Friday of the Lord's Passion (Good Friday)

Date: April 18, 2025

New American Bible readings

First reading (Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him so marred was his look beyond human semblance and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man so shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; for those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it. Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny? When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, a grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood. But the LORD was pleased to crush him in infirmity. If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction, he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; and he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.

Second reading (Hebrews 4: 14–16; 5: 7–9)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews.

Brothers and sisters: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. In the days when Christ was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Gospel (John 18:1 – 19:42)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus is Arrested

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered. Judas his betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.” He said to them, “I AM.” Judas his betrayer was also with them. When he said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground. So he again asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I AM. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill what he had said, “I have not lost any of those you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?” So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus, bound him, and brought him to Annas first. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Peter’s First Denial

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Now the other disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus. But Peter stood at the gate outside. So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest, went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in. Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The Inquiry Before Annas

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his doctrine. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area where all the Jews gather, and in secret, I have said nothing. Why ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said.” When he had said this, one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter’s Further Denials

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm. And they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?” They answered and said to him, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” The Jews answered him, “We do not have the right to execute anyone,” in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he said indicating the kind of death he would die. So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this, I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Barabbas Chosen Over Jesus

When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this one but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Jesus is Scourged

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly. Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, “Behold, the man!” When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

Pilate Asks Further Questions of Jesus

Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer him. So Pilate said to him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out, “If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

Jesus Again Presented to the People

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

Jesus Sent to be Crucified

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

Jesus is Crucified

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,” in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says: They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. This is what the soldiers did. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

The Blood and Water

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for the Sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and that they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken. And again another passage says: They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

The Burial of Jesus

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

Catholic Pastoral Edition Bible readings

First reading (Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12)

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.

It is now when my servant will succeed; he will be exalted and highly praised. Just as many have been horrified at his disfigured appearance: "Is this a man? He does not look like one," so will nations be astounded, kings will stand speechless, for they will see something never told, they will witness something never heard of. Who could believe what we have heard, and to whom has the Lord revealed his feat? Like a root out of dry ground, like a sapling he grew up before us, with nothing attractive in his appearance, no beauty, no majesty. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows familiar with grief, a man from whom people conceal their face, spurned and considered of no account. Yet ours were the sorrows he bore, ours were the sufferings he endured, although we considered him as one punished by God, stricken and brought low. Destroyed because of our sins, he was crushed for our wickedness. Through his punishment we are made whole; by his wounds we are healed. Like sheep we had all gone astray, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him all our guilt. He was harshly treated, but unresisting and silent, he humbly submitted. Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearer, he did not open his mouth. He was taken away to detention and judgment — what an unthinkable fate! He was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for his people's sin. They made his tomb with the wicked, they put him in the graveyard of the oppressors, though he had done no violence nor spoken in deceit. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with grief, when he makes himself an offering for sin, he will have a long life and see his descendants. Through him the will of the Lord is done. For the anguish he suffered, he will see the light and obtain perfect knowledge. My just servant will justify the multitude; he will bear and take away their guilt. Therefore, I will give him his portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong. For he surrendered himself to death and was even counted among the wicked, bearing the sins of the multitude and interceding for sinners.

Second reading (Hebrews 4: 14–16 and 5: 7–9)
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews.
We have a great High Priest, Jesus, who is the Son of God, who has entered heaven. Let us, then, hold fast to the faith we profess. Our high priest is not indifferent to our weaknesses, for he was tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sinning. Let us, then, with confidence approach God, the giver of grace; we will obtain mercy and, through his favor, help in due time. Christ, in the days of his mortal life, offered his sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to him who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his humble submission. Although he was the Son of God, he learned through suffering what obedience was, and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for those who obey him.

Gospel (John 18:1 – 19:42)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus is Arrested

When Jesus had finished praying, he went with his disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley. There was a garden there, where Jesus entered with his disciples. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place since Jesus had often met there with his disciples. He led soldiers of the Roman battalion and guards from the chief priests and Pharisees, who went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus knew all that was going to happen to him; he stepped forward and asked, "Who are you looking for?" They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." Jesus replied, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, stood there with them. When Jesus replied, "I am he," they moved back and fell to the ground. Therefore, Jesus asked for a second time, "Who are you looking for?" and they answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." Jesus replied, "I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these others go." So what Jesus had said came true: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." Simon Peter had a sword; he drew it and struck Malchus, the High Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. However, Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword back in its scabbard; shall I not drink the cup on which the Father had given me?" The guards and the soldiers, with their commander, seized Jesus and bound him. They took Jesus first to Annas. Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the High Priest that year; and it was Caiaphas who had told the Jews: "It is better that one man should die for the people."

Peter's First Denial

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the High Priest, they let him enter the courtyard of the High Priest along with Jesus, but Peter had to stay outside the door. The other disciple, who was known to the High Priest, went out and spoke to the maidservant at the gate and brought Peter in. Then, this servant on duty at the door asked Peter, "So you are also one of his disciples?" But Peter answered, "I am not." Now the servants and guards had made a charcoal fire and were standing and warming themselves, because it was cold. Peter was also with them warming himself.

The Inquiry Before Annas

The High Priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in places where the Jews meet together, either at the assemblies in synagogues or in the Temple. I did not teach secretly. Why then do you ask me? Ask those who heard me, they know what I have said." At this reply, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a blow on the face, saying, "Is that the way to answer the High Priest?" Jesus replied to him, "If I have spoken incorrectly, then point it out. But if I have spoken correctly, why then do you have to strike me?" Then Annas sent Jesus, bound, to Caiaphas, the High Priest.

Peter's Further Denials

Now Simon Peter stood there warming himself. They said to him, "Surely, you also are one of his disciples." Peter denied it. "I am not." One of the High Priest's servants, a kinsman of the one those whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you with him in the garden?" Again Peter denied it, and at once the cock crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the court of the Roman governor. It was now morning. The Jews did not enter lest they were made unclean (by coming into the house of the pagan) and be unable to eat the Passover meal. So Pilate went out and asked, "What charge do you bring against this man?" They answered, "If he were not a criminal, we would not be handing him over to you." Pilate replied, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your own law." But they replied, "We ourselves are not allowed to put anyone to death." It was clear from this what kind of death Jesus was to die, according to what Jesus himself had foretold.

Pilate Questions About Jesus

Pilate then entered the court again, called Jesus and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Does this word come from your own accord, or did you hear it from others?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus replied, "My kingship does not belong to this world. If I were a king like those of this world, my guards would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews. But my kingship is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So are you a king then?" Jesus answered, "Just as you say, I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice." Pilate asked, "What is truth?"

Barabbas Chosen Over Jesus

Pilate then went out to the Jews again and said, "I find no crime in this man. Now, according to the custom, I must release a prisoner of yours at the Passover. With your agreement I will release for you the King of the Jews." But they insisted and cried out, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

Jesus is Scourged

Then Pilate had Jesus taken away and scourged. The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown and placed it on Jesus' head. They additionally threw a cloak of royal purple around his shoulders. They began coming to him and saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they slapped him on the face. Pilate then went outside yet another time and created another attempt to free Jesus. "Look, I am bringing him out and I want you to know that I find to crime in him." Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. As Jesus exits, Pilate pointed to him saying, "Here is the man!" When the guards and the chief priests saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate replied, "Take him yourselves and have him crucified, for I find no case against him." The Jews then replied, "We have a Law, and according to that law, this man ought to die because he made himself Son of God."

Pilate Asks Further Questions About Jesus

When Pilate heard this he was more afraid. Coming back to the court, he asked Jesus, "Where are you from?" Jesus did not reply. Then Pilate answered him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the power to release you just as I have power to crucify you?" Jesus then replied, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given to you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guiltier."

Jesus Again Presented to the People

From that moment, Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar." When Pilate heard this, he had Jesus brought outside to the place called the Stone Floor — in Hebrew, Gabbatha — and there he had him seated in the tribune. It was the Preparation Day for the Passover, about noon. So Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king." They insisted, "Away with him! Take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate finally answered, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king except Caesar." Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.

Jesus is Crucified

They took charge of him. Bearing his own cross, Jesus went out of the city to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There he was crucified and with him, two others, one on right side and one on the left side of Jesus. Jesus was in the center. Pilate had a notice written and fastened to the cross that read: Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews. Many Jewish people saw this title, because the place where Jesus was crucified was very close to the city. It was, moreover, written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The chief priests said to Pilate, "Do not write: 'The King of the Jews'; but: 'This man claimed to be the King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each of them. But as the tunic was woven in one piece from top to bottom, they said, "Let us not tear it, but let's cast lots for it to determine who will get it." This fulfilled the words of the Scripture: They divided my clothing among them; they cast lots for my garment. This is what the soldiers did.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the Mother, and the disciple whom he loved, he said to the Mother, "Woman, this is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that moment, the disciple took her to his own home. With that Jesus knew all was now finished and he said, "I am thirsty." to fulfill what was written in the Scriptures. A jar full of bitter wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a twig of hyssop, they raised it to his lips. Jesus took the wine and said, "It is accomplished." Then he bowed his head and gave up the spirit.

The Blood and Water

As it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the Sabbath, for this sabbath was a very solemn day. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so they might take away the bodies. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who had been crucified with Jesus. When they came to Jesus, however, they noticed that he was already dead; so they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a lance. Immediately, there came out blood and water. The one who has been here gives his witness so that you may believe: his witness is true and He knows that he speaks the truth. All this happened to fulfill the words of the Scripture, Not one of his bones shall be broken. Another text says: They shall look on him whom they have pierced.

The Burial of Jesus

After this, Joseph of Arimathea approached Pilate, for he was a disciple of Jesus, though secretly, for fear of the Jews. And he asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate agreed, so he came and took away the body. Nicodemus, the man who earlier had come to Jesus by night, also came and brought a jar of myrrh mixed with aloes, about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, following the burial custom of the Jews. There was a garden in the place where Jesus had been crucified, and in the garden, a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. As the tomb was very near, they buried Jesus there because they had no time left before the Jewish Preparation Day.

Holy Thursday

Date: April 17, 2025

New American Bible readings

Chrism Mass

First reading (Isaiah 61: 1–3A, 6A, 8B–9)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God, to comfort all who mourn; to place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem instead of ashes, to give them oil of gladness in place of mourning, a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit. You yourselves shall be named priests of the LORD, ministers of our God shall you be called. I will give them their recompense faithfully, a lasting covenant I will make with them. Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them as a race the LORD has blessed.

Second reading (Revelation 1: 5–8)

A reading from the book of Revelation.

[Grace to you and peace] from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his Blood, who has made us into a Kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Gospel (Luke 4: 16–21)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

First reading (Exodus 12: 1–8 and 11–14)

A reading from the book of Exodus.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. "This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you. "This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution."

Second reading (1 Corinthians 11: 23–26)

A reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Gospel (John 13: 1–15)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean." So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."

Catholic Pastoral Edition Bible readings

Chrism Mass

First reading (Isaiah 61: 1–3, 6a, and 8b–9)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to the captives, freedom to those languishing in prison; to announce the year of Yahweh's favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to give comfort to all who grieve; (to comfort those who mourn in Zion) and give them a garland instead of ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourning, and festal clothes instead of despair. They will be called oaks off integrity planted by Yahweh to show his glory. But you will be named priests of Yahweh, I will give them their due reward and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a race Yahweh has blessed.

Second reading (Revelation 1: 5–8)

A reading from the book of revelation.

From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has washed away our sins with his own blood, making us a kingdom and priests for God his Father, to him be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen. See he comes with the clouds and everyone will see him, even those who pierced him; on his account, all the nations of the earth will beat his breast. Yes. It will be so. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, he who is, who was and who is to come: the Master of the universe.

Gospel (Luke 4: 16–21)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord's year of mercy." Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said to them, "Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen."

Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

First reading (Exodus 12: 1–8, 11–14)

A reading from the book of Exodus.

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt and stated, "This month is to be the beginning of all months, the first month of your year. Speak to the community of Israel and say to them: On the tenth day of this month, let each family take a lamb, a lamb for each house. If the family is too small for a lamb, they must join with a neighbor, the nearest to the house, according to the number of people and what each one can eat. You will select a perfect lamb without blemish, a male born during the present year, taken from the sheep or goats. Then you will keep it until the fourteenth day of the month. On that evening all the people will slaughter their lambs and take some of the blood to put on the doorposts and on top of the door frames of the houses where you eat. That night, you will eat the flesh roasted at the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. And this is how you will eat: with a belt around your waist, sandals on your feet and a staff in your hand. You shall eat hastily for it is a passover in honor of the Lord. On that night I shall go through Egypt and strike every firstborn in Egypt, men and animals; and I will even bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt; I, the Lord! The blood on your houses will be the sign that you are there. I will see the blood and pass over you; and you will escape the mortal plague when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to remember and celebrate in honor of the Lord. It is to be kept as a festival day for all generations forever."

Second reading (1 Corinthians 11: 23–26)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Brothers and sisters: This is the tradition of the Lord that I received and that in my turn I have handed on to you; the Lord Jesus, on the night that he was delivered up, took bread and after giving thanks, broke it with this statement, "This is my body which is broken for you; do this in memory of me." In the same manner, taking the cup after supper, he states, "This cup is the new Covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in memory of me." So then, whenever you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes.

Gospel (John 13: 1–15)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

It was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, and as he had loved those who were his own in the world, he would love them with perfect love. They were at supper and the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to him, and as he had come from God, he was going to God. So he got up from the table, removed his garment and taking a towel, wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and wiped them with the towel he was wearing. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Simon stated to him, "Why, Lord, you want to wash my feet!" Jesus stated, "What I am doing cannot make you understand right now. but afterwards, you will understand it." Peter replied, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, then you can have no part with me." Then Simon Peter stated, "Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!" Jesus replied, "Whoever has taken a bath does not need to wash (except the feet), for he is clean all over. You are clean, though not all of you." Jesus knew who was going to betray him; because of this, he stated, "Not all of you are clean." When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put on his garment again, went back to the table and stated to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are correct, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another's feet. I have just given you an example that as I have done, you also may do."

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

Date: April 13, 2025

New American Bible readings

Gospel (Luke 19: 28–40)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. He said, "Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, 'Why are you untying it?' you will answer, 'The Master has need of it.'" So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying this colt?" They answered, "The Master has need of it." So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He said in reply, "I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

First reading (Isaiah 50: 4–7)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

Second reading (Philippians 2: 6–11)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel (Luke 22:14 – 23:56)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you that from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. "And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed." And they began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed. Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors'; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves. It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers." He said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you." But he replied, "I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me." He said to them, "When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No, nothing, " they replied. He said to them, "But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, He was counted among the wicked; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment." Then they said, "Lord, look, there are two swords here." But he replied, "It is enough!" Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test." After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done." And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test." While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" And one of them struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!" Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who had come for him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness." After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, "This man too was with him." But he denied it saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A short while later someone else saw him and said, "You too are one of them"; but Peter answered, "My friend, I am not." About an hour later, still another insisted, "Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean." But Peter said, "My friend, I do not know what you are talking about." Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly. The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is it that struck you?" And they reviled him in saying many other things against him. When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, "If you are the Christ, tell us, " but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth." Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. They brought charges against him, saying, "We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Christ, a king." Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so." Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, "I find this man not guilty." But they were adamant and said, "He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here." On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; and upon learning that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer. The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly. Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people and said to them, "You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." But all together they shouted out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us."— Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder. —Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their shouting, "Crucify him!  Crucify him!" Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished. As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that time people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?" Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." They divided his garments by casting lots. The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him, there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last. The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, "This man was innocent beyond doubt." When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events. Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Catholic Pastoral Edition Bible readings

Gospel (Luke 19: 28–40)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, close to the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples with these instructions, "Go to the village opposite and as you enter it you will find a colt tied up that no one has yet ridden: untie it and bring it here. And if anyone says to you: 'Why are you untying this colt?' You shall give this answer: 'The Master needs it.'" So the two disciples went and found things just as Jesus had stated. As they were untying the colt, the owner asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" And they answered, "The Master needs it." So they brought it Jesus and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they mounted Jesus on it. And as he went down, people spread their cloaks on the road. When Jesus came near Jerusalem, at the place where the road slopes down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen, and they cried out, "Blessed is he who comes as king in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and Glory in the highest heavens." Some Pharisees in the crowd stated to Jesus, "Master, rebuke your disciples." But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if they were to remain silent, the stones would cry out."

First reading (Isaiah 50: 4–7)

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.

The Lord God has taught me so I speak as his disciple and I know how to sustain the weary. Morning after morning he wakes me up to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord God has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord God comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced.

Second reading (Philippians 2: 6–11)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.

Christ Jesus, though being divine in nature, he did not claim in face equality with God, but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man. He humbled himself by being obedient to death, even death on the cross. That is why God exalted him and gave him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel (Luke 22:14 – 23:56)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table and the apostles with him. And he stated to them, "I was eager to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then they passed him a cup and when he had given thanks he stated, "Take this and share it among yourselves: for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the grape of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Jesus also took bread, and after giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And he did the same with the cup after eating, "This cup is the new covenant, sealed in my blood which is poured out for you. Yet the hand of the traitor is with me on the table. Know that the Son of Man is going the way marked out for him. But alas for that one who betrays him!" They began to ask one another which of them could do such a thing. They also began to argue among themselves which of them should be considered the most important. And Jesus stated, "The kings of the pagan nations rule over them as lords, and the most hard-hearted claim the title, 'Gracious Lord.' But not so with you; let the greatest among you become the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is the greatest, he who sits at the table or he who serves? He who is seated, isn't it? Yet I am among you as the one who serves. You are the ones who have been with me and stood by my through my troubles; because of this, just as the kingship has been given to me by my Father, so I give it to you. You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones and govern the twelve tribes of Israel. Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded to sift you like grain, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have recovered you shall strengthen your brothers." Then Peter stated, "Lord, with you I am ready to go even to prison and death." But Jesus replied, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day before you have denied three times that you know me." Jesus additionally stated to them, "When I sent you without a purse or bag or sandals, were you short of anything?" They answered, "No." And Jesus stated to them, "But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and a bag as well. And if anyone is without a sword, let him sell his cloak to buy one. For Scriptures says: He was numbered among criminals. These words had to be fulfilled in me, and now everything written about me is taking place." Then they stated, "See, Lord, here are two swords," but he answered, "That is enough." After this Jesus left to go as usual to the Mount of Olives and the disciples followed him. When he came to the place, he told them, "Pray that you may not be put to the test." Then he went a little further, about a stone's throw, and kneeling down he prayed, "Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from me; still not my will but yours be done." And an angel from heaven appeared to give him strength. As he was in agony, he prayed even more earnestly and great drops of blood formed like sweat and fell to the ground. When he rose from prayer, he went to his disciples but found them worn out with grief, and asleep. And he stated to them, "Why do you sleep? Get up and pray so that you may not be put to the test." Jesus was still speaking when a group appeared and the man named Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, and Jesus stated to him, "Did you need this kiss to betray the Son of Man?" Those with Jesus seeing what would happen, stated to Jesus, "Master, shall we use the sword?" And one of them struck the High Priest's servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus stopped him, "No more of this." He touched the man's ear and healed him. Then Jesus spoke to those coming against him, the chief priests, officers of the Temple and elders and he stated to them, "Did you really set out against a robber? Do you need swords and clubs to arrest me? Day after day I was among you teaching in the Temple and you did not arrest me. But this is the hour of the power of darkness; this is your hour." Then the people seized Jesus and took him away, bringing him to the High Priest's house. Peter followed at a distance. A fire was kindled in the middle of the courtyard where people gathered, and Peter sat among them. A maidservant noticed him. Looking at him intently in the light of the fire, she exclaimed, "This man also was with him!" But Peter denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A little later someone who saw him stated, "You are also one of them!" Peter replied, "My friend, I am not!" After about an hour another asserted, "Surely this man was with him, for he is a Galilean." Again Peter denied, "My friend, I don't know what you are talking about." He had not finished saying this when a cock crowed. The Lord turned around and looked at Peter and he remembered the word that the Lord had spoken, "Before the cock crows today you will have denied me three times." Peter went outside, weeping bitterly. Meanwhile the guards were mocking and beating Jesus. They blindfolded him, struck him and then asked, "Who hit you? Tell us, prophet." And they hurled many other insulting words at him. At daybreak, the council of the elders of the people, among whom were the chief priests and the scribes, assembled again. Then they had Jesus brought before them, and they began questioning him: "Tell us, are you the Christ?" Jesus replied, "You will not believe if I tell you, and neither will you answer if I ask you. Yet from now on the Son of Man will have his seat at the right hand of the Mighty God." In chorus they asked, "So you are the Son of God?" And Jesus stated to them, "You are right, I am." Then they stated, "What need have we of witnesses? We have heard it from his own lips." The whole council rose and brought Jesus to Pilate. They gave their accusation: "We found this man subverting our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ the king." Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You say so." Turning to the chief priests and the crowd, Pilate announced, "I find no basis for a case against this man." But they insisted, "All the country of the Jews is being stirred up with his teaching. He began in Galilee and now he has come all the way here." When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. Finding the accused to come under Herod's jurisdiction, Pilate sent Jesus over to Herod who happened to be in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was delighted to have Jesus before him now; for a long time he had wanted to see him because of the reports about him, and he was hoping to see Jesus work some miracle. He piled up question upon question, but got no reply from Jesus. All the while the chief priests and the scribes remained standing there, vehemently pressing their accusations. Finally, Herod ridiculed him and with his guards mocked him. And when he had put a rich cloak on him, he sent him back to Pilate. Pilate and Herod who were enemies before, became friends from that day. Pilate then called together the chief priests and the elder before all the people, and announced to them, "You have brought this man before me and accused him of subversion. In your presence, I have examined him and found no basis for your charges. And neither has Herod, for he sent him back to me. It is quite clear that this man has done nothing that deserves a death sentence. I will therefore have him scourged and then release him." (On the Passover, Pilate had to release one prisoner.) Howling as one man, they protested: "No! Away with this man! Release Barabbas instead." This man had been thrown into prison for an uprising in the city and for murder. Since Pilate wanted to release Jesus, he appealed to the crowd once more, but they shouted back, "To the cross with him! To the cross!" A third time Pilate asked them, "Why? What evil has he done? Since no crime deserving death has been proved, I shall have him scourged and let him go." But they went on shouting, insisting, and demanding that Jesus ought to be crucified, plus their shouts grew louder. So Pilate decided to pass the sentence they demanded. He released Barabbas, the prisoner the crowd asked for emancipation. Barabbas was in prison for rebellion and murder. Pilate then delivered Jesus in accordance with the crowd's wishes. When they led Jesus away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the fields, and laid the cross on him, to carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed him; among them were women beating their breast and wailing for him, but Jesus turned to them and stated, "Women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, weep rather for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when people will say: 'Happy are the women without child! Happy are those who have not given birth or nursed a child! And they will say to the mountains: Fall on us! And to the hills: Cover us!' For if this is the lot of the green wood, what will happen to the dry?" Along with Jesus, two criminals also were led out to be executed. There at the place called The Skull he was crucified together with the criminals — one on his right and another on his left. Jesus stated, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." And the guards cast lots to divide his clothes among themselves. The people stood by watching. As for the rulers, they jeered at him, saying to one another, "Let the man who saved others now save himself, for he is the Messiah, the chosen one of God!" The soldiers also mocked him and when they drew near to offer him bitter wine, they stated, "So you are the king of the Jews? Free yourself!" For above him was inscription which read, "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals hanging with Jesus insulted him, "So you are the Messiah? Save yourself and us as well!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Have you no fear of God, you who received the same sentence as he did? For us it is just: this is payment for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong." And he stated, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus replied, "Truly, you will be with me today in paradise." It was now about noon. The sun was hidden and darkness came over the whole land until mid-afternoon, because of an eclipse of the sun. At that time the curtain of the Sanctuary was torn in two. Then Jesus gave a loud cry, "Father into your hands I commend my spirit." And saying that, he gave up his spirit. The captain on seeing what had happened, acknowledged the hand of God. He stated, "Surely, this was an upright man." And all the people who had gathered to watch the spectacle, as soon as they saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts. Only those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, especially the women who had followed him from Galilee; they witnessed all this. Then intervened a member of the Jewish supreme council, a good and righteous man named Joseph from the Judean town of Arimathea. He had not agreed with the decision and action of his fellow members, for he lived uprightly in the hope of seeing the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. He then took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a yet unused tomb cut out of a rock. It was Preparation Day and the star which marks the beginning of the Sabbath was shining. So the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph to see the tomb and how his body was being placed. And returning home, they prepared perfumes and ointments. Finally, the women rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.

5th Sunday of Lent

Date: April 6, 2025

New American Bible readings

Year C readings

First reading (Isaiah 43: 16–21)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert, I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

Second reading (Philippians 3: 8–14)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.

Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.

Gospel (John 8: 1–11)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

Year A readings (if Year C is not followed)

First reading (Ezekiel 37: 12–14)

A reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel.

Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Second reading (Romans 8: 8–11)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

Brothers and sisters: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Gospel (John 11: 1–45)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to him saying, "Master, the one you love is ill." When Jesus heard this he said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this, he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." He said this, and then told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him." So the disciples said to him, "Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved." But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, "Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him." So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go to die with him." When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, "The teacher is here and is asking for you." As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Sir, come and see." And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?" So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me." And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go." Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

Catholic Pastoral Edition Bible readings

Year C readings

First reading (Isaiah 43: 16–21)

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the Lord, who opened a way through the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who brought down chariots and horses, a whole army of them, and there they lay, never to rise again, snuffed out like a wick. But do not dwell on the past, or remember the things of old. Look, I am doing a new thing: now it springs forth. Do you not see? I am opening up a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beasts of the land will honor me, jackals and ostriches, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert that my chosen people may drink. I have formed these people for myself; they will proclaim my praise.

Second reading (Philippians 3: 8–14)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.

Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have let everything fall away and I know consider all as garbage, if instead, I may gain Christ. May I be found in him, without merit or holiness of my own for having fulfilled the Law, but with the holiness which comes through faith in Christ, the holiness given by God which depends on faith in Christ Jesus. May I know him and experience the power of his resurrection and share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, and attain through this, God willing, the resurrection from the dead! I do not believe I have already reached the goal, nor do I consider myself perfect, but I press on till I conquer Christ Jesus, as I have already been conquered by him. No, brothers and sisters, I do not claim to have claimed the prize yet. I say only this: forgetting what is behind me, I race forward and run towards the goal, my eyes on the prize to which God has called us from above in Christ Jesus.

Gospel (John 8: 1–11)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak, Jesus appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone. "Master," they stated, "this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women should be stoned to death; but you, what do you say?" They stated this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against him. Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. And as the people continued to ask him, he straightened up and stated to them, "Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Jesus returned back to writing on the ground. As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Then Jesus stood up and ask her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one." And Jesus stated, "Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and never sin again."

Year A readings (if Year C is not followed)

First reading (Ezekiel 37: 12–14)

A reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel.

So prophesy! State to them: This is what the Lord says: "I am going to open your tombs, I shall bring you out of your tombs, my people, and lead you back to the land of Israel. You will know that I am the Lord, O my people! When I open your graves and bring you out of your graves, when I put my spirit in you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and you will know that I, the Lord, have done what I said and I would do."

Second reading (Romans 8: 8–11)

A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

Those walking according to the flesh cannot please God. Yet your existence is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him. But Christ is within you; though the body is branded by death as a consequence of sin, the spirit is life and holiness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is within you, He who raised Jesus Christ from among the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Yes, he will do it through his Spirit who dwells within you.

Gospel (John 11: 1–45)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

There was a sick man named Lazarus who was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the same Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." On hearing this Jesus stated, "This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God's glory and the Son of God will be glorified through it." It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after he heard of the illness of Lazarus, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Only then did he state to his disciples, "Let us go into Judea again." They replied, "Master, recently the Jews wanted to stone you. Are you going there again?" Jesus stated to them, "Are not twelve working hours needed to complete a day? Those who walk in the daytime shall not stumble, for they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, for there is no light in them." After that Jesus stated to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him." The disciples replied, "Lord, a sick person who sleeps will recover." But Jesus had referred to Lazarus' death, while they thought that he had meant the repose of sleep. So Jesus stated plainly, "Lazarus is dead and for your sake I am glad I was not there, for now you may believe. But let us go there, where he is." Then Thomas, called the Twin, stated to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go that we may die with him." When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. As Bethany is near Jerusalem, about two miles away, many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to offer consolation at their brother's death. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she stated to Jesus, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Jesus stated, "Your brother will rise again." Martha replied, "I know that he will rise in the resurrection, on the last day." But Jesus stated to her, "I am the resurrection; whoever believes in me, though he die, shall live. Whoever is alive by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Martha then answered, "Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world." After that Martha went and called her sister Mary secretly, stating, "The Master is here and is calling for you." As soon as Mary heard this, she rose and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her, also came. When they saw her get up and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep. As for Mary, when she came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and stated, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews also who had come with her, he was moved in the depths of his spirit and troubled. Then he asked, "Where have you laid him?" They answered, "Lord, come and see." And Jesus wept. The Jews stated, "See how he loved him!" But some of them stated, "If he could open the eyes of the blind man, could he not have kept this man from dying?" Jesus was deeply moved again and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus ordered, "Take the stone away." Martha stated to him, "Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day." Jesus replied, "Have I not told you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" So they removed the stone. Jesus lifted up his eyes and stated, "Father, I thank you for you have heard me. I knew that you hear me always; but my prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that you sent me." When Jesus had stated this, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus stated to them, "Untie him and let him go." Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what he did.