From the throne came flashes of lightening and peals of thunder; 

before it burned seven flaming torches, the seven spirits of God.  

 

The floor around the throne was like a sea of glass that was crystal clear.  

At the very center, around the throne itself, stood four living creatures covered with eyes front and back.  

The first creature resembled a lion, the second an ox; the third had the face of a man, while the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and eyes all over, inside and out.  

 

Day and night, without pause, they sang: 

 

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, He who was and who is, and who is to come!"

 

Revelation 4:5-8

 

When you come to mass on Sunday we begin with the Liturgy of the Word.  

 

The Word of God is proclaimed to us from the Lectionary.  These readings are selected for us and are intricately designed into the liturgical calendar.  The basis for the current day Lectionary comes from the synagogue, which had readings appointed for feasts and Sabbaths.  Throughout the centuries the Lectionary evolved and expanded into its current structure.   And that structure is as follows: the first lesson is a selection from the Jewish Scriptures, followed by a responsorial psalm and then a lesson from the New Testament and finally, the Gospel.  The gospels are the collection of stories that present the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  These gospels are the soul of our salvation story.  Consequently before hearing the gospel proclaimed in the assembly, we physically rise and praise God with the Hebrew "Alleluia," which serves a shout of joy in anticipation of hearing the words, images and parables that shape our faith and have saved our lives.

 

Here at Saint Joseph's, it has been the tradition for the lectors to process into the church with the Lectionary (which contains all the aforementioned readings) and place in upon the altar until such a time as the Presider or Deacon would go to the altar, take the book and proclaim the Word from the Ambo or pulpit.  However, it is preferred that we possess a separate Book of the Gospels: a bound and elaborately decorated volume that contains only the Gospel stories from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  This last week we acquired a Book of the Gospels for the Catholic Community of Saint Joseph's.  You will see it carried aloft in the entrance procession and placed upon the altar table: this is a symbolic action of wedding the Word and Eucharist, which together compose our Eucharistic celebration.  

 

Inside the pages of this magnificent book are beautiful colored images from the gospel stories and on the outside of the book there are four distinct quadrants.  In each of these sections you will see an angel, a lion, an ox and an eagle.  Christian iconography eventually used these images to represent the four evangelists.  The origin for these representations is based upon the passage from the Book of Revelation quoted to you at the top of the page.  Gabe Huck writes, "The evangelist Matthew is the human/angel, for this gospel begins by telling the human ancestry of Jesus.  Mark is represented as the Lion; this gospel begins in the wilderness.  Luke is the ox because this gospel begins with the temple, place of sacrifice, and then soon tells of the birth in the place where farm animals lived.  John is the eagle, for this gospel begins far above all."  

 

I hope our Book of Gospels will inspire you, not only in the proclaiming and telling of these sacred stories at liturgy but also inspire you to spend time in your own contemplation upon the Word of God.  To open up your Bible at home and spend even a few minutes in the mystery and power of the Word of God is to strengthen yourself as you face the questions and challenges of your day.   If you take time to read and savor the Word of God it will change your life .......... for the better.  

 

May the Lord be in our hearts and on our lips that we may worthily proclaim the gospel.

 

 

Father Matt Pennington

Pastor