoice, All Ye Believers:
“It will not be much longer,
So slumber ye no more;
E’en now the trees are budding,
Fair spring puts out her flow’r
Foretelling times of quick’ning;
In ruddy evening skies
From far we spy fair morning,
And dark before it flies.”
For reasons discussed below, the existing LSB reading from Malachi, with its language of “the Sun of Righteousness” and the imagery of calves bounding out from their stalls needed to be replaced. The newly selected reading from Song of Songs reflects the same notes of joy and hope that are found in the Malachi pericope and in the Gospel for the day, as Christ the Bridegroom is shown leaping upon the mountains, coming once again to His Church, and even now standing just out of sight. The imagery of spring and summer found in the Gospel is also reiterated, together with a fig tree putting forth its fruit.
Historical Notes
The appointed Prophecy from Song of Songs is one of a very few that are entirely different from those found in LSB. The appointed Prophecy in LSB was once again a very appropriate choice—but this time so appropriate that it had already been appointed for three days later, on Wednesday of this week. As a result, a different Prophecy needed to be chosen. There were substantially differing points of view on the reading from Song of Songs, as its imagery is so striking and somewhat unexpected in Advent. This was undoubtedly one of the most discussed and debated assignments in the entirety of the temporal lectionary, so we are particularly interested in hearing your feedback. This particular selection from Song of Songs is the historic Epistle for the Visitation.
The Epistle from Romans is attested in 68 sources with no deviations.
The Gospel attestation is nearly unanimous, with 63 sources prescribing Luke 21:25–33, including all of our sixteenth and seventeenth century Lutheran sources. There are 3 sources currently in our database that add verses 34–36, all of them American Lutheran sources: KELG, TLH, and LSB. The combination of the medieval and early Lutheran witness, together with the historic assignment of Luke 21:34–36 to the Friday of Trinity X by 47 of 49 sources, resulted in the provided pericope.
Wednesday
Malachi 3:1–5; 4:1–6a / Matthew 11:11–15
Textual Notes
The Gospel recounts our Lord speaking about St. John the Baptist and his ministry, telling them that he is “Elijah who is to come.” The Epistle echoes the seasonal themes of the impending appearance of God, and promises that the Day of the Lord will be preceded by the sending of Elijah once again.
Historical Notes
There were 53 sources that provided an Epistle for this day. The Epistle from Malachi was broadly attested in substance, if not exactly in detail—of the 53 sources, 49 provided a cutting of Malachi, but there were no fewer than six distinct cuttings of the text, which you can see below.
31 for Malachi 3:1–5; 4:5–6a
7 for Malachi 3:1–5; 4:1–6a (including Magdeburg 1613)
5 for Malachi 3:1–5a; 4:1–6a
3 for Malachi 3:5a; 4:1–6a
2 for Malachi 3:1–4
1 for Malachi 3:1–5; 4:5–6 (Missale Germanicum 1568)
In the end, we opted for a minority cutting that encompasses everything and is attested to in Cantica Sacra 1613, the use of the Lutheran Cathedral in Magdeburg. Apart from Malachi, four other Epistles were attested, each with only a single source: 1 Thessalonians 2:1–8 (Basel c. 1479), Isaiah 41:27; 42:1–4, 6–10a, 13a (Sion c. 1420), Isaiah 42:1–9 (Halberstadt 1511), and Zechariah 8:3–8 (Sarum 1516).
A Gospel was provided by 53 sources, 49 of which provided Matthew 11:11–15. Various renderings of Mark 1 were provided by another three sources, with Halberstadt 1511 providing Mark 1:1–5, Utrecht 1495 providing Mark 1:1–8, and Würzburg 1493 providing Mark 1:2a–8. Verden 1510 alone prescribes Luke 21:34-36, the verses immediately following the Sunday Gospel.
Friday
2 Corinthians 3:18–4:5a / John 1:15–18
Textual Notes
The Gospel and Epistle together speak about the unveiling of the revelation of God, first through Moses, and then through our Lord. The Epistle’s language of “unveiled faces” follows directly on the heels of St. Paul’s discussion of how the veil of Moses is taken away in Christ. Interestingly, this places both Moses and Elijah in the same week as precursors to St. John the Baptist, a theme that will be repeated in the Ember Days in Lent, in which Moses and Elijah are depicted instead as types of Christ.
Historical Notes
As is the norm, the Friday Epistle is substantially less well-attested than the other readings in the week. There were a total of 29 sources that provided an Epistle, with 16 prescribing 2 Corinthians 3:18–4:5a. The northern tradition for Epistles on Fridays in Advent encountered last week continues with 7 sources providing Isaiah 28:16–22 this week, 3 with Romans 8:7–11, and one each with Isaiah 16:1, 5; 25:8b–10a (Regensburg 1485), Isaiah 62:6–12 (Sarum 1516), and Micah 4:6–7; 5:2, 4:5a (Nidaros 1519). We continue to follow the southern majority Friday Epistle tradition, as noted in the previous week.
A proper Gospel for the day is found in 51 sources, with 31 of those prescribing John 1:15–18. A substantial minority of 10 provide various renderings of Mark 1—as on Wednesday—with 6 prescribing Mark 1:1–8, only 2 prescribing Mark 1:4–8, and a final 2 prescribing Mark 1:2–8. A wide array of other less popular Gospels are provided, with 3 sources suggesting Luke 10:3b–11, another 2 suggesting Matthew 11:11–15, and one each providing the following: Matthew 1:1–16 (Murbach c. 800), Matthew 3:7–11 (Hamburg 1509), Matthew 24:27–31 (Munster 1520), Luke 12:22–31 (Basel c. 1479), Luke 17:20–37 (Strasbourg c. 1486), and Luke 7:28–35 (Halberstadt 1511). Rather unsurprisingly, we have followed the majority in providing John 1:15–18.
As the year goes on, the tallies of precisely which readings fell on which days may become fewer and farther between, but they are provided here so that you can have a sense of the historical usage that lies behind the readings we have provided for your use.
Third Week in Advent
Sunday
Isaiah 40:1–8 / 1 Corinthians 4:1–5 / Matthew 11:2–10
Textual Notes
While St. John the Baptist has been the focus of every weekday gospel thus far in Advent, this marks his first appearance on a Sunday. At this moment, St. John the Baptist is in prison, and sends two of his disciples to our Lord. The prevailing theme of the day seems to be the relationship between the messengers and those who send them, whether the messengers of St. John the Baptist going out to meet our Lord, St. John the Baptist as the messenger to prepare the way for Christ, or the Office of the Holy Ministry, as the means by which our Lord continues his work today.
While it would seem, by all appearances, that St. John the Baptist’s ministry has failed as he sits in prison, St. Paul in the Epistle from First Corinthians makes it clear that human judgment in this world is of no consequence, but only the judgments of God himself, when He comes again to “bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts.” The familiar words from Isaiah 40 speak to the task of the prophet, the one who comes on behalf of God, testifying that while “the grass withers and the flower fades, the word of our God stands forever.”
Historical Notes
The Prophecy, Isaiah 40:1–8, is widely suggested in various hymnals for either this or the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Following Lutheran Service Book, we have assigned it to this Sunday.
The Epistle is unanimously attested in 69 sources as 1 Corinthians 4:1–5, and Matthew 11:2–10 is found in 66 sources, with only the Comes Hieronymi dissenting and offering John 1:19b–28.
See the FAQs above for a brief explanation of why the number of sources for Epistle and Gospel rarely match up.
Ember Wednesday
Isaiah 2:2–5 / Isaiah 7:10–15 / Luke 1:26–38a
Textual Notes
The propers of the Ember Days of Advent are the last of the Advent weekdays to consistently recur every year, as Christmas Day could take place as soon as the Monday following. As such, the Church uses these days to take a brief detour from the Gospels concerning the witness of St. John the Baptist, and remind us instead of the chapters of the story that have led up to this point. Ember Wednesday gives us the account of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, together with two prophecies from Isaiah, one of which is the familiar prophecy from Isaiah 7: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” This same text from Isaiah 7 is also the traditional Epistle for the Feast of the Annunciation in March.
Historical Notes
Observing the Ember Days is a tradition of great antiquity in the Church’s liturgical life. A fuller explanation will have to wait for another time, but, in brief, the Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the Third Sunday in Advent, the First Sunday in Lent, the Feast of Pentecost, and the third Sunday in September (though, as the “first Sunday in September,” liturgically speaking, may actually occur in August, these are widely referred to as following the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th), roughly corresponding with the changes in the seasons. There are several liturgical peculiarities, but we will, for the moment, confine the discussion to what pertains to the lectionary. Ember Wednesdays always have three readings, with the Prophecy and Epistle generally from the Old Testament. Ember Fridays follow the more typical weekday arrangement of an Epistle and Gospel, with the Epistle generally from the Old Testament. Ember Saturdays are somewhat reminiscent of the more familiar Vigil of Easter, as the Mass begins after the Introit, Kyrie, and Collect with five Prophecies, the last always being a portion of the Prayer of Azariah, which leads directly into the singing of the Benedictus es, Domine, the briefer canticle that precedes the Benedicite omnia opera, all of which is followed by an Epistle and Gospel.
As a result of their great antiquity, the Ember Days tend to be as unanimous as Sundays in the assignment of their lections. The Prophecy of Isaiah 2:2–5 is attested by 60 sources, with Magdeburg 1613 alone adding another verse at the beginning and providing Isaiah 2:1–5. The Epistle is unanimously attested as Isaiah 7:10–15 in 60 sources, and the Gospel is unanimously attested as Luke 1:26–38a in 59 sources.
Ember Friday
Isaiah 11:1–5 / Luke 1:39–47
Textual Notes
The Church continues drawing our attention to the events preceding our Lord’s Nativity by providing us with the Gospel from Luke 1 recounting the Visitation. While the Epistle was undoubtedly chosen for its description of how the Spirit will rest on the Branch of Jesse, the language of “He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes” also carries a certain additional weight when paired with a Gospel that describes one unseen and unborn infant responding to another.
Historical Notes
The Epistle is unanimous in 61 sources, and the Gospel is unanimous in 59 sources.
Ember Saturday
Isaiah 19:20b–22 / Isaiah 35:1–7a / Isaiah 40:9–11a / Isaiah 45:1–8 / Prayer of Azariah 1:24–28 /
2 Thessalonians 2:1–8 / Luke 3:1–6
Textual Notes
It would be impossible to do the Ember Saturday Prophecies from Isaiah true justice, but at least a brief note is in order. The last phrases of the penultimate Prophecy, taken from Isaiah 45, speak about the skies “pouring down righteousness” and the earth bringing forth salvation, and are set in the immediate context of “I form the light and create darkness…” With the Genesis imagery in the immediate background, it seems possible that not just an image of plants and of growth is being evoked, but one of the righteousness of heaven raining down and suffusing the earth once again so that it might bring forth a new creature of earth who is, Himself, Salvation.
Following the Prophecies, the Epistle and Gospel return us to the familiar Advent pattern, with the Gospel recounting the beginning of the ministry of St. John the Baptist according to St. Luke and the Epistle from 2 Thessalonians speaking about the coming again of our Lord.
Historical Notes
The Prophecies, like the rest of the Ember Day lections, are either unanimous or approach unanimity. The Prophecy from Isaiah 19:20b–22 is universally attested by 61 sources.
The Prophecy from Isaiah 35:1–7a is universally attested by 61 sources.
The Prophecy from Isaiah 40:9–11a is attested by 60 sources, with the Missale Germanicum of 1568 dissenting by adding an extra half verse and providing Isaiah 40:9–11.
The Prophecy from Isaiah 45:1–8 is universally attested by 61 sources.
The Prophecy from Prayer of Azariah 1:26–27a, 24–25, 27b–28 is attested by 58 sources. The Comes Hieronymi extends the reading slightly to include a portion of the Benedictus es Domine (Prayer of Azariah 1:26–27a, 24–25, 27b–32) and Nidaros 1519 goes still further in including the lengthy Benedicite omnia opera. While these 60 sources agree in substance, Würzburg c. 700 alone provides an entirely different reading, opting instead for Isaiah 42:1, 3b, 4b, 6, 9a.
The Epistle from 2 Thessalonians 2:1–8 is unanimous in 60 sources, and the Gospel from Luke 3:1–6 is unanimous in 59 sources.
Fourth Week in Advent
Sunday
Deuteronomy 18:15–19 / Philippians 4:4–7 / John 1:19b–28
Textual Notes
From the very beginning of Advent, the expectation of the coming Christ has been at the forefront of our minds. And now, as St. John speaks to the crowds who have come out from Jerusalem to question him, he tells them that no, he is not the Christ, but the Christ is standing among them. The Prophecy from Deuteronomy uses some of the same language, as Moses tells the children of Israel that God will raise up a Prophet like him from their midst. The Epistle from Philippians 4, as a result, tells us to rejoice, for the Lord is finally at hand.
Historical Notes
The Epistle of Philippians 4:4–7 is unanimously attested in 68 sources.
The Gospel is unanimous in substance, if not in detail. Of the 66 sources that provide a Gospel for this day, 60 of them assign John 1:19b–28, and 6 Lutheran sources, some of them more recent, extend the pericope by a half verse at the beginning, providing instead John 1:19–28. The sixteenth and seventeenth century Lutheran sources are closely divided on the question, so we have opted for the older tradition.
Wednesday
2 Peter 3:8–14 / Matthew 3:7–11
Textual Notes
St. John the Baptist’s warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees that “every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” is amplified by the Epistle from 2 Peter, which tells us that the earth itself will be burned up entirely at the return of Christ, making way for new heavens and a new earth.
Historical Notes
The weekday readings for this last week are rather less well-attested than those of preceding weeks, and for good reason. The Wednesday readings aren’t read unless Christmas falls on a Friday or Saturday, and the Friday readings only if Christmas falls on a Sunday, as you can see in the chart below.
In spite of the relatively infrequent occurrence of these readings, an Epistle is provided by 37 sources in total. The substantial majority assign 2 Peter 3:8–14, with 23 sources in all. The rather distant second is Isaiah 30:18–23a, offered by 3 sources, and Zechariah 2:10–13 and 2 Corinthians 13:11, 14 are assigned by 2 sources each. The remaining readings, listed below, each appear in only one source.
Isaiah 51:4–8 (Halberstadt 1511)
Daniel 7:13–14 (Regensburg 1485)
Joel 2:23–24; 3:17–21 (Sarum 1516)
Ephesians 1:16–21 (Gniezno 1492)
2 Thessalonians 1:3–10a (Augsburg 1510)
1 John 4:11–16a (Passau 1491)
Isaiah 35:1–7a (Magdeburg 1613)
This particular day happens to give an illustrative example of how Magdeburg 1613 (properly Cantica Sacra), one of our primary Lutheran sources, adapts the received tradition. The 1503 missal from Magdeburg is one of those that provides nothing for this particular day, moving directly from the Fourth Sunday in Advent to the Vigil of the Nativity. But Magdeburg 1613, wanting to keep up the consistent rhythm of readings, provides Isaiah 35:1–7a from the preceding Ember Saturday, which it had not observed.
A Gospel is provided by 35 sources in total, with the substantial majority of 20 assigning Matthew 3:7–11 and another 4 sources appending an additional verse and providing Matthew 3:7–12. John 1:15–18 is provided by 4 more sources, and 2 sources provide Mark 1:1–8. The remaining readings, listed below, are found in only one source each.
Matthew 11:11–15 (Halberstadt 1511)
Mark 13:22–31 (Regensburg 1485)
Mark 13:33–37 (Nidaros 1519)
Luke 1:39–47 (Magdeburg 1613)
Luke 7:17–28 (Sarum 1516)
If you look through the minority readings for the Epistles and Gospels throughout the season of Advent, you’ll notice a lot of repetition. For instance, the Epistle assigned by the majority for today, 2 Peter 3:8–14, was assigned by Regensburg 1485 to Friday in the First Week of Advent, and by three other sources to Friday of this week. The Gospel for today, likewise, was assigned to Friday in the Second Week of Advent by Hamburg 1509, and to Friday of this week by Passau 1491. Among the minority Gospels suggested today were John 1:15–18 (Friday of Advent 2), Matthew 11:11–15 (Wednesday of Advent 2), Mark 1:1–8 (Friday of Advent 4), and Mark 13:33–37 (Friday of Trinity 27). If you were to go back through the minority readings on any other day, you would find much the same thing. There is a distinct sense across the vast majority of medieval uses that a consistent repertoire of readings existed for each season of the year, the only question being a matter of where exactly to place them.
Friday
James 4:17—5:7a / Mark 1:1–8
Textual Notes
While up to this point we have heard about the ministry of St. John the Baptist from Sts. Matthew, Luke, and John, we hear on this last feria of Advent from St. Mark, as St. John the Baptist once again sets about preaching and baptizing in the wilderness. The Epistle from St. James leaves us just where we began on Wednesday in the First Week in Advent: “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.”
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 24 sources in total. The most well-attested is James 4:17—5:7a, provided by 13 sources. Isaiah 30:27–30a and 2 Peter 3:8–14 are provided by 3 sources each, and the remaining Epistles, listed below, are appointed by one source each.
2 Thessalonians 2:1–8 (Magd1613)
2 Thessalonians 3:13–16 (Gniezno 1492)
Ezekiel 44:1–4a (Regensburg 1485)
Hebrews 10:19–25 (Augsburg 1510)
Zechariah 2:10–13 (Sarum 1516)
As on Wednesday of this week, we can see Magdeburg 1613 filling in the gaps of its medieval predecessor, this time appointing the Epistle and Gospel from Ember Saturday to this infrequently observed Friday. Of these 18 sources, 12 provide Mark 1:4–8, another 3 provide Mark 1:1–8, still another 2 provide Mark 1:2a–8, and Mark 1:2–8 is appointed by Bamberg 1490 alone. But that isn’t quite the entirety of the data. As mentioned in the historical notes for Wednesday, some readings appear again and again as minority uses, and Mark 1 is easily the most frequently suggested Gospel in Advent that had yet to find a proper home. Some of its other suggested days are listed below:
Wednesday of Advent I – 1 source (vv. 1–8)
Wednesday of Advent II – 3 sources (1 with vv. 1–8)
Friday of Advent II – 10 sources (6 with vv. 1–8)
Wednesday of Advent IV – 2 sources (both with vv. 1–8)
So while Mark 1:1–8 was a minority on this day, it was broadly attested through the rest of the season, and we made an editorial decision to include the lengthier reading. A portion of this reading will show up again on the Wednesday after Epiphany when Mark 1:4–11, recounting the Baptism of our Lord, is read. These two readings never occur in the same cycle, though, as Epiphany takes place on a Friday in the years that Friday of Advent IV is observed.
The other Gospels suggested for today are as follows:
9 for John 1:15–18
2 for Luke 7:18–28 (Metz 1458, Gniezno 1492)
Matthew 3:7–11 (Passau 1491)
Mark 8:15–26 (Sarum 1516)
Mark 13:33–37 (Regensburg 1485)
Luke 3:1–6 (Magdeburg 1613)
Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord
Isaiah 62:1–4a / Romans 1:1–6 / Matthew 1:18b–21
Textual Notes
The texts for the Vigil of the Nativity seem to have as their particular focus the long-awaited revelation of God to His people. The Prophecy declares that “the Gentiles shall see your righteousness,” and the Epistle speaks of the one who was “born of the seed of David according to the flesh.” In the Gospel, Joseph is addressed as the “son of David.” The Introit and Gradual, while not provided in these field testing materials, both paraphrase Exodus 16, saying, “This day ye shall know that the Lord will come, and save us: And in the morning shall ye see His glory.” The glory of God once manifested to Israel in the wilderness by means of bread from heaven will now appear to them once again on the following day in Bethlehem, the “house of bread,” when the Gospel from Luke 2:1–14, the first Gospel of the three Christmas masses, is read.
Historical Notes
The four masses for the Nativity of Our Lord are highly unusual in that each has three relatively universally attested readings. The Prophecy for the Vigil is attested in 54 sources as Isaiah 62:1–4a, and only Nidaros 1519 dissents with Isaiah 61:1–3; 62:11–12a, switching the Prophecies for the Vigil and Dawn masses.
The Epistle of Romans 1:1–6 is provided in 58 sources, and Augsburg 1510 alone diverges by providing Romans 1:1–7.
The Gospel of Matthew 1:18b–21 is unanimously attested in 59 sources.
Nativity of Our Lord at Midnight
Isaiah 9:2, 6–7a / Titus 2:11–15a / Luke 2:1–14
Textual Notes
The prevailing imagery in the first of the three Nativity masses is that of light shining in darkness. The Prophecy from Isaiah 9 tells us that “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined,” and the Epistle begins by speaking of the grace of God that has “appeared” (Ἐπεφάνη) to all men. The Gospel recounts the night becoming as bright as the day when the angels appear to the shepherds, making visible the glory of God that has been revealed in a more hidden fashion in the newborn Child, lying in a manger.
Historical Notes
The Prophecy is unanimously attested in substance in 57 sources, with 55 providing Isaiah 9:2, 6–7a and two sources, Germanicum 1568 and Lüttich 1499, providing Isaiah 9:2–7a.
The Epistle is unanimously attested in substance in 63 sources, with 58 providing Titus 2:11–15a. Some Lutheran sources provided slightly differing ending points to the Epistle, with 3 sources (Spangenberg 1545 [Latin], Spangenberg 1545 [German], and Luther 1526) providing a slightly longer pericope in Titus 2:11–15, and 2 (Magdeburg 1613 and the LCMS Kirchen-Gesangbuch) providing a slightly shorter pericope in Titus 2:11–14.
The Gospel of Luke 2:1–14 is unanimously attested in 65 sources.
Nativity of Our Lord at Dawn
Isaiah 61:1–3; 62:11–12a / Titus 3:4–7 / Luke 2:15b–20
Textual Notes
The readings at dawn begin to spell out the work of this newborn Child, with the Prophecy providing us with the same Isaiah passage that our Lord will read at the inauguration of His public ministry in Nazareth. The dawn Epistle from Titus 3 follows shortly after the midnight Epistle from Titus 2, speaking of the appearance of the kindness and love of God toward man: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” The Gospel at dawn follows directly on the heels of the Gospel heard at midnight and continues the Christmas narrative, relating the visit of the shepherds to the manger and how they “made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.”
Historical Notes
The Prophecy of Isaiah 61:1–3; 62:11–12a is attested in 55 sources, with only Nidaros differing by providing the Vigil Prophecy of Isaiah 62:1–4a instead.
The Epistle is universally attested in substance by 62 sources. A total of 60 sources provide Titus 3:4–7, but Luther 1526 abbreviates the lesson, providing Titus 3:4–6, and Spangenberg 1545 (German) lengthens it, providing Titus 3:4–8a.
The Gospel is again universally attested in substance, this time in 61 sources. The vast majority of 59 provide Luke 2:15b–20, with only Luther 1526 and Spangenberg 1545 (German) adding a half verse at the beginning and providing Luke 2:15–20.
Nativity of Our Lord in the Day
Isaiah 52:6–10 / Hebrews 1:1–12 / John 1:1–14
Textual Notes
The Christmas Day mass emphasizes the eternal and divine nature of the Child who has just been born. The Gospel speaks of the existence of the Son from all eternity, as well as His work of creation in the beginning: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” The Epistle from Hebrews describes this Child as the one “through whom also [God] made the worlds,” and repeatedly quotes the Psalter concerning the eternity and divinity of the Son. The Prophecy tells of the Word who was spoken in the very beginning, and who is once again speaking, proclaiming peace and “glad tidings of good things.”
Historical Notes
All of the readings for Christmas Day are attested unanimously without any deviation: the Prophecy of Isaiah 52:6–10 by 58 sources, the Epistle of Hebrews 1:1–12 by 64 sources, and the Gospel of John 1:1–14 by 63 sources.
Rather perplexingly, Lutheran Service Book changes two of these three readings in its one year lectionary, while retaining the traditional readings, in substance, in its three year lectionary.
St. Stephen
2 Chronicles 24:17–22 / Acts 6:8–10; 7:54–60 / Matthew 23:34–39
Textual Notes
The Gospel for the day brings to our attention our Lord’s lament over Jerusalem, mourning the way in which the messengers of God have been treated by the people of God, both in the past and in the years to come. The Epistle recounts an abbreviated account of St. Stephen’s martyrdom, proving the truth of our Lord’s prophecy.
Historical Notes
The Prophecy for St. Stephen is a modern invention. For these instances in which a feast was of a sufficient rank to displace a Sunday, we opted to provide the now familiar custom of three readings. In many instances, as today, this took the form of adding a Prophecy from the Old Testament. These third readings are provided with the expectation that they will likely be used on Sundays but not on weekdays, which more typically have two readings anyway.
The Epistle had a variety of cuttings, with all 64 sources trying in slightly differing ways to provide an abbreviated pericope from the beginning of Acts 6 and the end of Acts 7. The closing portion of this pericope always begins at 7:54, with the phrase “When they heard these things…” beginning the second half of the Epistle. The majority of 60, which we have followed, thus reads, in part, as follows: “And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke…When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart.” In this pericope, the “things” that caused the mob to be cut to the heart were the words of St. Stephen.
Spangenberg 1545 (German) lengthens the first section, providing Acts 6:8–14; 7:54–60. As a result, the text reads: ” ‘We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.’….When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart.” In this pericope, the referent of the “things” that caused the mob to be cut to the heart were their own words, which is not at all the sense of the actual text.
The LCMS Kirchen-Gesangbuch follows a similar approach, providing one verse more in the first section with Acts 6:8–15; 7:54–60, reading as follows: ” ‘We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.’ And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel….When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart.” In this pericope, the referent of “these things” is still more obscured.
Two other sources were relatively obscure in their prescription. Luther 1526, for example, notes that the pericope should begin at Acts 6:8, be read to an unidentified point, and then resume with 7:54–60. As Luther was working with the established tradition above that we have followed, it seems likely that he would have continued the medieval use, but it’s difficult to say with certainty, so he was not included in the total above. Magdeburg 1613 has a similar complication, noting, as Luther, that the pericope should begin at Acts 6:8 and continue to an unspecified point before jumping to 7:54, but Magdeburg differs from all other sources in extending the second portion of the pericope to 8:1a.
Happily, the Gospel of Matthew 23:34–39 was provided unanimously by 63 sources.
St. John
Sirach 15:1–2a, 3–6 / 1 John 1:1—2:2 / John 21:19b–24
Textual Notes
At the end of the Church Postil on Sirach for this day, Dr. Luther says, “This epistle lesson harmonizes beautifully with the Gospel selection. Here Righteousness receives the individual as a virtuous mother receives her child, or the bride her bridegroom. Thus, too, Christ took John to His breast as the beloved disciple. In both selections the nature of faith is commended and illustrated.” The modern addition of 1 John 1 provides the words of the saint commemorated on this day, and its language is closely connected with the prologue to St. John’s Gospel, heard only two days prior on Christmas morning, and thus connects not only to the saint but also the season.
Historical Notes
The Prophecy from Sirach 15 is, properly speaking, the historic Epistle, and is unanimously attested by 65 sources. Like the Epistle for St. Stephen, however, the exact details of the text varied somewhat among Lutherans. The majority cutting of Sirach 15:1–2a, 3–6, which we have followed, is attested by 59 sources, including Magdeburg 1613 and the Missale Germanicum of 1568. The slightly lengthier pericope of Sirach 15:1–6 is attested in four sources: Luther 1526, Spangenberg 1545 (Latin), Spangenberg 1545 (German), as well as Trier 1547, a non-Lutheran source. A still lengthier pericope of Sirach 15:1–8 is one of the two possible Epistles provided in the German language tradition of the LCMS for St. John.
The Epistle provided here is a modern invention, as the Feast of St. John originally had only two readings, the Epistle from Sirach and the Gospel from John. In many places, the new third reading took the form of adding a Prophecy from the Old Testament, but when the existing Epistle was from the Old Testament, it was re-designated as a Prophecy and a New Testament Epistle was provided. These third readings are provided with the expectation that they will likely be used on Sundays but not on weekdays, which more typically have two readings anyway.
The provided Epistle from 1 John follows LSB and one of the Epistles listed for the day in the LCMS Kirchen-Gesangbuch.
The Gospel of John 21:19b–24 is provided by 61 sources, and the LCMS Kirchen-Gesangbuch abbreviates it slightly, providing John 21:20–24.
Holy Innocents
Exodus 1:8–22 / Revelation 14:1–5 / Matthew 2:13b–18
Textual Notes
The murderous King Herod who takes the lives of the infant sons of Bethlehem is juxtaposed with the murderous Pharaoh who does his best to kill the infant sons of the Hebrews in Egypt, calling to mind also the broader Moses and Christ typology in the background of the beginning of St. Matthew’s Gospel. The Holy Innocents are shown among the triumphant martyrs in the Epistle, singing before the throne of the Lamb.
Historical Notes
The Prophecy of Exodus 1:8–22 was taken from the LSB field testing materials, as the Jeremiah 31 reading was placed instead on the Vigil of the Epiphany.
The Epistle of Revelation 14:1–5 is unanimously attested by 58 sources.
The Gospel of Matthew 2:13b–18 is attested by 55 sources, with the Comes Hieronymi and Würzburg c. 700 providing the slightly longer Matthew 2:13b–23.
The Circumcision of Our Lord
Genesis 17:3b–14 / Galatians 3:23–29 / Luke 2:21
Textual Notes
At a tender eight days of age, our Lord sheds His blood for the first time, beginning His work of fulfilling the Law on our behalf. The Prophecy recounts the covenant of circumcision as it was made with Abraham, and the Epistle from St. Paul points us toward the promise of Holy Baptism, by which we are “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Historical Notes
The Prophecy of Genesis 17:3b–14 was adapted from the LSB field testing materials, which provided Genesis 17:1–14, because the proper focus of the day is on the Circumcision and not the Name of Jesus, which was observed separately in a number of places on the octave of this octave — January 8.
An Epistle for this day was provided by 65 sources. Of these 65 sources, an Epistle from Galatians 3 was attested in 43 sources. The medieval majority and some Lutherans appointed Galatians 3:23—4:2, totaling 42. The shorter reading of Galatians 3:23–29 is attested by 4 Lutheran sources, including Ludecus 1589, Luther 1526, Spangenberg (German) 1545, and KELG. Another 13 sources provided Titus 2:11–15a, 6 more, largely Baltic, Slavic, and Scandivian sources, provided Titus 3:4–7. A further 3 sources provided Colossians 1:25–28.
The Gospel is unanimously attested once again in substance, but not in detail, by 66 sources. The overwhelming majority of 64 sources prescribe Luke 2:21, with the Comes Hieronymi and Würzburg c. 700 alone providing Luke 2:21–32.
Vigil of the Epiphany
Jeremiah 31:15–17 / Romans 3:19–26 / Matthew 2:19–23
Textual Notes
The Vigil of the Epiphany is the final day of Christmas and so retains the Preface of the Nativity. The mass itself forms something of a bridge between Christmas and Epiphany. The minor propers largely follow the Christmas Dawn mass, Lux fulgebit, with the prevalent language of light not only tying it back to Christmas, but looking forward to the star followed by the Magi in the Gospel for the following day. The appointed Gospel for this day is not in chronological sequence with the visit of the Magi on Epiphany, but serves here to conclude the narrative thread begun on the feast of the Holy Innocents on the last of the twelve days of Christmas with the return of the Holy Family to Nazareth. The Prophecy from Jeremiah 31, in connection with the Gospel, speaks of the children of Rachel coming back from the land of the enemy to their own country. The Epistle, in contrast to the other readings, is thematically connected rather more toward the approaching Epiphany season, also being widely appointed for Wednesday of Epiphany I, speaking of the revelation of the righteousness of God.
Historical Notes
When the Vigil of the Epiphany occurs on a Sunday, it is the proper mass for the day, and so a Prophecy has been provided.
An Epistle was provided by 61 sources in total, with 32 providing Romans 3:19–26. Another 27 sources provided Titus 3:4–7, the Epistle from the Christmas Dawn mass. Titus 2:11–15a is provided by Sion c. 1420 alone, and Magdeburg 1613 prescribes Jeremiah 31:15–17, which we have provided as the Prophecy.
The Gospel is attested universally in substance, with Matthew 2:19–23 appointed in 59 sources and only one source extending the reading to Matthew 2:13–23.
Epiphany
Isaiah 60:1–6 / Ephesians 3:2–12 / Matthew 2:1–12
Textual Notes
The Gospel recounts the visit of the Magi to the infant Christ, the first Gentiles to come and pay homage to the infant King. The Isaiah reading provides the theological interpretation of the Gospel, with the light of Christ illuminating the darkness of the world and drawing even those outside the nation of Israel to Himself. The modern Epistle from Ephesians has St. Paul offering still more clarification: that the Gentiles are made fellow heirs in Christ.
Historical Notes
The historic Epistle for the Epiphany is Isaiah 60:1–6, attested in 67 sources, though Missale Germanicum 1568 extends the reading, providing Isaiah 60:1–9. When three readings are desired, the Isaiah reading is re-designated as the Prophecy, and Ephesians 3:2–12 is read as the Epistle instead. This Epistle selection, following Lutheran Book of Worship, is one verse shorter than what is provided in Lutheran Service Book, and provides a more natural beginning to the text.
The Gospel is unanimously attested by 66 sources.
Wednesday
Isaiah 51:3–8 / Mark 1:4–11
Textual Notes
The weekdays following the Epiphany of Our Lord provide the accounts of His baptism from each of the four Gospels, with today’s Gospel providing St. Mark’s version of the story. The Epistle from Isaiah tells us that the salvation of YHWH will endure forever, and the voice of God the Father coming down from heaven in the Gospel shows us that Jesus, emerging from the Jordan, is Himself the righteousness and salvation of God that has gone forth.
Historical Notes
The historical data for the Wednesday and Friday after Epiphany are rather scattered, and they were, as a result, one of the last sets of assignments to be made. The paucity of historical data represented here does not include another parallel tradition, which had largely the same sets of readings shifted to one week later. An Epistle for this Wednesday was provided in a total of 4 sources, each one different. Breslau 1483 provides Isaiah 60:7–14, Magdeburg 1613 (repeating the Vigil of the Epiphany) provides Jeremiah 31:15–17, Lund 1514 provides Romans 1:7b–12, and Tournai 1498 provides Romans 3:19–26. As a result of this scattered witness, we felt free to provide instead Isaiah 51:3–8, an unused minority reading attested by a couple of sources in Advent.
The Gospel is attested by 8 sources in total, with substantial agreement in content. All but one provide an account of the Baptism of Our Lord, though three different Gospels are represented in the sources on this day. Both Mark 1:4–11 and John 1:29–34 were prescribed by 3 sources each, and one source each provided Luke 3:21–23a; 4:1a (Hamburg 1509) and Matthew 2:19–23 (Magdeburg 1613, repeating the Vigil of the Epiphany). As the Gospel from St. John was very well-attested in the following week and had already been assigned there, Mark 1:4–11 was chosen.
Friday
Zechariah 2:10–13 / Luke 3:21–23a; 4:1a
Textual Notes
The Epistle from Zechariah describes God coming to dwell in the midst of His people, and to join many nations to Himself — a prophecy that is fulfilled as the Son of God stands in the Jordan River in human flesh, instituting the washing by which people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation will be joined to the fellowship of the Holy Trinity, and finally come to stand before God forever.
Historical Notes
As on Wednesday, the witnesses to the Epistle are quite scattered. An Epistle for this day was assigned by 4 sources, with each one providing a different pericope. The Epistles offered were Isaiah 60:1–6 (Magdeburg 1613 repeating Epiphany), Ephesians 1:13b–18 (Lund 1514), Colossians 1:25–28 (Breslau 1483), and 1 John 5:1–3 (Tournai 1498). As all of these were attested only once, and had already been assigned homes elsewhere, we chose instead Zechariah 2:10–13, an unused reading from the final week in Advent.
The appointed Gospels for this day were once again poorly attested overall, with 6 sources providing a Gospel for the occasion. Of these, two sources each provided Matthew 3:13–17 (Brandenburg 1494, Havelberg 1489) and Matthew 4:12–17 (Tournai 1498 and Breslau 1483), and one source each provided Mark 1:4–11 (Lund 1514) and Matthew 2:1–12 (Magdeburg 1613, repeating Epiphany). Of these Gospels, all were well-attested on other days and had already been assigned. As half of the sources provided an account of the Baptism of Our Lord for this day, we assigned the unused Luke baptism narrative from Wednesday.
Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany
Isaiah 42:1–9 / Romans 12:1–6a / Luke 2:42–52
Textual Notes
The Gospel for today recounts the Boy Jesus in the temple, attending to the things of His Father, much to the consternation of His mother and St. Joseph. The Epistle from Romans has St. Paul exhorting us toward much the same thing — to present ourselves to our Father as a living sacrifice, not being conformed to the things of this world or the priorities and demands it would place on us, but being transformed by renewed minds, being dedicated wholly to the things of our Father. The Prophecy from Isaiah speaks of the coming ministry of this Boy, only twelve years old, as the one who will open the blind eyes and bring the prisoners out of darkness, even now beginning as He comes to His temple and speaks with the teachers of His people.
Historical Notes
The appointed Prophecy differs from Lutheran Service Book and was taken from the use of the Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche (SELK).
The Epistle was attested by 64 sources in total, all of which agreed in substance. The medieval use, attested by 58 sources, was Romans 12:1–5. The Lutherans, however, tended to lengthen the pericope to Romans 12:1–6a, as found in 6 sources, and we followed the Lutheran use.
The Gospel was attested by 63 sources in total, with 60 appointing Luke 2:42–52 and 3 beginning the reading slightly earlier, instead providing Luke 2:41–52.
Wednesday
Romans 3:19–26 / Matthew 3:13–17
Textual Notes
In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he tells us that “the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed,” and we see St. Matthew’s description of our Lord’s baptism as taking place at the hands of St. John the Baptist to “fulfill all righteousness.”
Historical Notes
An Epistle was provided by 46 sources in total, with 30 appointing Romans 3:19–26, another 7 appointing Romans 1:7b–12, only 2 providing Hebrews 3:1b–6, and one source each providing Isaiah 60:7–9 (Salzburg 1498), Isaiah 60:7–14 (Lebus c. 1491), Romans 6:12–18 (Basel c. 1479), Romans 10:1–4 (Sarum 1516), Romans 16:25–27 (Augsburg 1510), Colossians 1:25–28 (Tournai 1498), and 2 Thessalonians 3:13–16 (Passau 1491).
A Gospel was provided by 47 sources in total, with John 1:29–34 provided by 26, Matthew 3:13–17 provided by 14, Matthew 4:12–17 provided by 6, and Luke 4:14–22a provided by Tournai 1498 alone. As the Lutheran sources in our database followed the more northern use and appointed John 1:29–34 for the Octave of the Epiphany and Matthew 3:13–17 for this day, we followed suit.
Friday
2 Thessalonians 3:13–16 / Matthew 4:12–17
Textual Notes
The Gospel for today moves on from the Baptism of Our Lord, momentarily jumping over His temptation in the wilderness (assigned to the First Sunday in Lent), and tells us about the beginning of His ministry in Galilee, as He preaches repentance before the coming kingdom of heaven, fulfilling the words of the Prophet Isaiah that were read only three weeks ago at Christmas Midnight. The Epistle tells us that this same repentance should be continued in our own midst, as we admonish one another toward obedience to the Holy Scriptures.
Historical Notes
An Epistle was appointed by 25 sources in all. Of these, 2 Thessalonians 3:13–16 was appointed by 12, Romans 2:11–16 by 6, and one source each appointed Romans 1:7b–12 (Brixen 1511), Romans 2:11–29 (Hildesheim 1499), Romans 12:1–6a (Magdeburg 1613, repeating the Sunday Epistle), Romans 13:1–6 (Sarum 1516), Colossians 1:25–28 (Lebus c. 1491), Hebrews 3:1b–6 (Prague 1498), and 1 John 5:1–3 (Bremen 1511).
A Gospel was appointed by 44 sources, with 36 appointing Matthew 4:12–17, 3 appointing Luke 4:14–22a, and one each appointing Matthew 4:23–25a (Hildesheim 1499), Mark 1:9–11 (Passau 1491), Mark 6:1–6a (Tournai 1498), John 1:15–18 (Utrecht 1495), and John 6:27–35 (Metz 1458).
Octave of the Epiphany
Isaiah compilation / Ephesians 1:13b–18 / John 1:29–34
Textual Notes
The Octave of the Epiphany recounts the Baptism of Our Lord for the fourth and final time, this time according to St. John’s Gospel. The Epistle describes how we, in turn, are sealed by the Holy Ghost in Baptism, and the Prophecy draws together a great many texts from Isaiah that prophesy the coming of the Christ and the re-creating waters of Holy Baptism.
Historical Notes
The Octave of the Epiphany is the basis for our modern observance of the “Baptism of Our Lord.” Octave days with assigned propers tend to unfold a further aspect of the original feast. The feast of the Nativity, for example, is followed on its octave by the Circumcision of Our Lord, which shows the infant Christ beginning to fulfill the Law on our behalf. Likewise, the octave of Easter shows us something of the nature of our Lord’s resurrected body as He greets His frightened apostles in the upper room. On the Octave of the Epiphany, the Baptism is celebrated as the second of the three great revelations of God in the person of Jesus, following after the visit of the Magi and preceding the wedding at Cana.
An Epistle is provided for this day by 59 sources, with 58 of these, including Magdeburg 1613, prescribing the eclectic compilation reading from Isaiah that begins at 25:1. The sole dissenter is the Missale Germanicum of 1568, which instead prescribes Isaiah 25:1–12.
A Gospel is provided by 58 sources, of which 39 prescribe Matthew 3:13–17 and 19 prescribe John 1:29–34. The Lutheran sources in our database followed the more northern practice of reading John 1:29–34 on this day, and we have followed suit. Interestingly, some of our oldest sources, the Comes Hieronymi and the Comes of Murbach, share the same tradition.
Second Sunday after Epiphany
Amos 9:11–15 / Romans 12:6–16a / John 2:1–11
Textual Notes
In the Gospel for today, we see a wedding feast that has run out of wine. Wine is, of course, freighted in Holy Scripture with any number of shades of meaning, a prominent one being wine as a symbol of eschatological plenty and abundance. And so when our Lord provides the wedding party with an enormous amount of wine of the very best quality, it calls to mind prophecies like that of Amos, speaking of the restoration of the people of God: “The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills flow with it.”
The wine in today’s Gospel is not, however, provided for just any event, but for a wedding. The images of marriage and eschatological plenty placed side by side quickly call to mind the marriage feast of the Lamb in Revelation, in which God finally draws His people back to Himself forever. Even now, through the Church, He draws together the scattered peoples into the one Body of Christ, an image of which is given in St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. You might see St. Paul describing the array of guests who will one day sit in that wedding hall serving the Church here and now, each with his own gifts and talents, each offering his own distinct contribution, rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep, and being of the same mind toward one another.
Historical Notes
The Epistle is attested by 66 sources in total, with 65 sources providing Romans 12:6–16a, and Alcuin alone dissenting with 1 Timothy 1:15–17.
The Gospel is attested by 64 sources in total. John 2:1–11 is provided in 62 sources, and Luther’s 1526 lectionary extends the reading slightly to John 2:1–12. Matthew 13:13–17 is provided by Basel c. 1479 alone.
Wednesday
Colossians 1:25–28 / Luke 4:14–22a
Textual Notes
In the Epistle from Colossians St. Paul speaks of “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” Alongside this Epistle, we have the description of our Lord’s inaugural sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth, as the revelation of the Son of God continues to unfold in the sight of His countrymen, as it will throughout the remainder of the Epiphany season.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 55 sources in total. Colossians 1:25–28 is prescribed by 43 sources, and the slightly longer cutting of Colossians 1:23b–28 is prescribed by 6 sources. Ephesians 1:13b–18 is provided by 2 sources (Olmütz 1488 and Hildesheim 1499), as is 1 Timothy 1:15–17 (Metz 1458 and Sarum 1516). The remaining readings are attested by one source each: 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (Breslau 1483) and Hebrews 3:1b–6 (Tournai 1498).
A Gospel is prescribed for the day by 53 sources in total. Luke 4:14–22a is found in 43 sources, Mark 6:1–6a in 4 sources, Matthew 4:12–17 in 2 sources (Strasbourg c. 1486 and Sion c. 1420), and the remaining readings are found in one source each: Matthew 4:23–25a (Tournai 1498), Mark 1:40–44 (Gniezno 1492), Luke 4:31–37 (Lübeck 1486), and John 4:43–46a (Prague 1498).
As we go through the Epiphany season, you will notice that in Epiphany, as in Advent, the readings attested for the various Sundays and weekdays form a distinct unit, and while the various sources will prescribe different readings for different days, they are largely drawing from the same pool of pericopes. So, for example, in the minority readings for this day, Wednesday of Epiphany 2, the Ephesians 1 reading is assigned to the Octave of the Epiphany, the 1 Timothy 1 reading will be assigned to Wednesday of Epiphany 3, the 1 Corinthians 1 reading finds its home on Wednesday of Epiphany 5. Of the minority Epistles for today, only the Hebrews 3 reading will not be read in Epiphany, instead being heard on the Friday of Trinity 15.
The Gospels for the season function in a similar way. The Gospel from Mark 6 will be heard on the last Wednesday in Epiphany, Matthew 4:12–17 was already read on the Friday of Epiphany 1, Matthew 4:23–25a will be read on Wednesday of Epiphany 3, and Luke 4:31–37 will be read only two days later, on Friday of Epiphany 2. Only two of the seven Gospels suggested for the day will not find a place in Epiphany. Mark 1:40–44 will fall outside of Epiphany and be included in the reading of Mark 1:40–45 on the Wednesday of Trinity 14, and John 4:43–46a is not included anywhere in the lectionary.
Friday
1 Timothy 4:9–16 / Luke 4:31–37
Textual Notes
We hear from St. Luke that the people of Capernaum were astonished at the authority with which our Lord is teaching, and at the miracles that He is performing in their midst. St. Paul, in his first Epistle to Timothy, encourages Timothy and all those who follow in our Lord’s footsteps, knowing that they will sometimes be received in much the same way: “Let no one despise your youth.”
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 29 sources in total. 1 Timothy 4:9–16 is assigned by 12 sources, 1 Timothy 1:15–17 by 5, Colossians 1:25–28 by 3, Romans 1:8–12 by 2 (Lebus c. 1491 and Breslau 1483), and Romans 5:8–11a also by 2 (Augsburg 1510 and Regensburg 1485). Several Epistles are assigned by only one source: Romans 12:6–16a (Magdeburg 1613, repeating Sunday), Romans 14:14–23 (Sarum 1516), Ephesians 2:1–6 (Lund 1514), and 1 Timothy 4:7b–10 (Alcuin c. 800).
A Gospel is included by 52 sources in total. Mark 6:1–6a is provided by 18 sources, Luke 4:31–37 by 16 sources, including two Lutheran sources (Magdeburg 1613, Missale Germanicum 1568) and the Comes of Murbach (c. 800), which we have followed rather than the majority. A further 9 sources provide Mark 6:1–5, and 3 sources each prescribe Matthew 4:23–25a and Luke 4:14–22a. The remaining Gospels are provided by one source each: Matthew 21:23–27 (Utrecht 1495), Mark 1:40–45 (Breslau 1483), and Luke 5:12–15 (Tournai 1498).
Third Sunday after Epiphany
2 Kings 5:1–15b / Romans 12:16b-21 / Matthew 8:1–13
Textual Notes
The Epistle for today addresses the natural enmities and mistrusts that so easily can keep us from one another, and St. Paul encourages us to “live peaceably with all men,” doing good even to our enemies.
We see our Lord illustrating this for us in the Gospel, which recounts the healing of two individuals: the healing of a leper, and of the centurion’s servant. Both of these are outside the normal confines of Jewish society, the leper being unclean and required to keep his distance, and the centurion a member of the occupying Roman army. But St. Matthew recounts for us the faith of both, and our Lord, seeing the faith of the centurion, says to those following Him, “Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” The revelation of God to the Gentiles, set before us first at the arrival of the Magi, will grow far beyond the confines of Israel.
The Prophecy from 1 Kings shows us an instance from the Old Testament of Elisha doing much as our Lord did in the Gospel, and healing Naaman, who is both a Syrian and a leper.
Historical Notes
The Epistle is unanimously attested in 66 sources, and the Gospel unanimously in 65.
Wednesday
1 Timothy 1:15–17 / Matthew 4:23–25a
Textual Notes
The quite brief Gospel for today gives a rather broad description of how our Lord goes about teaching and working miracles of healing among the people of Galilee, and how that fame spreads even to Syria, showing once again the revelation of God expanding to the Gentiles. St. Paul states our Lord’s purpose simply: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Whether Jew or Gentile, Israelite or Syrian, our Lord has come for all people.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is attested by 53 sources in total. Of these, 42 provide 1 Timothy 1:15–17, another 7 provide Hebrews 3:1b–6, and the remainder are attested by one source each: Romans 5:18–21 (Tournai 1498), Romans 15:30–33 (Sarum 1516), 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (Halberstadt 1511), and Colossians 1:25–28 (Metz 1458).
A Gospel is provided for the day by 53 sources in total, of which 23 provide Matthew 4:23–25a. Another 16 prescribe Mark 3:1–5, and 3 more supply John 1:43–51. Two sources each provide Luke 4:31–37 (Münster 1520 and Minden 1513) and Luke 5:12–15 (Olmütz 1488 and Hildesheim 1499), and the remainder are attested in only one source each: Mark 1:40–44 (Passau 1491), Mark 1:40–45 (Prague 1498), Mark 6:1–6a (Lebus c. 1491), Mark 10:13–16 (Meissen 1502), Luke 4:14–22a (Verden 1510), Luke 9:57–62 (Tournai 1498), and John 4:43–46a (Breslau 1483).
Friday
1 Corinthians 7:1b–9 / Mark 3:6–15
Textual Notes
The Gospel appointed for Wednesday told us of Our Lord’s healing and teaching miracles, and today’s Gospel sees the appointing of the twelve apostles to go out and continue His work of preaching, healing, and casting out demons, by which the kingdom of God will eventually go out into all the world.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 27 sources in total. 12 prescribe 1 Corinthians 7:1b–9, another 4 suggest 2 Thessalonians 3:13–16, and three sources each prescribe Romans 2:11–16 and Ephesians 2:1–6. The remainder are attested by one source each: Romans 12:16b–21 (Magdeburg 1613, repeating Sunday), 1 Corinthians 3:16–23 (Sarum 1516), 2 Corinthians 3:17–4:2 (Regensburg 1485), Colossians 1:3–9 (Luke 5:12–15), and 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10a (Brixen 1511).
A Gospel is provided by 51 sources in total. Of these, Mark 3:6–15 is prescribed by 15, including the Missale Germanicum of 1568, Magdeburg’s Cantica Sacra of 1613, and the Comes of Murbach, c. 800. Another 13 sources indicate Luke 5:12–15, a further 12 appoint Matthew 4:23–25a, and Mark 1:40–44 is provided by 5 sources. Mark 3:1–5 is suggested by 3 sources, the the following are appointed by one source each: Mark 10:13–16 (Tournai 1498), Mark 1:40–45 (Utrecht 1495), and John 1:43–53 (Lüttich 1499).
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Jonah 1:1–17 / Romans 13:8–10 / Matthew 8:23–27
Textual Notes
In the rather brief Gospel, our Lord calms the wind and the waves while His disciples are overcome with fear. The Prophecy recounts the account of Jonah fleeing from God’s command to preach to Ninevah, and the subsequent calming of the sea when he is thrown into the ocean and swallowed by the great fish.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 65 sources in total, with 64 of those sources prescribing Romans 13:8–10. Only the 1568 Missale Germanicum differs in providing Romans 13:8, and it seems quite possible that this was a mistake in the original source.
The appointed Gospel is unanimous in 64 sources.
Wednesday
Romans 5:18–21 / Luke 9:57–62
Textual Notes
The Gospel for the day shows the cost of following our Lord and preaching the kingdom of God, but the Epistle reminds us that the apostolic ministry, whatever costs and challenges it may entail, is the proclamation of God’s free grace through the obedience of our Lord, the proclamation of grace reigning even to eternal life.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 51 sources in total, with 36 of those sources offering Romans 5:18–21, another 9 sources prescribing Romans 5:12–17, and 2 sources suggesting 1 Timothy 1:15–17 (Bremen 1511 and Tournai 1498). Four more possibilities are provided by one source each: 1 Corinthians 7:1b–5 (Sarum 1516), 1 Corinthians 15:49–57 (Metz 1458), 1 Thessalonians 2:9–12 (Sion c. 1420), and Hebrews 3:1b–6 (Würzburg c. 700).
A Gospel for the day is assigned by 50 sources in total. Of these, 26 provide Luke 9:57–62, another 9 provide Mark 6:1–6a, still 8 more provide Luke 4:31–37, and 3 provide Matthew 11:25–30. Another four possibilities are provided by one source each: Matthew 9:18–26 (Würzburg c. 700), Matthew 13:24–30 (Tournai 1498), Mark 6:1–5 (Basel c. 1479), and Luke 5:12–15 (Sion c. 1420).
Friday
Colossians 4:2–6 / Mark 10:13–16
Textual Notes
In the Gospel for the day, our Lord takes up little children in His arms to bless them, even as the disciples rebuke and discourage them. The Epistle exhorts us to be unlike the disciples in this instance, not discouraging those who would seek after our Lord, whoever they may be, but instead offering speech that is filled with grace, praying that God would open a door for the proclamation of His word.
Historical Notes
A total of 27 sources assign an Epistle for the day. Colossians 4:2–6 is provided by 14 sources, Romans 5:15b–17 is provided by 4, and Colossians 1:3–9 is provided by 2 (Brandenburg 1494 and Hildesheim 1499). Another 7 Epistles are assigned by one source each: Romans 1:8–12 (Olmütz 1488), Romans 13:8–10 (Magdeburg 1613, repeating Sunday), 1 Corinthians 2:1–7a (Regensburg 1485), 1 Corinthians 7:20–24 (Sarum 1516), 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10a (Lund 1514), 1 Thessalonians 1:2–6 (Schwerin 1479), and Hebrews 3:1b–6 (Brixen 1511).
A Gospel is provided for the day by a total of 49 sources. Mark 10:13–16 is the most common with 17 sources, but is closely followed by Luke 9:57–62, which is assigned by 14 sources. Mark 4:24–34 is appointed by 7 sources, Luke 4:38–43a by 4 sources, and the remaining 7 sources each provide a different Gospel: Matthew 8:23–27 (Magdeburg 1613), Mark 1:40–45 (Utrecht 1495), Mark 2:13–17 (Olmütz 1488), Mark 4:24–34a (Hildesheim 1499), Mark 6:1–5 (Strasbourg c. 1486), Luke 14:12–15 (Breslau 1483), and John 1:43–51 (Tournai 1498).
Transfiguration of Our Lord
Exodus 34:29–35 / 2 Peter 1:16–21 / Matthew 17:1–9
Textual Notes
As Peter, James, and John look on in wonder, our Lord is shining like the sun and conversing with Moses and Elijah, the two great prophets of the Old Testament. The Prophecy for the day recounts Moses’ own glorious transfiguration after he spoke with God on Sinai, his face shining so brightly that the children of Israel were afraid to come near him. The Epistle from 2 Peter provides us with St. Peter’s interpretation of what he saw on the mountain.
Historical Notes
The occasion on which the Transfiguration account was most traditionally read in the Western Church was on Ember Saturday in Lent. In the middle of the fifteenth century, Pope Callixtus III established the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6 across the entirety of the Western Church, though there were a handful of other dates on which it was celebrated in the centuries preceding, including July 27. Given the relatively recent addition of Transfiguration to the calendar at the time of the Reformation, the Lutherans felt rather free to move it elsewhere, seeing the close of the Epiphany season as particularly suitable, though some Lutherans still observed it on August 6th. As a result, the Transfiguration is a peculiarly Lutheran addition to the season of Epiphany and the historical data for this calendrical instance is quite limited. As far as the August date is concerned, the Gospel was almost always Matthew 17:1–9, and the Epistle usually a cutting of 2 Peter 1.
Septuagesima
Daniel 9:2–10 / 1 Corinthians 9:24—10:4 / Matthew 20:1–16
Textual Notes
This Sunday’s textual notes are partially excerpted from a previous Gottesdienst blog post..
The season of Septuagesima begins preparing us for Lent at the outset. The Epistle from 1 Corinthians 9:24ff. reminds us that we are to be like athletes, as those who discipline our bodies and bring them into subjection in order to obtain an imperishable crown. The Gospel for Septuagesima, Matthew 20:1-16, carries with it some of these same ideas. The kingdom of heaven, Our Lord says, is like a landowner who goes out to hire laborers for his vineyard. The kingdom of heaven, then, requires work. It shouldn’t surprise us, because the first task of man in Paradise was to tend to a garden. In the Gospel for Septuagesima, Our Lord indicates to us that the kingdom of heaven in which we are called to labor is not so different. The Prophecy from Daniel outlines for us what this discipline will be: prayer, fasting, and repentance. If we are to observe a holy Lent, we can’t stumble into it at the last moment, unawares and taken by surprise, but must take these weeks to prepare ourselves, identifying those things in our lives which stand as obstacles in the way of the life of Christ being manifest in us, and planning for how we will seek, by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, to overcome them.
The mass readings for Septuagesima also coincide with the matins lectionary as it begins its annual course once again with the first chapter of Genesis, which underlines this theme still further (If you’re not so familiar with the traditional form of Matins as it existed at the close of the Middle Ages and the first generations of Lutherans, see this chart). In one particularly striking moment, St. Gregory the Great’s comments on Matthew 20 are juxtaposed with the Responsory Dum deambularet (Genesis 3:8-10; Habakkuk 3:2a), setting the landowner seeking laborers alongside God as He walks in the garden and seeks Adam, who hides himself in shame.
Historical Notes
The appointed Prophecy in Lutheran Service Book, Exodus 17:1–7 has a strong correspondence with the Epistle, but it was thought that a different Prophecy could serve the Sunday better. The Prophecy from Daniel 9:2–10 was chosen because it mentions the seventy years of exile with which the seventy days of Septuagesima are so closely associated and because it focuses on the repentance that is necessary as we await restoration to Paradise.
The Epistle is attested with relative unanimity by 64 sources, though with differences in the ending point of the pericope. 61 sources provide 1 Corinthians 9:24—10:4, another 2 sources (KELG and Spangenberg [German] 1545) lengthen the pericope by one verse and provide 1 Corinthians 9:24–10:5, and Luther alone abbreviates the pericope to 1 Corinthians 9:24–27.
The Gospel of Matthew 20:1–16 is attested unanimously by 63 sources.
Wednesday
Hebrews 4:11–16 / Mark 9:30–37
Textual Notes
We find already on this Wednesday a prediction of the Passion, which the disciples cannot comprehend, and it is subsequently followed by the fighting of the disciples on the road about which of them will be the greatest. Our Lord takes the opportunity to teach them to be childlike, not childish. The Epistle from Hebrews tells us that there is no creature hidden from the sight of God — an admonition that the disciples would have done well to bear in mind in their arguments — and that Jesus, our High Priest, is Himself last of all and servant of all, one who can sympathize with our weaknesses.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 52 sources in total. Hebrews 4:11–16 is appointed by 48 sources, and Alcuin c. 800 provides the slightly more brief Hebrews 4:12–16. Three other Epistles are attested by one source each, with 1 Corinthians 15:12–21 found in Verden 1510, 2 Corinthians 4:3–12 in Sarum 1516, and Colossians 3:12–17 in Sion c. 1420.
A Gospel is provided by 50 sources in total. Mark 9:30–37 is appointed by 44 sources, Luke 9:51–56 by 3 sources (Sion c. 1420, Würzburg 1493, and Minden 1513), Mark 5:21–34 by 2 sources (Eichstätt 1486 and Bamberg 1490), and Matthew 9:35–10:8 by Utrecht 1495 alone.
Friday
Ephesians 2:3b–7 / Luke 9:51–56
Textual Notes
In the Gospel, our Lord rebukes Sts. James and John for their eagerness to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village, telling them that “the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” St. Paul’s words in the Epistle from Ephesians reinforce this point: “God, who is rich in mercy…even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
Historical Notes
An Epistle is appointed by 27 sources in total. Ephesians 2:3b–7 is provided by 11, and the slightly shorter Ephesians 2:3b–7b is provided by another 4. Ezekiel 18:30b–32 is assigned by 3 (Brandenburg 1494, Olmütz 1488, and Hildesheim 1499), 2 Corinthians 3:17–4:2 by another 3 (Breslau 1483, Lebus c. 1491, and Prague 1498), Jeremiah 3:11–14a is provided by 2 (Lund 1514 and Brixen 1511), and the remaining four are found in one source each: 1 Corinthians 9:24—10:4 (Magdeburg 1613, repeating Sunday), 2 Corinthians 4:13–18 (Sarum 1516), Colossians 3:25—4:6 (Passau 1491), and Hebrews 5:11—6:7 (Regensburg 1485).
A Gospel is appointed by 48 sources in total. Luke 9:51–56 is found in 43 sources, Mark 9:30–37 in 3 sources (Utrecht 1495, Minden 1513, and Würzburg 1493), and one source each appoints Matthew 12:30–37 (Sarum 1516) and Matthew 14:15–21 (Augsburg 1510).
Sexagesima
Isaiah 55:10–13 / 2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9 / Luke 8:4–15
Textual Notes
The Gospel of the sower scattering the seed shows how various the responses to the Word of God can be. Some seeds are choked out by care, some by temptation, and some are snatched away before they can even begin to take root. St. Paul, in the Epistle from 2 Corinthians, relates how he, as a sower of the Word of God, has fared in his own work: “in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.” The sowing of this seed can face seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but, as the Prophecy says, “My word shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Despite all the obstacles posed to the Word of God, some seed still “falls on good ground, springs up, and yields a crop a hundredfold.” The Word of God has power and strength, a power and strength which are, in the words of St. Paul, “made perfect in weakness.”
Historical Notes
The Prophecy is the one found in Lutheran Service Book, and the Epistle is unanimously attested in 66 sources.
The Gospel is attested in substance by a unanimous 64 sources, 65 of which provide Luke 8:4–15, with Spangenberg (German) 1545 alone dissenting with the slightly abbreviated Luke 8:5–15.
Wednesday
Hebrews 12:3–9 / Matthew 12:30–37
Textual Notes
As the tension between our Lord and the religious elite mounts in the Gospel, the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us we should be heartened in the midst of our struggle against this sinful world, knowing that we follow in our Lord’s footsteps, and are being counted alongside Him as sons of God.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 51 sources in total. Hebrews 12:3–9 is found in 45 sources, and another 4 sources provide the slightly lengthier Hebrews 12:3–10 (Lübeck 1486, Nidaros 1519, Hamburg 1509, and Schwerin 1479). One source each provides 2 Corinthians 1:23—2:11 (Sarum 1516) and 1 John 2:15–17 (Sion c. 1420).
A Gospel is provided by 51 sources in total, with 38 of those prescribing Matthew 12:30–37. Another 8 sources provide Mark 6:34–46, and one source each provides Matthew 12:33–37 (Bremen 1511), Matthew 13:3–23 (Halberstadt 1511), Mark 4:1–9 (Sarum 1516), Luke 17:5–10 (Sion c. 1420), and Luke 17:20–37 (Toul c. 1492).
Friday
1 Thessalonians 2:17–20 / Luke 17:20–37
Textual Notes
A somewhat eschatological note appears as we approach the beginning of Lent. The Gospel for the day, also found on Friday of the Eleventh Week after Trinity, speaks about the sudden return of the Son of Man, even as people are eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage. In the Epistle, St. Paul speaks to the Thessalonians, telling them that his greatest joy is the hope of seeing them once again in the presence of Christ at His coming.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 27 sources in total, of which 18 provide 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20. Philippians 2:12b–18 is provided by 4, another 2 provide Ezekiel 18:30b–32 (Lund 1514, Brixen 1511), and the following are attested by one source each: 2 Corinthians 5:11–15 (Sarum 1516), 2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9 (Magdeburg 1613, repeating Sunday), and Hebrews 6:9–20 (Regensburg 1485).
A Gospel is attested by 50 sources in total. Luke 17:20–37 is found in 21 sources, Luke 21:34–36 in 8 sources, Matthew 14:15–21 in 6 sources, Mark 6:1–6a in 4 sources, Luke 17:20–24 in 3 sources (Basel c. 1479, Chur 1497, Constance 1505), and Matthew 13:3–9 in 2 sources (Olmütz 1488, Hildesheim 1499). The following are each attested once: Matthew 12:30–37 (Toul c. 1492), Matthew 13:36b–43 (Utrecht 1495), Mark 4:1–9 (Strasbourg c. 1486), Mark 4:24–34 (Speyer 1501), Mark 4:3–20 (Halberstadt 1511), and Luke 9:51–56 (Augsburg 1510).
Quinquagesima
1 Samuel 16:1–13 / 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 / Luke 18:31–43
Textual Notes
In the Epistle for the day, St. Paul speaks his famous words about love, a love that suffers long and is kind, that does not seek its own; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. This Love is personified in the Gospel, which gives us the first Passion prediction that takes place on a Sunday. The long-suffering love of God will bring the Son of Man to Jerusalem, where He will be mocked and insulted and spit upon, and finally be killed and rise again on the third day. Our eyes are now firmly fixed on Jerusalem, and we are ready to follow after our Lord and His apostles as we begin in earnest the great journey to the Paschal feast.
Historical Notes
The Epistle of 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 was unanimously assigned in 65 sources, and the Gospel of Luke 18:31–43 unanimous in 64 sources. The Prophecy is the one found in Lutheran Service Book.
Ash Wednesday
Joel 2:12–19 / [2 Peter 2:1–11] / Matthew 6:16–21
Textual Notes
The Gospel for Ash Wednesday introduces us to fasting, the first of the three Lenten disciplines. While our Lord does not prescribe a particular way of fasting, He does assume that His followers will fast in some way, saying not “If you fast,” but “When you fast.” Fasting is directed toward a specific end, namely that we might not find our joy in pleasures of this life, but instead lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. That is the goal of Christian fasting — to loosen the grip of earthly treasures on our hearts, knowing that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The Epistle from Joel has the same end in mind: that we would “return to the Lord our God.”
Historical Notes
The historic Epistle from Joel 2:12–19 is unanimously attested in 61 sources. The additional Epistle from 2 Peter is the one found in Lutheran Service Book. A Gospel for the day is attested in 60 sources in total, with 59 sources prescribing Matthew 6:16–21 and Magdeburg 1613* alone providing Matthew 8:5–13.*
* Magdeburg 1613 provides masses for Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year, but ordinarily uses the propers for Wednesdays and Fridays. Following the First Sunday in Lent, it will instead provide the propers for the appointed Tuesday and Thursday masses, but in this week of Quinquagesima/Ash Wednesday, it splits the difference, providing on Tuesday the Epistle for Ash Wednesday with a commonly appointed Gospel from Thursday. On Thursday of Quinquagesima week, it provides the Friday mass.
Thursday
Isaiah 38:1–6 / Matthew 6:5–8
Textual Notes
The Gospel for Thursday introduces us to prayer, the second of the three Lenten disciplines. In the Gospel for the day, our Lord instructs His apostles on the proper manner of prayer, immediately preceding the text of the Our Father (Matthew 6:9–13). In the Epistle from Isaiah, the prayer of Hezekiah is heard, and he is delivered from death. In the parallel account from 2 Kings 20:1–11, we hear that Hezekiah, having been healed, is to go up to the temple on the third day — a foreshadowing of what waits at the end of the Lenten fast.
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Isaiah 38:1–6 is unanimously attested in 57 sources.
A Gospel is attested by 57 sources in total, with 36 providing Matthew 8:5–13. Another 9 sources provide Matthew 6:5–8, and 7 more provide Matthew 6:5–6. Luke 7:2–10 is prescribed by only 2 sources (Verdun 1481, Metz 1458) and one source each provides Matthew 8:1–13 (Nidaros 1519), Luke 7:1–10 (Toul c. 1492), and Luke 4:31–37 (Trier 1547).
As you can see, the clear majority of sources favor Matthew 8:5–13, while we have instead appointed the rather less well-attested Matthew 6:5–8. The Matthew 8 reading is already included in the Gospel for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, so we opted instead for the Matthew 6 reading, which fits between the appointed Gospel for Wednesday (Matthew 6:16–21) and the Gospel for Friday (Matthew 5:43—6:4). Thursdays in Lent were formerly aliturgical, which is to say that masses were not said, so there is some level of disagreement found on Thursdays throughout Lent while the remaining weekdays are generally as consistently attested as Sundays.
Friday
Isaiah 58:1–9a / Matthew 5:43—6:4
Textual Notes
The Gospel for Friday introduces us to almsgiving, the third of the three Lenten disciplines, as our Lord exhorts us toward generous and hidden almsgiving. The Epistle, comprised of the first half of Isaiah 58, tells us that the fast God desires is, in part, “to share your bread with the hungry.”
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Isaiah 58:1–9a is unanimously attested by 60 sources, and the Gospel of Matthew 5:43—6:4 is unanimously attested by 59 sources.
Saturday
Isaiah 58:9b–14 / Mark 6:47–56
Textual Notes
The Epistle for Saturday continues just where the Epistle for Friday left off in Isaiah 58, recounting the fast that is pleasing to God, and the Gospel has the ghostly figure of our Lord walking across the water to His apostles.
Historical Notes
The Epistle of Isaiah 58:9b–14 is unanimously attested in 58 sources. A Gospel is provided in 57 sources, of which 55 prescribe Mark 6:47–56. Another 2 sources (Brixen 1511 and Gniezno 1492) prescribe Luke 14:12–15.
First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 3:1–21 / 2 Corinthians 6:1–10 / Matthew 4:1–11
Textual Notes
With the spiritual weapons of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving now firmly in our grasp after Ash Wednesday and the two days following, the First Sunday in Lent introduces the theme of spiritual warfare, one which will predominate and intensify as the season progresses. The Prophecy shows us the first temptation of man, in which Satan lured our first parents to destruction with food and the promise of being like God. The Gospel shows the evil one using the same tactics once again to draw the new Adam to destruction, but our Lord pushes back the assaults of the evil one, one after another, and gives us strength to do the same.
The Epistle from 2 Corinthians tells us that now is the day of salvation, now is the time to (in the words of the Epistle for Advent 1) cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. St. Paul also shows us the paradoxes of serving this Christ as His minister: “as dying, and behold we live…as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”
Historical Notes
The Epistle from 2 Corinthians 6:1–10 is attested unanimously in 65 sources, and the Gospel of Matthew 4:1–11 unanimously in 64 sources.
Monday
Ezekiel 34:11–16 / Matthew 25:31–46
Textual Notes
We begin to see the highly typological nature that frequently characterizes the weekday Epistles and Gospels during Lent today, as Ezekiel’s Good Shepherd discourse, in which God gathers His sheep from the places they have been scattered, is set alongside the parable of the sheep and the goats, which describes the final ingathering and judgment.
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Ezekiel 34:11–16 is attested unanimously in 59 sources, and the Gospel of Matthew 25:31–46 unanimously in 58 sources.
Tuesday
Isaiah 55:6–11 / Matthew 21:10–17
Textual Notes
The Gospel recounts our Lord’s cleansing of the temple just after Palm Sunday, turning it back to its intended purpose, as Isaiah tells us in the Epistle to cleanse the temples of our hearts, forsaking wickedness and unrighteousness, and turning once again to God.
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Isaiah 55:6–11 is attested unanimously in 60 sources, and the Gospel of Matthew 21:10–17 unanimously in 59 sources.
Ember Wednesday
Exodus 24:12–18 / 1 Kings 19:3b–8 / Matthew 12:38–50
Textual Notes
Our Lord’s forty-day temptation in the wilderness on Sunday is taken up on Ember Wednesday again with two of its prefigurements: the forty days of Moses on Mount Sinai and the prophet Elijah’s forty days without food. The Gospel calls to mind Jonah, and thus also his forty days of warning to the city of Ninevah. The primary focus of the Gospel, however, is once again spiritual warfare, as the scribes and Pharisees maliciously come seeking a sign, and our Lord warns of the dangers of an evil spirit, who, having departed, returns once again.
Historical Notes
The Prophecy from Exodus 24:12–18 is attested unanimously in 59 sources, and the Epistle of 1 Kings 19:3b–8 unanimously in 57 sources. The Gospel of Matthew 12:38–50 is found in 58 sources, with only the Comes Hieronymi dissenting by providing Matthew 19:3–11.
Thursday
Ezekiel 18:1–9 / John 8:31–47a
Textual Notes
In the Gospel, our Lord is disabusing the Jews with whom He is speaking of their reliance on Abraham as their father, and the Epistle relates the first part of Ezekiel’s warning to the people of Israel concerning the sins of fathers and sons: it is the soul who sins that shall die, and neither righteousness nor wickedness can be passed from one generation to another.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 60 sources in total, of which 58 prescribe Ezekiel 18:1–9. One source each provides 1 Kings 19:3b–8 (Würzburg c. 700) and Nehemiah 1:5–6a, 8a, 9–11a (Alcuin c. 800)
A Gospel is found in 58 sources in all, with 53 of those prescribing some variant of John 8:31ff. Of these, 48 prescribe John 8:31–47a, 2 prescribe John 8:31–47 (Toul c. 1492 and Lebus c. 1491), 2 more prescribe John 8:31–45 (Turku 1488 and Uppsala 1513), and Breslau 1482 provides John 8:31–44. Apart from John 8, Matthew 15:21–28 is prescribed by 4 sources, and is the Roman Gospel for the day. Lund 1514 alone suggests Mark 7:24–30.
Ember Friday
Ezekiel 18:20–28 / John 5:1–15
Textual Notes
The Gospel relates our Lord’s healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, and the Epistle continues in the same chapter of Ezekiel as that of the preceding day.
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Ezekiel 18:20–28 is attested unanimously in 59 sources, and the Gospel of John 5:1–15 unanimously in 58 sources.
Ember Saturday
Deuteronomy 26:15–19 / Deuteronomy 11:22–25 / 2 Maccabees 1:23, 2–5 / Sirach 36:1–8 / Prayer of Azariah 1:24–28 / 1 Thessalonians 5:14–23 / Matthew 17:1–9
Textual Notes
The Prophecies for the day call to mind the promises of God made to His people, and the Gospel is that of the Transfiguration, uniting our Lord once again with Moses and Elijah, as on Wednesday of this week.
Historical Notes
The First Prophecy from Deuteronomy 26:15–19 is attested unanimously by 60 sources.
The Second, Third, and Fourth Prophecies from, respectively, Deuteronomy 11:22–25; 2 Maccabees 1:23, 2–5; and Sirach 36:1–8 are attested unanimously by 59 sources. They would likely be unanimously attested by 60 sources, but Schwerin 1479, after providing the first of the prophecies, is missing a leaf (two printed sides) that would have contained the rest. So, in the interest of complete accuracy, Prophecies 2, 3, and 4 are only fully accounted for in 59 sources.
The Fifth Prophecy, which is universally found on Ember Saturdays in some form, is found in 59 sources, with three variations, largely the same variations as those seen already on Ember Saturday in Advent. Prayer of Azariah 1:26–27a, 24–25, 27b–28 is attested by 55 sources, and another 3 sources (Comes Hieronymi, Metz 1458, and Sarum 1516) provide the slightly lengthier Prayer of Azariah 1:26–27a, 24–25, 27b–32. Nidaros 1519 again includes the lengthy Benedicite omnia opera within the reading.
The Epistle of 1 Thessalonians 5:14–23 and the Gospel of Matthew 17:1–9 are both unanimously attested by 58 sources.
Second Sunday in Lent
Genesis 32:22–30 / 1 Thessalonians 4:1–7 / Matthew 15:21–28
Textual Notes
The Gospel for the day recounts the prayer of the Canaanite woman on behalf of her daughter, and the subsequent back-and-forth between her and our Lord. The Prophecy is on the same theme, with Jacob wrestling with God until the break of the day, refusing to let go until he receives a blessing.
Historical Notes
The Epistle is attested by 65 sources, 64 of which provide 1 Thessalonians 4:1–7, with Luther 1526 alone extending the pericope to 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8.
The Gospel from Matthew 15:21–28 is attested by 63 sources, with only Cologne 1487 providing Mark 1:40–45.
Monday
Daniel 9:15–19 / John 8:21–29
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Daniel 9:15–19 is unanimously attested by 59 sources, and the Gospel from John 8:21–29 is unanimously attested by 58 sources.
Tuesday
1 Kings 17:8–16 / Matthew 23:1–12
Historical Notes
The Epistle from 1 Kings 17:8–16 is unanimously attested in 60 sources.
The Gospel from Matthew 23:1–12 is attested in 58 sources, while Lüttich 1499 abbreviates it slightly to Matthew 23:1–12a.
Wednesday
Esther 13:9–11, 15–17 / Matthew 20:17–28
Textual Notes
The prayer of Mordecai will be answered in his own lifetime by the deliverance that came about through Esther, but will be finally answered by another betrayal, which will see the Son of Man condemned to death, scourged, crucified, and risen again on the third day.
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Esther [Greek] 13:9–11, 15–17 is unanimously attested by 59 sources, and the Gospel from Matthew 20:17–28 is unanimously attested by 58 sources.
Thursday
Jeremiah 17:5–10 / John 5:30–47
Historical Notes
An Epistle is found in 59 sources in total, with 58 prescribing Jeremiah 17:5–10 and Alcuin alone prescribing Lamentations 3:22, 24–26, 31, 32b, 40–41, 56b–57.
A Gospel is provided by 58 sources in total, with 47 appointing John 5:30–47 and 11 suggesting Luke 16:19–31.
Friday
Genesis 37:6–22 / Matthew 21:33b–46
Textual Notes
The parable of the wicked tenants, spoken by our Lord during Holy Week just after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, describes what He will face only a few days later. We see once again that He goes willingly and knowingly to His death.The Epistle from Genesis shows us Joseph, one who was also betrayed by his jealous brothers, even to the point of death, but who God used to “save many people alive.” While our Lord knows what He will endure at the end of Holy Week, we see in Genesis that this plan of God has been a very long time in the making.
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Genesis 37:6–22 and the Gospel from Matthew 21:33b–46 are both unanimously attested in 58 sources each.
Saturday
Genesis 27:6–40a / Luke 15:11–32
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Genesis 27:6–40a is unanimously appointed in 59 sources, and the Gospel from Luke 15:11–32 is unanimously appointed in 58 sources.
XXX
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Genesis 22:1–19 / Hebrews 9:11–15 / John 8:46–59a
Textual Notes
The Gospel for this first Sunday in Passiontide brings the tension that has been building to a new head, as the crowds take up stones to throw at our Lord. The Gospels from St. John for the weekdays following all follow in the same thematic vein. On Monday, the Pharisees and chief priests send out officers to take Him, on Tuesday we hear that “the Jews sought to kill Him,” on Wednesday they take up stones (again) to stone Him, on Thursday the officers return from their mission perplexed and unsuccessful, and finally, on Friday, the chief priests and Pharisees begin plotting to put Him to death.
Historical Notes
The Epistle of Hebrews 9:11–15 is unanimously attested by 65 sources, and the Gospel of John 8:46–59a is unanimously attested by 63 sources.
Monday
Jonah 3:1–10a / John 7:32b–39a
Historical Notes
The Epistle of Jonah 3:1–10a and the Gospel of John 7:32b–39a are both unanimously attested by 58 sources each.
Tuesday
Bel and the Dragon 1:29, 28b, 30–42; Daniel 6:26a, 27 / John 7:1–13
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Bel and the Dragon is attested unanimously by 60 sources, and the Gospel from John 7:1–13 is attested unanimously by 59 sources.
Wednesday
Leviticus 19:1–2a, 10b–19a, 25b / John 10:22–38
Historical Notes
The Epistle from Leviticus 19 is attested unanimously in substance, though Ratzeburg c. 1492 alone does not include verse 25b.
The Gospel from John 10:22–38 is unanimously attested by 58 sources.
Thursday
Prayer of Azariah 1:12–22 / John 7:40–53
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided in 59 sources, with 56 of those assigning Prayer of Azariah 1:12–22. Three other readings are prescribed by one source each, namely Jeremiah 7:1–7 (Alcuin c. 800), Jeremiah 17:13b–18 (Uppsala 1513), and Daniel 9:4–14 (Riga c. 1450).
A Gospel is provided in 58 sources, with 46 of those appointing John 7:40–53, another 9 providing Luke 7:36–50, and three more readings provided by one source each, namely Luke 7:36–57a (Comes Hieronymi), Luke 20:1–8 (Naumburg 1501), and John 6:53–71 (Uppsala 1513).
Friday
Jeremiah 17:13b–18 / John 11:47–54
Textual Notes
As Holy Week approaches, we hear that the chief priests and Pharisees, immediately following the raising of Lazarus, finally come to the conclusion that our Lord must be put to death. The words from this Gospel will feature prominently in the Responsory between the Epistle and Gospel in the Palm Sunday procession rite.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 59 sources, of which 58 appoint Jeremiah 17:13b–18. Uppsala 1513 had appointed that reading for the previous day, and thus appoints Jeremiah 18:18–23 for this day.
The Gospel from John 11:47–54 is unanimously attested in 58 sources.
Saturday
Jeremiah 18:18–23 / John 17:1–26
Historical Notes
An Epistle is provided by 58 sources, of which 52 appoint Jeremiah 18:18–23. Another 4 assign Zechariah 9:9–16a, presumably in light of Palm Sunday on the following day, and Augsburg 1510 alone follows suit with the slightly shorter Zechariah 9:9–12. Uppsala 1513, having been one day ahead of the others in its Epistles in the latter part of this week, already assigned Jeremiah 18 to Friday, and assigns Wisdom 2:12–22 for this day, a reading which will occur in a number of sources for Tuesday in Holy Week.
A Gospel is appointed by 57 sources, with 37 of those sources assigning John 17:1–26. Rather unusually for a Lenten weekday (apart from a Thursday), an alternate Gospel from John 6:53–71 is appointed by a stronger than expected minority of 17 sources. A further 3 sources appoint John 17:1–11, a shorter cutting of the majority use.
Palm Sunday
Procession
Exodus 15:27—16:7a / Luke 19:29–40
Textual Notes
The Palm Sunday procession, with its accompanying prayers and antiphons, precedes the Mass proper, and includes the entire congregation following the crucifix into the church, whether from the narthex or the outdoors. In the later part of the middle ages, it took the form of an abbreviated mass, of sorts, with an Epistle and Gospel, as well as a full Proper Preface with the blessing of the palms in place of the consecration. A provisional Palm Sunday rite is provided here to be adapted to your own circumstances.
Historical Notes
An Epistle is found in a total of 26 sources, of which 25 prescribe some cutting of Exodus 15 and 16. Exodus 15:27—16:7a is provided by 11 sources, the slightly lengthier Exodus 15:27—16:10 by another 10 sources, the still longer Exodus 15:27—16:12 by 2 sources (Paderborn c. 1425 and Passau 1491), and the much briefer Exodus 15:27—16:1 by another 2 sources (Hildesheim 1499 and Minden 1513). An eclectic compilation reading comprised of Zechariah 2:10–11a; 8:3b, 5, 7–8; 9:9, 10b; 11:12, 13b; 12:10b; 13:6b–7a; 14:6–8a, 9a was found in one source alone, Halberstadt 1511. There was a desire among some to include this text as an option despite its status as a vanishingly small minority usage.
A Gospel is provided in a total of 31 sources. Mark 11:1–10 is found in 12 sources, and Paderborn c. 1425 provides the slightly smaller Mark 11:1–9. Luke 19:29–40 is found in 11 sources, with Metz 1458 alone providing the slightly shortened Luke 19:29–38. Matthew 21:1–9a is found in 5 sources and the Palm Sunday account from St. John’s Gospel is provided in varying cuttings by two sources, with Lüttich 1499 providing John 12:12–16 and Sarum 1516 providing John 12:12–19.
As you can see, there’s a great deal of variety in the particular account of Palm Sunday that is prescribed. Some places even print more than one account, with Bremen 1511 providing for the account to be read from either St. Mark or St. Luke, and still other rites, like Sarum and Metz, providing for the reading of two accounts, with one toward the beginning of the rite and the other toward the end.
Amidst all this great variety, the accounts from Sts. Mark and Luke were the most frequently appointed. This is likely because the account from St. Matthew is already appointed for the first Sunday in Advent, and the account from St. John is included in the Gospel for Tuesday in Holy Week. As far as the Marcan and Lucan accounts were concerned, the Marcan seemed to parallel the already used Matthaean account more closely, so the Lucan one was chosen.
Mass
[Zechariah 9:9–12] / Philippians 2:5–11 / Matthew 26:1—27:66
Textual Notes
At the beginning of Holy Week, as we hear the first reading of the Passion, the Epistle from Philippians makes it clear to us that the events in the days following are not happenstance, but are the will and plan of God for our salvation.
Historical Notes
The Prophecy is that found in LSB, and may well be omitted, given the use of a Prophecy in the processional rite.
The Epistle of Philippians 2:5–11 is unanimously attested in 65 sources.
A Gospel is provided in 64 sources, of which 59 assign Matthew 26:1—27:66, consisting of all the medieval sources and the Lutheran Cathedral at Havelberg (Ludecus 1589). A total of 5 sources, all of them Lutheran, assign Matthew 21:1–9. There are, however, some medieval sources that allow for the reading of Matthew 21 if necessary by reason of infirmity.
As you can quite clearly see, the idea that reading the Passion on Palm Sunday is somehow a contemporary accommodation for those who won’t attend church on Good Friday is patently false. The Passions are read in canonical order over the course of Holy Week, with St. Matthew on Sunday, St. Mark on Monday, St. Luke on Wednesday, and St. John on Friday, and are introduced as “The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. ______” without the response, “Glory be to Thee, O Lord.” At the conclusion of the reading of the Passion, neither “The Gospel of the Lord” nor “Praise be to Thee, O Christ” are said. During the reading of the Passion, at the words “He gave up His spirit,” or the equivalent phrasing in whichever evangelist or translation you’re reading, all customarily kneel and silently pray the Our Father before the reading of the Passion continues. For more details on the peculiarities of Palm Sunday, see this post from 2021.
Monday in Holy Week
Isaiah 50:5–10 / [Zechariah 2:10–11a; 8:3b, 5, 7–8; 9:9, 10b; 11:12, 13b; 12:10b; 13:6b–7a; 14:6–8a, 9a] / Mark 14:1—15:46
Historical Notes
There is some disagreement in the sources on the number of readings for Monday and Tuesday of Holy Week. The oldest tradition seems to have provided three readings for these days, though that tradition had largely disappeared by the late sixteenth century in most places. Thus, the reading from Isaiah listed below as the “Prophecy” was, in most sources, the Epistle. The compilation Epistle from Zechariah is very much a minority usage and entirely optional.
The “Prophecy” is provided by 60 sources, and is unanimously Isaiah 50:5–10.
The Epistle of Zechariah 11:12–15a; 12:2, 6b–7a, 10–11; 13:6–9 is found in 8 sources, including Alcuin c. 800, Murbach c. 800, and Würzburg c. 700.
The Gospel is found in 59 sources, with 42 of those prescribing John 12:1–36. Another 13 sources provide Mark 14:1—15:46, and this is the practice reflected in the Lutheran Cathedral in Havelberg (Ludecus 1589). Two sources each prescribe two variants on the majority, with Brixen 1511 and Augsburg 1510 providing John 12:1–43, and Murbach c. 800 and the Comes Hieronymi prescribing John 12:1–23.
As the Passion according to St. Mark was read on Monday of Holy Week in the available Lutheran sources, we have followed that use. The Zechariah compilation reading provided as an option for today is not that found in the historic sources, but a duplication of the option from the Palm Sunday procession. The two compilations have substantial overlap, and the one from Palm Sunday was thought to be superior.
Tuesday in Holy Week
[Wisdom 2:12–22] / Jeremiah 11:18–20 / John 12:1–36
Historical Notes
As on yesterday, a third reading is provided by some of our oldest sources, but had largely disappeared by the close of the sixteenth century, and so is provided here as an option, this time as a Prophecy.
The Prophecy from Wisdom 2:12–22 is found in 12 sources.
The Epistle from Jeremiah 11:18–20 is unanimously attested in 58 sources.
A Gospel is provided in a total of 60 sources, with 43 of those assigning Mark 14:1—15:46. Another 13 sources assign John 12:1–36, including the Lutheran Cathedrals of Magdeburg and Havelberg. The oldest sources assign readings from St. John’s Gospel, whether John 12:24–43 (Murbach and Comes Hieronymi) or John 13:1–32 (Würzburg c. 700). Würzburg 1493 follows its preceding tradition in part and assigns John 13:16–32.
Given the attestation of the older sources, it would seem that the reading of John 12 was originally spread across two days and Passion according to St. Mark was a later addition to the lectionary. When the Marcan Passion was introduced into the lectionary, the two readings from John 12 were necessarily combined, with some places assigning the newly combined reading on Monday and others on Tuesday, with the Marcan Passion placed into the newly open place, whichever day that happened to be. As you can see, the Epistles are unaffected by this later development.
Wednesday in Holy Week
Isaiah 62:11b; 63:1–5, 7a / Isaiah 53:1–12 / Luke 22:1—23:53
Historical Notes
Wednesday, unlike Monday and Tuesday, has three readings that are more-or-less universally attested.
A Prophecy is found in 59 sources, and is unanimously agreed on in substance. 47 sources provide Isaiah 62:11b; 63:1–5, 7a, another 10 sources include verse six and provide Isaiah 62:11b; 63:1–7a, and 2 sources provide Isaiah 62:11b; 63:1–5a, 7a (Hildesheim 1499 and Passau 1491).
The Epistle from Isaiah 53:1–12 is unanimously attested in 60 sources.
The Passion according to St. Luke is unanimously attested in 59 sources.
Maundy Thursday
Exodus 24:3–11 / 1 Corinthians 11:20–32 / John 13:1–15
Textual Notes
Lutheran Service Book provides for two possibilities on Maundy Thursday, but as Exodus 12 is universally read on Good Friday, Exodus 24 was preferred for Maundy Thursday, though one could certainly read it on both occasions.
Historical Notes
The Epistle is unanimously attested in substance by 64 sources in total, with 63 of those providing 1 Corinthians 11:20–32 and the 1868 LCMS Kirchen-Gesangbuch alone providing the shorter 1 Corinthians 11:23–32.
The Gospel is also unanimously attested in substance by 61 sources, of which 59 provide John 13:1–15. Murbach c. 800 and the Comes Hieronymi provide the lengthier reading of John 13:1–32.
Good Friday
Hosea 5:15b—6:6 / Exodus 12:1–11 / John 18:1—19:42
Textual Notes
St. John’s Passion depicts our Lord as the Passover Lamb who is being offered up for the deliverance of the world, and so the Exodus reading of the institution of the Passover sacrifice has universally been placed alongside it, as can be seen below.
Historical Notes
The readings provided in Lutheran Service Book, apart from the Passion according to St. John, are not those historically appointed for Good Friday, and requires some historical background. The Common Service of 1888 prescribed the reading of Isaiah 52:13—53:12 alongside the Passion according to St. John, which was then carried over into the Lutheran Hymnal of 1941. The advent of a standardized three reading framework in the following decades necessitated the addition of one more reading. In the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), the usual Sunday framework of Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel was followed, providing Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9 as a new Epistle for the day. But in a step closer to the historic practice, the reading of Hosea 6:1–6 was allowed as an alternative to Isaiah 53. In Lutheran Worship (1982), Hosea 6 was once again allowed as an alternative to Isaiah 53, and 2 Corinthians 5:14–21 was given as the primary option and Hebrews 5:7–9 as a secondary option. Lutheran Service Book (2006) largely followed the use of Lutheran Worship, but eliminated the secondary options —including the traditional Hosea reading. The whole history is unfortunate.
The Prophecy from Hosea 5:15b—6:6 and Epistle from Exodus 12:1–11 are unanimously attested in 60 sources.
The Passion according to St. John is unanimously attested by 59 sources.
Vigil of Easter
Textual Notes
The Prophecies are largely centered on Baptism and incorporation into the Body of Christ, with the most prominent of these being included in the Minor Office.
Historical Notes
The Easter Vigil had two primary forms, a “Minor Office” of four readings and a “Major Office” of twelve readings, with a handful of sources that deviate slightly from the normal Minor Office and provide five or, in at least one instance, six. The Minor Office readings found in the field testing materials reflect the very broad consensus of at least 2/3 of the sources surveyed.
The Major Office of twelve readings, found in far fewer sources, is also relatively consistent across the 8 or so sources in which it is found. Our database, as it currently stands, works very well for comparing up to three readings on a given occasion, but doesn’t currently have the capability to easily generate the sort of statistics that we are usually able to provide for the four or twelve readings in question, so these broad summaries will have to suffice for the time being.
The Mass readings are unanimously attested, with 60 sources providing Colossians 3:1–4 and 59 sources providing Matthew 28:1–7.
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Holy Trinity
Isaiah 6:1–7 / Romans 11:33–36 / John 3:1–15
Textual Notes
XXXX
Historical Notes
Trinity Sunday was a rather late addition to the church’s year, and as a result we see an unusual amount of variation in the historical data. The broadly attested readings for the Octave of Pentecost were Revelation 4:1–10a and John 3:1–15. When Trinity Sunday was instituted in its place, the propers for the new feast were anything but consistent. Of our medieval sources, 26 simply pasted their votive mass for the Holy Trinity onto the new Sunday, with the readings being Romans 11:33–36 and John 15:26—16:4a. Another 9 did largely the same thing, though their votive mass for the Holy Trinity included Matthew 11:25–30 instead of the John 15 reading. Still others had some combination of the Holy Trinity votive mass and the Octave of Pentecost, with 11 leaving the Octave of Pentecost readings intact and replacing the orations and intervenient chants with those from the Holy Trinity votive. Another 10 sources, including the Lutheran sources, kept only the John 3 gospel from the Octave of Pentecost and replaced everything else with propers from the Holy Trinity votive mass.
Ferial Days after the Octave of Pentecost
Romans 11:33–36 / John 15:26–16:4a
Historical Notes
While the Sunday Gospel was not altered from that prescribed for the Octave of Pentecost, the weekday readings for Monday and Tuesday (the only ferias in the week without prescribed readings) are those of the Holy Trinity votive.
Wednesday
1 Corinthians 15:12–23b / Luke 20:27–40
Textual Notes
XXX
Historical Notes
The Epistle is unanimously attested in substance, with 6 sources prescribing 1 Corinthians 15:12–23a, and Metz 1458 prescribing the slightly lengthier 1 Corinthians 15:12–23b.
A Gospel is provided in seven sources, with Luke 12:11–21 found in four sources and Luke 20:27–40 in three sources. As Luke 12:13–24a was widely appointed for Friday in the week of Trinity 14, and as neither Luke 20:27–40 nor its parallels appear elsewhere in the lectionary, the Luke 20 reading was appointed for the day.
Corpus Christi
1 Corinthians 11:23–29 / John 6:55–58
Textual Notes
XXXX
Historical Notes
The Epistle is unanimously attested in substance by 56 sources, with 53 sources (including Ludecus 1589 and Magdeburg 1613) assigning 1 Corinthians 11:23–29, another 2 sources assigning 1 Corinthians 11:20–32 (Augsburg 1510 and Sion c. 1420), and Uppsala 1513 alone assigning 1 Corinthians 11:23–32.
The Gospel is also attested unanimously in substance by 56 sources, with 53 sources (including Ludecus 1589 and Magdeburg 1613) prescribing John 6:55–58, and three other slightly varying readings being attested by one source each.
Friday
1 Corinthians 10:14–21 / John 6:56–69
Textual Notes
XXX
Historical Notes
The Friday after Corpus Christi is one of the handful of occasions for which an entirely new set of readings was devised. None of our sources provided an Epistle for the occasion (something not unheard of on a Friday), and only six provided a Gospel. Three sources (Tournai 1498, Murbach c. 800, and Lüttich 1499) provided Luke 20:27–40, which we had already assigned on Wednesday of this week. Another two sources (Metz 1458 and the Comes Hieronymi) provided Luke 12:11–21, which was already substantially present on Friday in the week of Trinity 14. Brixen 1511 provided John 6:27–35, which was already assigned to the Thursday after Oculi. It seemed very suitable to include something related to Corpus Christi, so an otherwise unheard section of John 6 was selected, and paired with St. Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 10 on the Eucharist.
First Sunday after Trinity
Deuteronomy 6:4–13 / 1 John 8b–21 / Luke 16:19–31
Textual Notes
XXX
Historical Notes
XXX
The Lutheran Missal 
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