A young man once asked me:
“Why is it that Catholics don’t mention the chapters and verses when reading the Bible at Mass?My pastor told us it’s because Catholics don’t want people to know the Bible or the truth.”
I smiled at him and replied:
“If you already believe your pastor’s answer, why ask me?”
He paused, then said: “Because I’m not convinced.”
So I gave him the real answer.
READING VS. PROCLAIMINGCatholics don’t just read the Bible at Mass.
We proclaim it.
To “read” is to look at text and understand.
To “proclaim” is to announce a message with authority.At Mass, the Word of God is not private study, it is a public proclamation of God’s voice to His people.
That’s why the lector ends with:
“The Word of the Lord.”And the deacon or priest ends with:
“The Gospel of the Lord.”It is not our word. It is God speaking now.
THE LITURGY IS NOT A BIBLE STUDYMany don’t realize: Catholics already know the readings before Mass.
Every Catholic who owns a Missal or Liturgical Calendar knows:
The readings of today. The readings of tomorrow. Even the readings of March 17, 2026, years ahead!Why? Because the Church has a 3-year cycle of Scripture readings, carefully designed so that across Sundays, weekdays, and feasts, the entire story of salvation unfolds.
So Mass is not the first time Catholics hear the readings. They are meant to be read at home before Mass, so that during Mass we don’t “study” them, but hear God speak through them.
WHY WE DON’T ANNOUNCE CHAPTER AND VERSEIf the lector says: “First Reading: Isaiah chapter 55, verses 1–3,” what happens?
People grab their Bibles, flip pages, and start “reading along.”But in that moment, the Mass shifts from proclamation to study.
And the Church is clear: Mass is not a classroom. It is worship.
At Mass, we don’t “search the text.”
We listen to the voice of the Spirit speaking through the proclamation.
That’s why chapter and verse are intentionally omitted, not to hide the Bible, but to lift the Bible above private reading into communal proclamation.
THE CHURCH’S WISDOMThink about it: In the early Church there were no chapter and verse numbers.
Those were added in the 13th and 16th centuries—for study and reference.
The Mass preserves the ancient way of hearing Scripture:
Not distracted by numbers. Not reduced to proof-texts. But heard as a living word addressed to the people of God.That’s why after the reading, the people respond:
“Thanks be to God.”Because they have heard God Himself speaking.
SO, The next time someone says:
“Catholics don’t announce chapter and verse because they don’t want people to know the Bible…”You can answer with confidence:
- Catholics don’t just read, we proclaim.
- The readings are already known in advance.
- Mass is not a classroom, it is worship.
- Scripture is not hidden, it is made living and present.
At Mass, God’s Word is not a dead text, it is a voice from heaven, proclaimed in the assembly, received in faith, and sealed in the Eucharist.
So when you hear “The Word of the Lord”… don’t rush to check numbers.Bow your heart and answer: “Thanks be to God.”
God bless you
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