Redux

Again, the Lectionary. Here is the contemporary CofE rendition:

The briefest -- and utterly non-scholarly -- review of traditional sources shows a small number of places where the Tridentine readings match up with certain, identifiable densities:

I think a case can be made for the following style of minimalist revision:

• Prophecy: 2 Kings 2:1-15 -- Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
• Epistle: Acts 1:1-11 -- Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
• Gospel: Mark 16:14-20 -- The Great Commission

Luke 24:44-53 records the Ascension, frames it with the Old Testament, and foretells the Pentecost. In so doing, however, it diffuses the event and has none of the non-politically-correct power of Mark. Ephesians 4:7-13 is a very interesting gloss but the RCL give us Ephesians 1:15-23, which is only somewhat connected to the feast day. So barring the minimalist enrichment proposed, Trent (and Sarum) remain clearly superior. Sorry.