Lectionary

A lectionary is the book or schedule of scripture readings assigned to specific Sundays and feast days through the liturgical year. The Catholic Lectionary (a three-year cycle of Sunday readings plus a two-year cycle of weekday readings) is the source of the parallel Revised Common Lectionary used across Mainline Protestant traditions (Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and others). Each Sunday typically includes an Old Testament reading, a psalm, a New Testament Epistle, and a Gospel reading, organized to highlight specific scriptural themes through the year. Evangelical and Baptist traditions generally do not use a lectionary; the pastor selects the texts.