Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We hear from one of the four gospels every weekend at Mass. I’ve been listening to them since before I was even baptized. Three different perspectives of similar stories are told in Matthew, Mark and Luke, however John’s gospel seems to be an oddball. The gospel of John is not so much focused on history as the other gospels. It is however read throughout the liturgical year. The gospel of Mark dates to be the oldest and shortest account of Jesus’ life and death. However, it puts emphasis on who Jesus is. It emphasizes Jesus’ miraculous work as the Son of God and the Messiah. Toward the end of the Gospel, when Jesus is dying, it is officially declared that Jesus was the Son of God (read for Year B of liturgical cycle). Matthew puts emphasis on the fact that Jesus was a descendent of King David and how he opposed the Pharisees (read for Year A of liturgical cycle). Lastly, Luke (read for year C of liturgical year) is the only book to account for the story of the road to Emmaus, which is told every year on Easter. Luke was likely written by a non- Jewish Christian to a non-Jewish audience. Luke emphasizes the imminent return of Christ which is different from Matthew and Mark. Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell similar stories from different perspectives, while also focusing on different things. It is also interesting to note that when you read Year A, B and C, you have read the entirety of the first three gospels.
As a Catholic, I really enjoy hearing the Homilies that priests give throughout the year, reflecting and connecting the gospels with the given scriptures for the day. Often times, priests will help put these stories into perspective by giving a real life example or giving tips on how to live out what we can learn from the gospel. They are often very insightful and applicable to our everyday lives. That is one thing that I really enjoy about the gospels.