Gospel Acclamation verses
  • Someone mentioned to me that in "Greek churches" (that's all I got, not Orthodox, Byzantine...) gospel acclamation verses are not necessarily ordered according to the scripture to follow, but rather are somewhat imperative exhortations to "listen, pay heed, open your hearts..." and so forth.
    Could anyone shed light on what this person meant?
    Thank you.
  • Maureen
    Posts: 675
    I know there's an announcement of "Wisdom! Be attentive!", along the same line as announcements like "The doors!" and "Dismissed!" [Missa est!] Is that what you mean?
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    In my experience (an English mission of the Antiochian Church), the acclamation "Alleluia" is sung with many verses of a psalm. Then the deacon cries out "Wisdom! Let us attend!" Let us hear the holy gospel according to ____!"
  • Yes, I think that's what I'm looking for.
    Can someone cite its rubrical usage, and if it's licit in a RC Mass?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom includes the deacon's invocation: "Sophia! Orthi!" ("Wisdom! Arise!"). I am not aware of any rubric in the Roman Missal which would allow for borrowing this feature of the Byzantine liturgy.
  • Thank you, RC. But to carry my concern and edification further, is there a prohibition forbidding the "borrowing (of) this feature."?
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Charles-
    Did you suddenly convert to a church where anything is allowed unless it is specifically forbidden?
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    Doesn't the main "prohibition" consist of the fact that there's already a Gospel acclamation verse assigned? Not to mention, of course, "[N]o other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority" (SC no. 22).
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    I don't know how things like Ken Canedo's "Alleluia: Give the glory" (and I pick on him only because the folk choir at my church uses this "gospel acclamation" every week) continue to be published in approved worship resources. There are, as far as I know, only two options for the verse before the Gospel: 1) the Alleluia (or Tract) verse from the Roman Gradual or a Gospel verse from the Simple Gradual and 2) the verse from the Lectionary.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Charles, is it possible that your interlocutor was making a point about the Alleluia verse in the Byzantine rite? That is, are the verses also of a hortatory nature? Of course, the verses in the Latin rite are not.

    I think one of our California members is a Ruthenian Catholic, so he can probably check the relevant liturgy books and confirm whether that's the case.
  • Well, then to Mark T's point-would the appropriation of such a verse be licit in the Roman Rite?
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 857
    You will note from the attached collections of the gospel acclamations of the lectionary that one may used in place of the texts proposed for each day.

    A number have the a character similar to the Eastern texts. My favorite is OT 27: Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. (See Acts 16:14b)