Q: We are confused about the sheer multiplicity of readings available for the feast day of Blessed Andre Bessette (shown below). We checked the set of readings for the regular feast day and noticed there were not as many sets of readings. Why, we wonder, is such variability given for the feast day of this saint?
Would tomorrow’s feast day of the Epiphany of our Lord, Jesus, have any bearing on this anomaly??
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A: Volume four of the lectionary includes a section called Commons that apportions selections of biblical readings categorized by types of saints (martyrs, pastors, doctors of the church, virgins, and so forth). A community that wishes to commemorate St. André today has a number of readings from which it may choose. This is true on any saint’s day that is a memorial or an optional memorial. However, it is normally advised to use the readings from the weekday (rather than those of the saint) so that those who participate in daily mass may hear continuous readings from the same biblical book.