The Liturgy of the Word is comprised of several readings from Scripture, a homily to unpack the meaning of these scriptures, a recommitment to our core beliefs through our recitation of the Creed and general prayers for the needs of our world. The Scriptures which are read on any given Sunday are proscribed by a Lectionary which was developed in the wake of the Second Vatican Council to provide “a richer fare for the faithful at the table of God’s word,” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 51). The Sunday lectionary (there are separate volumes for weekday masses and ritual masses) is organized into a three-year cycle which I described in an earlier column. This exposes us to a much greater portion of the Bible over the course of these three years. At the same time, it allows us to revisit the same scriptures over time to deepen our understanding of God’s word as we grow and mature in faith. We first read from an Old Testament text, rooting us in our Jewish heritage, (although in the Easter Season we read from the Acts of the Apostles). We respond to that first reading by singing a Responsorial Psalm. Traditionally attributed to King David, the Psalms were composed to be sung rather than simply read. We continue with another scripture reading which is taken from the writings of the early Christian Church (usually the Letters of Paul, Peter, John or the Book of Revelation). We stand and greet the proclamation of the Gospel by singing our great Easter acclamation “Alleluia” (except during Lent) and then are attentive to the words from one of the four Gospels in the New Testament. As the Gospel text is introduced and we respond “Glory to you, O Lord,” we trace the sign of the cross over our forehead, over our lips, and over our heart praying that God’s Word might be in our minds, on our lips and in our hearts.