The Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass (1998 USA Edition)
tables compiled by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

Readings for the Sundays of Lent

(Year A: 2020, 2023, 2026, 2029, etc.; Year B: 2021, 2024, 2027, 2030, etc.; Year C: 2022, 2025, 2028, 2031, etc.)

Date	#	Sunday or Feast	First Reading	Responsorial Psalm	Second Reading	Verse before the Gospel	Gospel
2/26/23	22	1^st Sunday of Lent – A	Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7	Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14+17	Rom 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19	Matt 4:4b	Matt 4:1-11 – Temptation
3/5/23	25	2^nd Sunday of Lent – A	Gen 12:1-4a (diff)	Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20+22	2 Tim 1:8b-10	cf. Matt 17:5	Matt 17:1-9 – Transfiguration
3/12/23	28	3^rd Sunday of Lent – A	Exod 17:3-7	Ps 95:1-2, 6-7b, 7c-9	Rom 5:1-2, 5-8	cf. John 4:42+15	John 4:5-42 – Samaritan Woman or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
3/19/23	31	4^th Sunday of Lent – A	1 Sam 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a	Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6	Eph 5:8-14	John 8:12	John 9:1-41 – Man Born Blind or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
3/26/23	34	5^th Sunday of Lent – A	Ezek 37:12-14	Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8	Rom 8:8-11	John 11:25a+26	John 11:1-45 – Raising of Lazarus or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
.
2/18/24	23	1^st Sunday of Lent – B	Gen 9:8-15	Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9	1 Pet 3:18-22	Matt 4:4b	Mark 1:12-15 – Temptation
2/25/24	26	2^nd Sunday of Lent – B	Gen 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18	Ps 116:10+15, 16-17, 18-19	Rom 8:31b-34	cf. Matt 17:5	Mark 9:2-10 – Transfiguration
3/3/24	29	3^rd Sunday of Lent – B	Exod 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17	Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11	1 Cor 1:22-25	John 3:16	John 2:13-25 – Incident in Temple
3/10/24	32	4^th Sunday of Lent – B	2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23 (diff)	Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6	Eph 2:4-10	John 3:16	John 3:14-21 – Jesus & Nicodemus
3/17/24	35	5^th Sunday of Lent – B	Jer 31:31-34	Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15	Heb 5:7-9	John 12:26	John 12:20-33 – The Hour Has Come
.
3/9/25	24	1^st Sunday of Lent – C	Deut 26:4-10 (diff)	Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15	Rom 10:8-13	Matt 4:4b	Luke 4:1-13 – Temptation
3/16/25	27	2^nd Sunday of Lent – C	Gen 15:5-12, 17-18	Ps 27:1, 7-8a, 8b-9, 13-14	Phil 3:17–4:1 or 3:20–4:1	cf. Matt 17:5	Luke 9:28b-36 – Transfiguration
3/23/25	30	3^rd Sunday of Lent – C	Exod 3:1-8a, 13-15	Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8+11	1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12	Matt 4:17	Luke 13:1-9 – On Repentance
3/30/25	33	4^th Sunday of Lent – C	Josh 5:9a, 10-12	Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7	2 Cor 5:17-21	Luke 15:18	Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 – Prodigal Father
4/6/25	36	5^th Sunday of Lent – C	Isa 43:16-21	Ps 126:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5, 6	Phil 3:8-14	Joel 2:12-13	John 8:1-11 – Adulterous Woman
.
4/2/23 3/24/24 4/13/25	37	Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord: At the Procession with Palms – ABC	x	x	x	x	A: Matt 21:1-11 B: Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16 C: Luke 19:28-40
4/2/23 3/24/24 4/13/25	38	Palm Sunday: At the Mass – ABC	Isa 50:4-7	Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24	Phil 2:6-11	Phil 2:8-9	A: Matt 26:14 – 27:66 or 27:11-54 B: Mark 14:1 – 15:47 or 15:1-39 C: Luke 22:14 – 23:56 or 23:1-49

NOTES:

Readings that are new or different from the 1970 Lectionary are marked in the tables above; click on the underlined links (new) or (diff) for detailed explanations.
Numbers in the first column are the official section numbers from the Ordo Lectionum Missae, second typical edition, 1981.
Titles in the second column are linked directly to the readings provided on the website of the USCCB, if available.
The Chrism Mass, traditionally celebrated on the morning of Holy Thursday (or sometimes earlier in Holy Week) had been listed as reading #39 (between Palm Sunday and the Holy Thursday Evening Mass) in the first typical edition of the Ordo Lectionum Missae (1969); but in the second typical edition of the Ordo (1981), it was moved and renumbered as reading #260 (at the end of the readings for the weekdays of Lent).
Printing Suggestion: To print this page more clearly, try using "LANDSCAPE" rather than "Portrait" as the paper orientation.

Rationale:

The official "Introduction" to the Lectionary (Second Edition, 1981) briefly explains the rationale for the reading choices for the Sundays of Lent:

The Gospel readings are arranged as follows:
- The first and second Sundays maintain the accounts of the Temptation and Transfiguration of the Lord, with readings, however, from all three Synoptics.
- On the next three Sundays, the Gospels about the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus have been restored in Year A. Because these Gospels are of major importance in regard to Christian initiation, they may also be read in Year B and Year C, especially in places where there are catechumens.
- Other texts, however, are provided for Year B and Year C: for Year B, a text from John about Christ's coming glorification through his Cross and Resurrection, and for Year C, a text from Luke about conversion.
- On Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion the texts for the procession are selections from the Synoptic Gospels concerning the Lord's solemn entry into Jerusalem. For the Mass the reading is the account of the Lord's Passion.
The Old Testament readings are about the history of salvation, which is one of the themes proper to the catechesis of Lent. The series of texts for each Year presents the main elements of salvation history from its beginning until the promise of the New Covenant. (see below for details)
The readings from the Letters of the Apostles have been selected to fit the Gospel and the Old Testament readings and, to the extent possible, to provide a connection between them.
(Lectionary for Mass, "Introduction," chap. 5, par. 97)

History of Salvation in First Readings from Old Testament:

Pattern in each annual Cycle:

Human Origins
Abraham & Patriarchs
Moses & Israelites
Israelite Monarchy
Prophets & Restoration

Year A:

Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7 – ADAM & EVE: “The creation of our first parents, and sin.”
Gen 12:1-4a – PATRIARCHS: “The call of Abram, the father of God’s people.”
Exod 17:3-7 – MOSES: “Give us Water, so that we may drink.” [Murmuring in the Desert]
1 Sam 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a – MONARCHY: “DAVID is anointed as king of Israel.”
Ezek 37:12-14 – PROPHETIC PROMISE: “I will put my spirit in you that you may live.”

Year B:

Gen 9:8-15 – “God’s covenant with NOAH when he was delivered from the Flood.”
Gen 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 – “The sacrifice of ABRAHAM, our father in faith.”
Exod 20:1-17 – “The law was given through MOSES.” [Decalogue]
2 Chron 36:14-16, 19-23 – “The wrath and the mercy of the Lord are revealed in the EXILE and liberation of his people.” [Destruction of Jerusalem; Restoration under King Cyrus]
Jer 31:31-34 – PROPHETIC PROMISE: “I will make a new covenant and remember their sin no more.”

Year C:

Deuteronomy 26:4-10 – “The confession of faith of the CHOSEN PEOPLE.” [historical review]
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 – “God made a covenant with ABRAHAM, his faithful servant.”
Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15 – “ ‘I AM’ sent me to you.” [God & MOSES at Burning Bush]
JOSHUA 5:9a, 10-12 – “The people of God entered the PROMISED LAND and there kept the Passover.”
Isaiah 43:16-21 – PROPHETIC PROMISE: “See, I am doing something new, and I give my people drink.”

Related Resources:

Resources for Liturgy and Prayer for Lent and Easter
Lectionary Readings for the Weekdays of Lent
How Long Is Lent: Forty Days and Forty Nights?
Stations of the Cross: Traditional and Scriptural Versions
Studying the Lectionary: Lent 5B - exegetical background for preaching on the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent in Year B.

1998 USA Lectionary (Main Page)

Season of Advent	Season of Christmas	Season of Lent	Season of Easter
Solemnities of the Lord	Ordinary Time - Year A	Ordinary Time - Year B	Ordinary Time - Year C

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