Historic Lenten Weekday Lectionary β 2015
A proper Mass for every day of Lent, Ash Wednesday through Good Friday · February 18 β April 3, 2015
In the historic Western rite, Lent alone has proper readings appointed for every weekday, not just Sundays. As a rule each day has two lessons β an Epistle (in Lent almost always from the Old Testament) and a Gospel; the Ember Days and the Wednesday and Saturday of Laetare carry extra lessons. Sunday rows are shaded, for context. Tap any reference to open it at BibleGateway. Each weekday's day card (tap the day's name) also gives the Mass's historic introit and collect β public-domain texts of the old Western rite, labelled as such since Lutheran service books never carried weekday propers (details).
Ash Wednesday and the First Days
| Wed, Feb 18 Ash Wednesday |
Epistle (Lesson) Joel 2:12-19 Epistle 2 Peter 1:2-11 LSB add. Gospel Matthew 6:16-21 Historically the Epistle was Joel alone, with no New Testament reading before the Gospel; the 2 Peter Epistle is a modern LSB addition. |
| Thu, Feb 19 Thursday after Ash Wednesday |
Lesson Isaiah 38:1-6 Gospel Matthew 6:5-8 |
| Fri, Feb 20 Friday after Ash Wednesday |
Lesson Isaiah 58:1-9a Gospel Matthew 5:43-6:4 |
| Sat, Feb 21 Saturday after Ash Wednesday |
Lesson Isaiah 58:9b-14 Gospel Mark 6:47-56 |
Invocavit β First Week in Lent
| Sun, Feb 22 Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) |
Old Testament Genesis 3:1-21 LSB add. Epistle 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Gospel Matthew 4:1-11 |
| Mon, Feb 23 Monday of Invocavit |
Lesson Ezekiel 34:11-16 Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 |
| Tue, Feb 24 Tuesday of Invocavit |
Lesson Isaiah 55:6-11 Gospel Matthew 21:10-17 |
| Wed, Feb 25 Ember Wednesday in Lent |
First Lesson Exodus 24:12-18 Second Lesson 1 Kings 19:3b-8 pre-LSB Gospel Matthew 12:38-50 An Ember Day β historically provided with two lessons before the Gospel. |
| Thu, Feb 26 Thursday of Invocavit |
Lesson Ezekiel 18:1-9 Gospel John 8:31-47a |
| Fri, Feb 27 Ember Friday in Lent |
Lesson Ezekiel 18:20-28 Gospel John 5:1-15 |
| Sat, Feb 28 Ember Saturday in Lent |
First Lesson Deuteronomy 26:15-29 Second Lesson Deuteronomy 11:22-25 Third Lesson 2 Maccabees 1:23, 2-5 Fourth Lesson Sirach 36:1-10 Fifth Lesson Prayer of Azariah 1:24-28 Epistle 1 Thessalonians 5:14-23 Gospel Matthew 17:1-9 An Ember Day β the ancient Saturday of many prophecies (five lessons, then Epistle and Gospel), closing with the Transfiguration. |
Reminiscere β Second Week in Lent
| Sun, Mar 1 Reminiscere (Second Sunday in Lent) |
Old Testament Genesis 32:22-32 LSB add. Epistle 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 Gospel Matthew 15:21-28 |
| Mon, Mar 2 Monday of Reminiscere |
Lesson Daniel 9:15-19 Gospel John 8:21-29 |
| Tue, Mar 3 Tuesday of Reminiscere |
Lesson 1 Kings 17:8-16 Gospel Matthew 23:1-12 |
| Wed, Mar 4 Wednesday of Reminiscere |
Lesson Esther 13:8-11, 15-17 Gospel Matthew 20:17-28 |
| Thu, Mar 5 Thursday of Reminiscere |
Lesson Jeremiah 17:5-10 Gospel John 5:30-47 |
| Fri, Mar 6 Friday of Reminiscere |
Lesson Genesis 37:6-22 Gospel Matthew 21:33-46 |
| Sat, Mar 7 Saturday of Reminiscere |
Lesson Genesis 27:6-40a Gospel Luke 15:11-32 |
Oculi β Third Week in Lent
| Sun, Mar 8 Oculi (Third Sunday in Lent) |
Old Testament Jeremiah 26:1-15 LSB add. Epistle Ephesians 5:1-9 Gospel Luke 11:14-28 |
| Mon, Mar 9 Monday of Oculi |
Lesson 2 Kings 5:1-15a Gospel Luke 4:23b-30 |
| Tue, Mar 10 Tuesday of Oculi |
Lesson 2 Kings 4:1-7 Gospel Matthew 18:15-22 |
| Wed, Mar 11 Wednesday of Oculi |
Lesson Exodus 20:12-24a Gospel Matthew 15:1-20 |
| Thu, Mar 12 Thursday of Oculi |
Lesson Jeremiah 7:1-7 Gospel John 6:27-35 |
| Fri, Mar 13 Friday of Oculi |
Lesson Numbers 20:2b-13 Gospel John 4:5-42 |
| Sat, Mar 14 Saturday of Oculi |
Lesson Susanna 1:1-9, 15-17, 19-62 Gospel John 8:1-11 |
Laetare β Fourth Week in Lent
| Sun, Mar 15 Laetare (Fourth Sunday in Lent) |
Old Testament Exodus 16:2-21 LSB add. Epistle Galatians 4:22-31 Gospel John 6:1-14 pre-LSB For the Gospel, LSB adds one verse (John 6:1-15). |
| Mon, Mar 16 Monday of Laetare |
Lesson 1 Kings 3:16-28 Gospel John 2:13-25 |
| Tue, Mar 17 Tuesday of Laetare |
Lesson Exodus 32:7-14 Gospel John 7:14-31a |
| Wed, Mar 18 Wednesday of Laetare |
First Lesson Ezekiel 36:23-28 Second Lesson Isaiah 1:16-19 Gospel John 9:1-38 A day of two lessons β the great baptismal Gospel of the man born blind. |
| Thu, Mar 19 Thursday of Laetare |
Lesson 2 Kings 4:25-38a Gospel John 5:17-29 |
| Fri, Mar 20 Friday of Laetare |
Lesson 1 Kings 17:17-24 Gospel John 11:1-45 |
| Sat, Mar 21 Saturday of Laetare |
First Lesson Isaiah 49:8-15 Second Lesson Isaiah 55:1-11 Gospel John 8:12-20 A day of two lessons. |
Judica β Fifth Week in Lent (Passiontide)
| Sun, Mar 22 Judica (Fifth Sunday in Lent) |
Old Testament Genesis 22:1-14 LSB add. Epistle Hebrews 9:11-15 Gospel John 8:46-59 |
| Mon, Mar 23 Monday of Judica |
Lesson Jonah 3:1-10a Gospel John 7:32b-39a |
| Tue, Mar 24 Tuesday of Judica |
Lesson Bel and the Dragon 1:29-42, Daniel 6:25-27 Gospel John 7:1-13 |
| Wed, Mar 25 Wednesday of Judica |
Lesson Leviticus 19:1-2a, 10b-19a, 25b Gospel John 10:22-38 |
| Thu, Mar 26 Thursday of Judica |
Lesson Prayer of Azariah 1:11-22 Gospel John 7:40-53 |
| Fri, Mar 27 Friday of Judica |
Lesson Jeremiah 17:13-18 Gospel John 11:47-54 |
| Sat, Mar 28 Saturday of Judica |
Lesson Jeremiah 18:18-23 Gospel John 17:1-26 |
Holy Week (Palmarum through Good Friday)
| Sun, Mar 29 Palmarum (Palm Sunday / Sixth Sunday in Lent) |
Old Testament Zechariah 9:9-12 LSB add. Epistle Philippians 2:5-11 Gospel (Passion) Matthew 26:1-27:66 |
| Mon, Mar 30 Monday of Holy Week |
Lesson Isaiah 50:5-10 Gospel (Passion) Mark 14:1-15:46 pre-LSB The Lutheran / northeast-German order assigns Mark to Monday (LSB has John here). |
| Tue, Mar 31 Tuesday of Holy Week |
Lesson Jeremiah 11:18-20 Gospel John 12:1-36 pre-LSB The Lutheran / northeast-German order assigns John to Tuesday (LSB has Mark here). |
| Wed, Apr 1 Wednesday of Holy Week |
First Lesson Isaiah 62:11-63:5, 7a Second Lesson Isaiah 53:1-12 pre-LSB Gospel (Passion) Luke 22:1-23:53 'Spy Wednesday' β two lessons, closing with the Passion according to St. Luke. Isaiah 53 stands here (historically), not on Good Friday. |
| Thu, Apr 2 Maundy Thursday |
Old Testament Exodus 24:3-11 LSB add. Epistle 1 Corinthians 11:20-32 pre-LSB Gospel John 13:1-15 |
| Fri, Apr 3 Good Friday |
First Lesson Hosea 5:15b-6:6 pre-LSB Second Lesson Exodus 12:1-11 pre-LSB Gospel (Passion) John 18:1-19:42 Exodus 12 (the Passover lamb) stands here historically, not on Maundy Thursday. |
Source: The Lutheran Missal, "Lenten Lections" (11 February 2020), https://lutheranmissal.home.blog/2020/02/11/lenten-lections/ β the historic Western (Roman-rite) Lenten ferial lectionary in its late-medieval German / Lutheran recension. See Where these readings come from for the full Roman-vs-Lutheran history.