Weekday Masses for Years I & II
in the
Seasons of Lent and Easter

The Season of Lent:

Notes:

• The second column indicates the numbers assigned to each set of readings in the official Latin Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typica altera (1981).
• #223 - Verses before the Gospel for Weekdays of Lent (17 options) and Gospel Acclamations for Lent (8 options)
• #260 - The Chrism Mass had been listed as #39 (between the readings for Palm Sunday and those for the Holy Thursday Evening Mass) in the first typical edition of the Ordo (1969), but was moved to #260 in the second typical edition of the Ordo (1981).
• Lectionary Note before #219: "If the blessing and distribution of ashes take place outside Mass, it is appropriate that the Liturgy of the Word precede it, using texts assigned to the Mass of Ash Wednesday."
• Lectionary Note before #236: "This Mass may be used on any day of this week, especially in Years B and C when the Gospel of the Samaritan woman is not read on the Third Sunday of Lent."
• Lectionary Note before #243: "This Mass may be used on any day of this week, especially in Years B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent."
• Lectionary Note before #250: "This Mass may be used on any day of this week, especially in Years B and C when the Gospel of Lazarus is not read on the Fifth Sunday of Lent."

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

• "The readings from the Gospels and the Old Testament were selected because they are related to each other. They treat various themes of the Lenten catechesis that are suited to the spiritual significance of this season.
• Beginning with Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent, there is a semicontinuous reading of the Gospel of John, made up of texts that correspond more closely to the themes proper to Lent.
• Because the readings about the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus are now assigned to Sundays, but only for Year A (in Year B and Year C they are optional), provision has been made for their use on weekdays.
• Thus at the beginning of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Weeks of Lent optional Masses with these texts for the Gospel have been inserted and may be used in place of the readings of the day on any weekday of the respective week.
• In the first days of Holy Week the readings are about the mystery of Christ's passion.
• For the Chrism Mass the readings bring out both Christ's Messianic mission and its continuation in the Church by means of the sacraments." (Lectionary for Mass, "Introduction," chap. 5, par. 98)

The Season of Easter:

*Lectionary Note before #294: "In Provinces where the celebration of Ascension is transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, the following readings are used on this Thursday." [readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord are listed in #59.]

#303 = Alleluia Verses for Weekdays of the Season of Easter up to the Ascension: "These texts may be used in place of the texts proposed for each day." (24 options)

#304 = Alleluia Verses for Weekdays of the Season of Easter after the Ascension: "These texts may be used in place of the texts proposed for each day." (10 options)

Note: The "General Introduction to the Lectionary" (Second Edition, 1981) briefly explains the rationale for the reading choices for the Weekdays of the Easter Season:

"As on the Sundays, the first reading is a semicontinuous reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel readings during the Easter octave are accounts of the Lord's appearances. After that there is a sernicontinuous reading of the Gospel of John, but with texts that have a paschal character, in order to complete the reading from John during Lent. This paschal reading is made up in large part of the Lord's discourse and prayer at the end of the Last Supper."
(Lectionary for Mass, "Introduction," chap. 5, par. 101.)

Related Resources:

• Forty Days and Forty Nights
• Readings for the Sundays of Lent
• Readings for the Sundays of the Easter Season
• Full Texts of the Liturgical Readings - from the USCCB website

Weekday Readings for the other Liturgical Seasons:
Advent and Christmas | Lent and Easter | Ordinary Time: Year I | Ordinary Time: Year II | Saints and Feast Days

Readings from the Lectionary for Mass, Volume 4:
Commons | Ritual Masses | Various Needs & Occasions | Votive Masses | Masses for the Dead

Source: Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, 
© 2001, 1998, 1992, 1986, 1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.

The Lectionary for Mass used in the USA is based on the Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typical altera (Latin Lectionary, second edition, 1981).

For the full texts of the readings for the current and upcoming months,
please refer to the official web-site of the New American Bible, sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.