Thursday 16 October 2008

Synod on the Word of God: a summary so far

Cardinal Marc Ouellet has given a speech at the Synod summarising in a series of questions the interventions made so far. These questions provide the agenda for the working groups that will now follow.

At a first glance, I noticed Question 6. "Is it possible to revise the Lectionary and modify the selections of the readings from the Old and New Testament?" Having just done a kind of study of the (so-called) continuous reading of the Letter to the Philippians that has been the second reading at Sunday Mass for the last few weeks, I have found it quite difficult to perceive the rationale behind the particular selections and to pick out clear teaching points. Last Sunday, for example, I had to look at the verses omitted from the "split text" of the Liturgical reading before I could make real sense of the reading.

I am also struck by the way in which a number of the questions touch on the idea that Scripture is first of all "heard" in its Liturgical context - true, and perhaps a particularly Catholic insight compared to other Christian denominations - and this needs to be related to how it is "heard" outside of the Liturgy.

It is implied in some of the questions, but there is no explicit reference to the insights that movements in the Church with a particular charism with regard to Scripture can offer. I hope that this does not prove to be a weakness in the forthcoming work of the Synod fathers.

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