End of Lectionary Cycle

—published November 21, 2010

The First Sunday of Advent, we will begin an entirely new cycle, with the arrival once again of “Year A.” Matthew is the primary evangelist during Year A. His particular charisms and emphasis in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel will shape our prayer and spirituality all through the coming year. There are many interesting features to Matthew’s Gospel, too numerous to name here. One that is particularly worth mentioning is that Matthew’s Gospel is infused throughout with the spirit of the Beatitudes! So, every time you hear a part of Matthew’s gospel in the next year, ask yourself this simple question: “What does today’s excerpt from Matthew tell me about my own efforts at living out the Beatitudes?”

Perhaps the end of one liturgical year and the start of a new one next week is a good time for us to do some personal reflection. How have we grown in these past three years of celebrating the church’s liturgy? We’ve walked with our spiritual companions of Matthew…and Mark…then Luke….(and John too, whose Gospel is sprinkled throughout every year, especially on important feasts!) Has this journey made any difference in our lives? Imagine what we might be like, or where we might be in our lives, three years from now when we have walked this complete cycle again. Take time to reflect. Dream. Set spiritual goals for yourself. Decide to walk and live this next cycle with a passion and zeal for the Gospel unlike what you have ever done before! We are about to embark on experiencing once again the “greatest story ever told”…and from no less than four perspectives! Let’s use this gift and seize the opportunities for growth that it offers us!

David Orzechowski
Director of Liturgy and Music