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The Gospel in Christian liturgy refers to a reading from the Gospels used during various religious services and mass. In many Christian churches, all Christians present stand when a passage from one of the Gospels is read publicly, and sit when a passage from a different part of the Bible is read. The reading of the Gospels, often contained in a liturgical edition containing only the four Gospels, is traditionally done by a minister or priest, and in many traditions is brought into the midst of the congregation to be read.

Contents 1 Usage in Eastern Orthodox liturgy 1.1 Divine Liturgy 1.2 Other Services 2 Uses in Roman Catholic liturgy 3 External links

See also: Gospel Book

The Gospel book, usually decorated in an elaborate metal cover, is normally kept in a central place on the altar. The only things that are permitted to occupy this place on the altar are the chalice and discos for the celebration of the Eucharist or, on certain feasts, a Cross.

In Eastern Orthodoxy, during the Little Entrance, the Gospel is carried from the altar, through the nave of the church, and back into the altar. For the Gospel reading itself, the Gospel is brought from the altar to the ambo, and afterwards returned to its place.

A Gospel passage is read in the Divine Liturgy on every Sunday or feast, and at daily services during the week. The reading is determined according to the annual liturgical calendar. (If a feast falls on a Sunday, the reading for that feast will often be included after or in place of the Sunday reading.) The cycle of readings begins with Pascha and the Pentecostarion (between Pascha and Pentecost), continues with the Sundays after Pentecost, and concludes with Great Lent and Holy Week. The number of Sundays from one Pascha to the next varies from year to year; in some years, not all the passages for Sundays after Pentecost will be read, while in others, some weeks will have to be repeated.

The entirety of the four Gospels is read in the course of the liturgical year, beginning with John 1:1-17 at the Paschal Matins Resurrection Service. The readings from John end on the Sunday of Pentecost, followed on Holy Spirit Monday by Matthew, starting in Chapter 4 (the Genealogy of Christ through the Nativity is read during the services for Christmas). From the 12th Monday through the 17th Friday after Pentecost, the readings are from the Gospel of St. Mark, with readings from Matt. Ch. 25 on Saturday and Sunday of the 17th week. The 18th Monday after Pentecost begins the readings from Luke, ending on the 29th Sunday. During the remaining weeks, 30-32, the weekday reading are from Mark, the weekend from Luke. This same pattern continues throughout the preparatory weeks from the Lenten Triodion, the Orthodox service book containing texts for the services of Great Lent and Holy Week.

Once Great Lent begins (during the service of Vespers on Forgiveness Sunday), there are no Gospel readings on weekdays; instead, three Old Testament reading are appointed, one each from Genesis, Isaiah, and Proverbs (note: the Lenten services are structured differently to allow this arrangement of reading without the Gospel; see Presanctified Liturgy). On Saturdays and Sundays, a Gospel is read with a message applicable to what the theme of that Sunday is (e.g. St. Mary of Egypt, the Cross, Holy Icons). This practice continues through Holy Week, with the exception of Matins of Great and Holy Friday, during which the 12 Passion Gospels are read, and the service culminates with a procession with a large wooden replica of the Cross, borne by the Priest to the ambo, and Christ is symbolically crucified on it. There are no other Gospel readings until Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday, and then the Resurrectional Gospel at Midnight, Pascha Morning.

At the Divine Liturgy the Gospel is publicly read by a deacon after he receives a blessing from the celebrating priest or bishop. If there is no deacon present, the priest will read the Gospel himself. As in many other churches, all stand while the Gospel is being read.

In the Sunday Matins service the Gospel is always read by the celebrant (rather than the deacon). On Sundays he reads from one of the eleven Matin Gospels, each of which gives an account of the Resurrection of Christ. During the reading, the Gospel Book is placed on the Holy Table and the Holy Doors are opened (the Holy Table representing the Tomb of Christ, and the Holy Doors representing the stone rolled away from the entrance). In this way, both the priest and the congregation face east during the reading (east being the direction the sun rises, symbolizing the Resurrection). Afterward, the priest and deacon bring the Gospel into the center of the Temple, and the faithful venerate the Book of Gospels and then receive the celebrant's blessing.

On Weekdays, if there is a higher-ranking feast there will be a Gospel at Matins (normal weekday Matins does not have a Gospel reading). If so, the Gospel is still read by the priest, but from the center of the Temple, after which he returns the Gospel Book to the Holy Table. Instead of venerating the Gospel Book, the faithful venerate the Icon of the Feast, and receive the celebrant's blessing.

There will also be Gospel readings at other occasional services from the Euchologion (Slavonic: Trebnik). These are usually read by the priest and normally follow the pattern of Matins.

On the first three days of Holy Week (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) the four gospels are read in their entirety at the Little Hours, stopping at John 13:32. The remainder of John, together with readings from the other Gospels havinig to do with the Passion, is read at Matins of Great Friday at a service called the Twelve Passion Gospels.

When a bishop or priest passes away and his body is prepared for burial, a Gospel Book is placed in the coffin with him. After the preperation of the body and before the funeral itself begins, it is traditional for the Gospels to be read continuously over him. The reading may be performed by a bishop, priest or deacon. During the funeral procession, the Gospel Book is carried in front of the coffin, and there are several Gospel readings during the funeral.

In the Roman Catholic Church, a passage from one of the gospels is placed between the Alleluia or Tract and the Credo in the Mass. In a high mass, it is chanted in a special tone (the Tonus Evangelii).

• Gospel in the Liturgy - Catholic Encyclopedia entry
• Excerpts from the Gospel Commentary — An explanation of each Sunday's Gospel reading in the Orthodox Church, attributed to St. John Chrysostom.
• DailyGospel.org - daily reading from the gospels (Roman Catholic)

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Ordinary: Proper: Accentus:		Kyrie | Gloria | Credo | Sanctus | Agnus Dei | Ite missa est or Benedicamus Domino Introit | Gradual | Alleluia or Tract | Sequence | Offertory | Communion Collect | Epistle | Gospel | Secret | Preface | Canon | Postcommunion