For at least two years now I have been spending some serious morning time on the daily Mass readings for the Catholic Church. Those readings usually include related passages from the Old Testament, the Psalms, and the New Testament. They are available for reading and listening at the USCCB website and for reading only at Universalis.com. I have found that my learning is better if I listen and read simultaneously, and I normally do that a couple of times as part of the morning routine.
I use the Universalis App because it includes commentary from Father Henry Wansbrough, a 91 year old Catholic Priest who is a monk at Ampleforth Abbey in northern England. He has decades of experience with Sacred Scripture, and I figure his opinions and comments are worthy of some attention. Here is an interesting quote from the Wikipedia article: “He was an early advocate for the acceptance of Protestant scholars, persuading the editors of the Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture to remove asterisks highlighting the contributions of Protestant scholars in the second edition, arguing that “we can learn from one another”. I like that attitude and hope my Protestant friends will continue reading.
Today, December 31, 2025, the Gospel reading was the prologue to John’s Gospel, John 1:1-18. Father Wansbrough provided this bit of history in his commentary for the Universalis App: “The Prologue of St John has a special place in Christian Theology, and for centuries was recited at the end of Mass as summing up the whole work of redemption.”
That was new information for me, and I had to do a little investigating to learn more about such a significant change. I wasn’t doubting Father Wansbrough but was hungry for documentation. I typed in this question on my iPad: Is it true that the Prologue of St John has a special place in Christian theology and for centuries was recited at the end of the Mass as summing up the whole work of redemption? I was both pleased and surprised at the AI answer which started with this paragraph:
Yes, it’s true: St. John’s Prologue (John 1:1-18) holds a profound place in Christian theology, summarizing themes of the Word (Logos) becoming flesh and summing up redemption, and for centuries was recited at the end of the Mass (the “Last Gospel”) as a fitting conclusion to the Eucharistic celebration before its removal in modern rites. It emphasizes Jesus’s pre-existence, divinity, and incarnation, making it a powerful meditation on God’s redemptive work.
What is most interesting is that the documentation provided consists almost entirely of laments of “the removal in modern rites” including recitation of John 1:1-18 at the end of Mass. That removal was a result of The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in the early 1960’s. Here is an example of the laments.
Catholic Masses follow the same program everywhere, the only variances being the homilies delivered by the ordained priest or deacon. Since the fourth century, the Mass, except the homily, had been in Latin everywhere. Vatican Two endorsed the use of local vernacular languages to encourage and increase understanding. The new standard mass (Novus Ordo), in place now since 1969, incidentally excludes the recitation of John 1:1-18 at the end of every Mass.
Personally, I am very thankful for Vatican Two, a significant change. I doubt I would be Catholic today if the Mass were still always in Latin. If Masses were still followed by John 1:1-18 in local languages, I would be very happy with that. I would fit nicely with the Nicene Creed, the prayer of confession (Confiteor), and the Our Father Prayer, all recited now at Mass in local languages.
In the Catholic Church, change is slow and deliberate, but it does occur. Of course, we know one thing that never changes, though we can always improve our understanding.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrews 13:8