The Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass
(1981 Latin & 1998 USA Editions)
compiled by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

An Overview of the Readings from the NT Acts and Epistles
used on Sundays and Major Feast Days

First Readings for Sundays during the Easter Season:
(selections from the Acts of the Apostles)

Sunday or Feast

Year A

Year B

Year C

Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34a, 37-43

same as Year A

same as Year A

2nd Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:42-47

Acts 4:32-35

Acts 5:12-16

3rd Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14, 22-33

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19

Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

4th Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Acts 4:8-12

Acts 13:14, 43-52

5th Sunday of Easter

Acts 6:1-7

Acts 9:26-31

Acts 14:21-27

6th Sunday of Easter

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1:1-11

same as Year A

same as Year A

7th Sunday of Easter

Acts 1:12-14

Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26

Acts 7:55-60

Pentecost Sunday

Acts 2:1-11

same as Year A

same as Year A

For more details, see the page on Lectionary Readings from the Acts of the Apostles

Second Readings for Sundays during Ordinary Time:
 (semi-continuous readings from most of the NT Epistles)

 Sunday  

Year A

Year B

Year C

2

1 Cor 1:1-3

1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20

1 Cor 12:4-11

3

1 Cor 1:10-13, 17

1 Cor 7:29-31

1 Cor 12:12-30 or 12:12-14, 27

4

1 Cor 1:26-31

1 Cor 7:32-35

1 Cor 12:31-13:13 or 13:4-13

5

1 Cor 2:1-5

1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23

1 Cor 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11

6

1 Cor 2:6-10

1 Cor 10:31-11:1

1 Cor 15:12, 16-20

7

1 Cor 3:16-23

2 Cor 1:18-22

1 Cor 15:45-49

8

1 Cor 4:1-5

2 Cor 3:1b-6

1 Cor 15:54-58

9

Rom 3:21-25, 28

2 Cor 4:6-11

Gal 1:1-2, 6-10

10

Rom 4:18-25

2 Cor 4:13-5:1

Gal 1:11-19

11

Rom 5:6-11

2 Cor 5:6-10

Gal 2:16, 19-21

12

Rom 5:12-15

2 Cor 5:14-17

Gal 3:26-29

13

Rom 6:3-4, 8-11

2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15

Gal 5:1, 13-18

14

Rom 8:9, 11-13

2 Cor 12:7-10

Gal 6:14-18

15

Rom 8:18-23

Eph 1:3-14 or 1:3-10

Col 1:15-20

16

Rom 8:26-27

Eph 2:13-18

Col 1:24-28

17

Rom 8:28-30

Eph 4:1-6

Col 2:12-14

18

Rom 8:35, 37-39

Eph 4:17, 20-24

Col 3:1-5, 9-11

19

Rom 9:1-5

Eph 4:30-5:2

Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12

20

Rom 11:13-15, 29-32

Eph 5:15-20

Heb 12:1-4

21

Rom 11:33-36

Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32

Heb 12:5-7, 11-13

22

Rom 12:1-2

Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a

23

Rom 13:8-10

Jas 2:1-5

Phlm 9-10, 12-17

24

Rom 14:7-9

Jas 2:14-18

1 Tim 1:12-17

25

Phil 1:20c-24, 27a

Jas 3:16-4:3

1 Tim 2:1-8

26

Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5

Jas 5:1-6

1 Tim 6:11-16

27

Phil 4:6-9

Heb 2:9-11

2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14

28

Phil 4:12-14, 19-20

Heb 4:12-13

2 Tim 2:8-13

29

1 Thess 1:1-5b

Heb 4:14-16

2 Tim 3:14-4:2

30

1 Thess 1:5c-10

Heb 5:1-6

2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18

31

1 Thess 2:7b-9, 13

Heb 7:23-28

2 Thess 1:11-2:2

32

1 Thess 4:13-18 or 4:13-14

Heb 9:24-28

2 Thess 2:16-3:5

33

1 Thess 5:1-6

Heb 10:11-14, 18

2 Thess 3:7-12

34

1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

Rev 1:5-8

Col 1:12-20

Several NT books are missing from the above list:
Portions of 1 Peter, 1 John, and a bit more of Revelation are read on Sundays of the Easter Season.
A few short excerpts from 2 Peter and Titus are read during the Seasons of Advent and Christmas.
Several letters (2 John, 3 John, Jude) are never read at Sunday Masses, but only on a few weekdays.

Second Readings during Liturgical Seasons
(semi-continuous readings from most of the NT Epistles):

Sunday or Feast

Year A

Year B

Year C

1st Sunday of Advent

Rom 13:11-14

1 Cor 1:3-9

1 Thess 3:12-4:2

2nd Sunday of Advent

Rom 15:4-9

2 Pet 3:8-14

Phil 1:4-6, 8-11

3rd Sunday of Advent

Jas 5:7-10

1 Thess 5:16-24

Phil 4:4-7

4th Sunday of Advent

Rom 1:1-7

Rom 16:25-27

Heb 10:5-10

Christmas: Vigil Mass

Acts 13:16-17, 22-25

same as Year A

same as Year A

Christmas: Mass at Midnight

Titus 2:11-14

same as Year A

same as Year A

Christmas: Mass at Dawn

Titus 3:4-7

same as Year A

same as Year A

Christmas: Mass during the Day

Heb 1:1-6

same as Year A

same as Year A

Sunday within the Octave of Christmas: 
Holy Family

Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17

opt.: Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19

opt.: 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24

January 1: Octave of Christmas
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Gal 4:4-7

same as Year A

same as Year A

Second Sunday after Christmas
(if Epiphany is not transferred)

Eph 1:3-6, 15-18

same as Year A

same as Year A

January 6:
The Epiphany of the Lord

Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

same as Year A

same as Year A

Sunday after January 6:
The Baptism of the Lord

Acts 10:34-38

opt.: 1 John 5:1-9

opt.: Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7

1st Sunday of Lent

Rom 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19

1 Pet 3:18-22

Rom 10:8-13

2nd Sunday of Lent

2 Tim 1:8b-10

Rom 8:31b-34

Phil 3:17-4:1 or 3:20-4:1

3rd Sunday of Lent

Rom 5:1-2, 5-8

1 Cor 1:22-25

1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12

4th Sunday of Lent

Eph 5:8-14

Eph 2:4-10

2 Cor 5:17-21

5th Sunday of Lent

Rom 8:8-11

Heb 5:7-9

Phil 3:8-14

Palm Sunday

Phil 2:6-11

same as Year A

same as Year A

Holy Thursday

1 Cor 11:23-26

same as Year A

same as Year A

Good Friday

Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9

same as Year A

same as Year A

Easter Vigil

Rom 6:3-11

same as Year A

same as Year A

Easter Sunday

Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8

same as Year A

same as Year A

2nd Sunday of Easter

1 Pet 1:3-9

1 John 5:1-6

Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

3rd Sunday of Easter

1 Pet 1:17-21

1 John 2:1-5a

Rev 5:11-14

4th Sunday of Easter

1 Pet 2:20b-25

1 John 3:1-2

Rev 7:9, 14b-17

5th Sunday of Easter

1 Pet 2:4-9

1 John 3:18-24

Rev 21:1-5a

6th Sunday of Easter

1 Pet 3:15-18

1 John 4:7-10

Rev 21:10-14, 22-23

Ascension of the Lord

Eph 1:17-23

opt.: Eph 4:1-13 or 1-7, 11-13

opt.: Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23

7th Sunday of Easter (if not Ascension)

1 Pet 4:13-16

1 John 4:11-16

Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20

Vigil of Pentecost

Rom 8:22-27

same as Year A

same as Year A

Pentecost Sunday

1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

opt.: Gal 5:16-25

opt.: Rom 8:8-17

Sunday after Pentecost:
Most Holy Trinity

2 Cor 13:11-13

Rom 8:14-17

Rom 5:1-5

Sunday after Trinity Sunday:
Body and Blood of Christ

1 Cor 10:16-17

Heb 9:11-15

1 Cor 11:23-26

Friday after the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost: 
Sacred Heart of Jesus

1 John 4:7-16

Eph 3:8-12, 14-19

Rom 5:5b-11

Nov. 1: Solemnity of All Saints

1 John 3:1-3

same as Year A

same as Year A

Note: Of the 105 verses of 1 John, we read only 30 verses on the Sundays of Easter (Year B), and a few more on other major feasts.

See also the First Readings for Weekday Masses

Return to the Main Lectionary Page

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This page was last updated on March 15, 2006 .
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