Same gospel readings in a row for Dec 18th and Dec 24th Question...

[dfp42]

Can anyone out there explain why the Church has the same Gospel readings for December 18th and the Saturday Vigil mass on December 24th. My mother asked me this question and I am unable to explain it. She feels that perhaps the Church messed up on its readings and doesn't understand why exactly the Church would do this. Anyone out there able to help me out explain this to my mother? I know the church does cycles A,B and C but I don't know why some of the readings would be the same the following week or days etc. Thanks Much. God Bless and Merry Christmas!!

[Matthew Holford]

The readings for 18th December should have been First Reading: Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25. Those for the Vigil Mass of the Nativity should have been First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm: Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Second Reading: Act 13:16-17, 22-25; Gospel: Matthew 1:1-25 or Matthew 1:18-25.

[dfp42]

I guess the question is, why Matthew 1:18-25 for 2 weeks in a row? Is this just the way the church sets up the readings?

[japhy]

Originally Posted by dfp42

I guess the question is, why Matthew 1:18-25 for 2 weeks in a row? Is this just the way the church sets up the readings?

Before the three-year Sunday cycle, the Gospel on the fourth Sunday of Advent was Luke 3:1-6. In the three-year cycle, the fourth Sunday is either Matthew 1:18-25 (A), Luke 1:26-38 (B), or Luke 1:39-45 (C).

The four Christmas Masses (Vigil, Midnight, Dawn, Day) have the following Gospel readings every year (no matter what form of Mass, EF or OF, you attend):

Vigil: Matthew 1:1-25 (1:18b-21 in the EF; 1:18-25 permitted in the OF)
Midnight: Luke 2:1-14
Dawn: Luke 2:15-20
Day: John 1:1-18 (1:1-14 in the EF; 1:6-8 can be omitted in the OF)

So... why Matthew 1:18-25 two "days" in a row? Because that's how they arranged the calendar in Year A.

[newyorkcatholic]

I haven't been to the OF in a while and can't tell you why which reading is assigned to which day, or about the ABC and I/II cycles.

What I can say is that there is no necessarily principle that says you shouldn't repeat readings. Sometimes repetition is a beautiful and helpful thing. There are certain readings that are repeatedly used in feasts for martyrs for example. Or readings often used in feasts of Our Lady. If there are two martyrs' feasts nearby, or two feasts of Our Lady, then you will hear a reading repeated.

I could hear these passages from the Scriptures a thousand times and still benefit from hearing them again.