The Rosary is a simple, and yet often so misunderstood, Roman Catholic ritual. Legend has it that the Mary herself revealed the beads and their prayers to St. Dominic in a 13th-century French church. Scholarship holds that the 15 decades of the Rosary were developed by illiterate medieval laypeople who wished to pray the 150 Psalms as monks of the time did.
Whatever its origin, the Rosary has become an established devotion for almost a millennium now. What’s more, starting in the past century, Christians of other denominations, their not unjustified repudiation of Catholicism cooled, are beginning to explore the ritual, in some cases taking it as it stands, and in others appropriating it to suit their honest conscience.
Members of the Anglican Communion may freely recite it in their private devotions (1) (2), or they may use Anglican prayer beads (3). Lutherans may also freely recite it privately, using Martin Luther’s abridged version, or they may use a recent adaptation of it for Lent: (4). Eastern Orthodox Christians have their own version, and even encourage those who follow the Western Catholic custom to say it in their own way: (5) A Presbyterian church mentions the practice in appreciation, pleading that its members model their lives after it (6). Methodists on an online thread share their experiences with the Rosary, and even defend the discipline. (7) There’s even the touching story of a Baptist and his encounter with a rosary. (8)
So what is going on here? Why do some people embrace the practice and others are wary of it, and even condemn it?
The Rosary is often accused of “Mariolatry”, that is, the worship of Mary, which goes against the commandment to worship only God. After all, the core of the Rosary addresses and blesses Mary openly. However, the first part of the Hail Mary comes directly from Scripture, being an amalgamation of the greetings of the Angel Gabriel and of Elizabeth to Mary (Luke 1:28, 42). In addition, Mary praises God saying “from now on, all generations will call me blessed”, a prophecy that arguably comes true in the very same gospel (Luke 11:28)
The second part provides the most contention. The petition that Mary “pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death” did not sit too well with Luther, who chose to omit it in his version. Supporters of this and other petitions in the Rosary look to the story of the Wedding at Cana where Mary, having learned that the festive wine had run out, pleads before Jesus on behalf of the host and his guests. Despite Jesus’ apparent objection, Mary urges the servants to do whatever Jesus says, which results in Jesus’ first miracle (John 2:1-11). Supporters note how in line this is with the various times in the Hebrew Scriptures where the Lord hears the prayers of the ‘righteous’ (e.g., Psalm 34:17, Proverbs 15:29). In Christian language, ‘righteous’ must mean ‘saints’, and not living humans, as “there is no one righteous; no, not one” (Romans 3:10). They also note how Revelation appears to suggest that Mary is now exalted and crowned in sainthood (Rev. 12:1). Thus they conclude that it is right for Christians to pray that Mary continue to intercede to Jesus on our behalf.
Of course there are counter-arguments to all of this. The Bible itself says that Jesus Christ is our only meditator with God (1 Timothy 2:5). And who really knows who “the woman clothed with the sun... [with] a crown of twelve stars” in Revelation is? It could be the Church, the Bride of Christ, crowned with the teachings of the 12 apostles. And if indeed it is Mary who has received a crown, that’s still acceptable because all those who await Christ’s appearing have a “crown of righteousness” in store for them (2 Timothy 4:8).
My advice is that if you are curious about the Rosary, then you should not get muddled in this scriptural back-and-forth. It will never end. More important than biblical arguments, I would argue, is the experience of the ritual. We Christians, whose mission it is to receive the Word and bear it to others, would do well to meditate on her who first received and bore the Word to the world both physically and spiritually. When we do this, we’ll see that any exalted titles ascribed to her in the Rosary ultimately come from God: the Father who overshadowed her with loving power; the Son who blessed her for obeying the Word; and the Holy Spirit who filled her with grace.
But more importantly, we’ll see that the devotion involves not the praising of Mary, but the living out again of Jesus’ life through Mary’s eyes. We’ll see that the whole of Christ’s life remains available to us today. Every day, Christ is born; every day, we lose Christ in the temple; every day, Christ teaches, Christ suffers, Christ is crucified, dies, is buried, and risen again. And this mystical way of thinking is especially important in Lent. Understanding the sufferings of a sinless person who was both man and God may be out of our human reach, but the sufferings of a mother whose heart was pierced with the agony of her son’s unjust execution is, sadly, a much more familiar image to us.
Below, I’ll show you a version that I pray every morning with my mother. From a very young age, my Catholic mother taught me how to say it, and as a child I remember loving the devotion. I left it for a while but came back to it upon my being received into the Episcopal Church. I started to include the short meditations in my Catholic prayer book before the start of each Mystery, but during Lent, when only the Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed, this grew tedious and even boring. So I decided to look for the appropriate verses in the gospels that describe the Mystery, an endeavor that eventually led me to the format below. Verses from the Book of Psalms introduce each Mystery on the first week of Lent; from Mark on the second week; Matthew on the third; Luke on the fourth; and John on the fifth. For the days between Ash Wednesday and Saturday, I use verses from the Book of Isaiah. I’ve placed all these verses below, at the end of the Rosary guide. I still have to decide on what to use for Holy Week, but I’m thinking the Letters of Paul.
If you decide to pray the Rosary, I encourage you to make the practice your own. You can say it in front of a small icon of Virgin and Child, or before a lit candle, or simply with closed eyes in any comfortable space. Use the method below as a starting point, adding your own words, or taking away what you don’t need. Remember the words of the Psalmist: God will not despise a contrite heart. You’ll walk the way of Christ alongside his mother and first follower; you’ll pray along with countless generations of Christians of the past, whose prayers have been woven into this practice; and you’ll feel connected to modern people of faith, whatever spiritual path they may be walking. You’ll encounter something bigger than yourself.
(P.S. Comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism are warmly welcomed. And please bring any spelling errors to my attention!)
THE ROSARY
When praying alone, the individual recites all the prayers. When praying in a group, the Leader may say the parts in normal type, and the group may say the bold type together. For the repeated prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary, the Leader need not recite the bold type. The Leader in a group may also change from person to person.
The Crucifix: Sign of the Cross
On each line of the prayer, a small cross is made: on your forehead for the first line; on your lips for the second line; over your heart for the third line. At the Trinitarian formula, the full Sign of the Cross is made touching: your forehead on “the Father”; your stomach on “the Son”; your left shoulder on “Holy”, and your right shoulder on “Spirit”. You may touch your heart on “Amen”.
By the Sign of the holy cross,
Deliver us from our enemies,
O Lord, our God.
In the Name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
First Large Bead: Opening Confession
Praying alone:
The Psalmist says, “The Lord is near to all those who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18). Therefore I will call on God and confess my sins.
Praying in a group:
Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20). Let us receive Jesus in our midst, confessing our sins together.
Here, before the Confession, a short pause may be made in order to quietly dedicate the Rosary for a specific intention, or for the silent mention of individual sins, concerns, etc.
The General Confession from the Book of Common Prayer may be used afterwards.
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what I have done,
and by what I have left undone.
I have not loved you with my whole heart.
I have not loved my neighbor as myself.
I am truly sorry, and I humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me, and forgive me,
so I may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways
to the glory of your name.
Amen.
You can also use the Penitential Rite from the Catholic Mass as found in the “New... Saint Joseph People’s Prayer Book”:
I confess to almighty God
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever Virgin,
and all the Angels and Saints
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Amen.
Three Middle Beads: The Angelus
The Angelus is a devotion dating back 700 years to the monastic practice of reciting three Hail Marys during the evening bell. It evolved into a commemoration of the Incarnation, using the three Hail Marys as responses to biblical verses narrating the events around the birth of Jesus Christ.
First bead: based on Luke 1:31
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary,
and she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail, Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us, sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Second bead: Luke 1:38
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Let it be to me according to your word.
Hail Mary...
Holy Mary...
Third bead: John 1:14
And the Word became flesh,
And dwelled among us.
Hail Mary...
Holy Mary...
Second Large Bead: Gloria Patri
Normally, the Angelus concludes with a short verse/response that I omit, as this verse/response will come up later on in the Rosary, so I substitute the Doxology, or Gloria Patri, followed by the concluding prayer of the Angelus. The Sign of the Cross may be made as before, or one may simply bow the head during the mention of the Persons of the Holy Trinity.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
Pour forth, we pray you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts,
so that we, to whom the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, your Son,
was made known by the message of an Angel,
may by his Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of his Resurrection;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Medallion and First Decade
Here is where the Mysteries of the Rosary begin, the Medallion functioning like a Large Bead. Since it is Lent, we will use the Sorrowful Mysteries. The Leader announces the First Mystery:
Today we meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the First Mystery is:
The Agony of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
In my practice, the appropriate verse of meditation is now read from the day-by-day list below. Then the Lord’s Prayer is recited, either by all, or divided as suggested here.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The first ten Hail Marys, a Decade, are now said.
Hail, Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us, sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
In-Between Large Beads: Doxology and Aspirations
The Doxology (with the Sign of the Cross, or bow) concludes each Decade on the next Large Bead (or Medallion when after the Fifth Mystery). It is a pious, though optional, custom to append three aspirations, or invocations, also said on the same bead (or Medallion). These aspirations date from various points in Christian history.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
First Aspiration: “Mary, Mother of grace”
Mary, Mother of grace, Mother of mercy,
shield us from the enemy,
and receive us, great Lady,
at the hour of our death. Amen.
Second Aspiration: “Sub Tuum Praesidium” (ca. 250 AD, oldest extant prayer to the Virgin)
We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God.
Despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
[or a more modern rendition:
We turn to you for protection, Holy Mother of God.
Listen to our prayers, and help us in our needs.
Save us from every danger,
glorious and blessed Virgin.]
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises
of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Third Aspiration: The Fatima Prayer (ca. 1917 AD)
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to heaven,
especially those most in need of your mercy.
Amen.
or the Trisagion, “Thrice-Holy” (ca. 5th cent. AD), may be substituted as the Third Aspiration:
Holy God,
Holy Mighty,
Holy Immortal,
have mercy upon us.
On the following Large Bead, the Second Mystery is announced as below, and we start again from the Lord’s Prayer. Following Mysteries are announced as below.
At the Second Mystery:
The Second Sorrowful Mystery is The Scourging of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Pillar.
At the Third Mystery:
The Third Sorrowful Mystery is The Crowning of our Lord Jesus Christ with Thorns.
At the Fourth Mystery:
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery is The Cross-bearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the Fifth Mystery:
The Fifth and final Sorrowful Mystery is The Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Second Large Bead and Three Middle Beads: The Three Hail Marys
Having finished five Decades, we close the center of the Rosary by reciting Three Hail Marys in honor of the purity of the Virgin. The Axion Estin, an ancient Greek prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer open this short section on the Second Large Bead.
A short word about the Axion Estin: Eastern Christianity prefers to style the Virgin as “God-bearer” in order to exalt, not her, but the One whom she bore. Western ears may prefer the translation “Holy Mother of God”, which serves the same intent. Additionally, Western Christians may feel uncomfortable magnifying Mary, but in this prayer, this may simply be a tender callback to the first line of Mary’s praise to God: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
Axion Estin (ca. 10th cent. AD)
It is truly right to bless you, O Holy Mother of God,
ever blessed, and most pure.
O higher than the cherubim,
more glorious than the seraphim,
without corruption you gave birth to God the Word.
True Mother of God, we magnify you.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
On each of the three following beads, the Hail Mary is recited, each one with an added line depicting her relation to each Person of the Holy Trinity.
Before each of the Three Hail Marys, the following may be recited:
[O Mary, conceived without sin:
Pray for us who have recourse to you.]
Hail, Mary, Daughter of God the Father, full of grace...
Holy Mary...
Hail, Mary, Mother of God the Son, full of grace...
Holy Mary...
Hail, Mary, Spouse of God the Holy Spirit, full of grace...
Holy Mary...
The First Large Bead: Doxology
The Doxology (with Sign of the Cross or bow) concludes the final Three Hail Marys.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
The Crucifix: Hail, Holy Queen
Dating from around the 11th century, originally written in Latin by a German monk, this hymn has traditionally been sung during monastic Night Prayer (“Compline”) in addition to being the concluding prayer of the Rosary proper. It has been reworked into various hymns across several languages, including the English version “Hail, holy Queen enthroned above”, which is featured in the popular movie Sister Act.
The prayer may be introduced and dedicated using the formula below. My mother dedicates it to ‘health of the sick’.
[We recite the “Hail, Holy Queen” asking for _______________.]
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy.
Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this exile of ours,
show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb,
O most clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises
of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is the end of the Rosary. However, it is customary to add at least the “Litany of Loreto” and the “Apostles’ Creed”. I began adding the Song of Mary in English, since I found it odd that Mary’s own words of praise are not included in the Rosary. My mother concludes with a Spanish “Praise to the Virgin”, a translation of which does not exist in English, so I’ve substituted the Ave, Regina caelorum, a Latin hymn which is traditionally recited during Lent.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
The Litany of Loreto (or The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
This litany dates from about the beginning of the 16th century. It is a series of titles of the Virgin Mary, some of which are obvious (e.g., “Mother of Christ”), and others which are more mystical. For example, Mary is titled “Ark of the covenant”: just as the Ark in the Hebrew Scriptures bore the scrolls of the Torah, so too is Mary like this Ark, as she bore the Word, Jesus Christ. Mary is also called “Morning star”, a title which also is often used for Jesus. However, in this context, just the morning star announces the greater light to come, the sun, so too does Mary announce the “Sun of righteousness.”
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
From now on, the response after each title is: Pray for us.
Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Mother of the Church,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace,
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises
of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
We pray you, O Lord our God, to grant that we, your servants, may enjoy lasting health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enter into the joy of everlasting happiness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
The Song of Mary
I move on with the Song of Mary found in the Gospel of Luke, a fitting way both to honor Mary and use her own words in the worship of God. The version found here is from The Book of Common Prayer. You may wish to dedicate the Song of Praise for a cause significant to you by using the formula below. I dedicate it to “faith and hope”.
[We offer Mary’s Song of praise for ____________.]
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day, all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm.
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant, Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
It is unclear whether this Creed was intended as a sort of abridged version of the longer Nicene Creed (finished in AD 381) or whether, because of its brevity and apparent lack of Trinitarian theology, actually predates it. A “Creed of the Apostles” was recorded in the late 4th century, but the current text dates from around the second half of the 5th century. The English translation below is from the English Language Liturgical Consultation.
You may dedicate the Creed to any cause particular to you. My mother dedicates it to “world peace”.
[We offer the Apostles’ Creed for ____________.]
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to the judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
*‘Christian’, or even ‘universal’ may be substituted.
Closing Hymn
You may conclude the devotion of the Rosary by reciting a hymn: either the Ave Regina Caelorum, or two stanzas from St. Patrick’s Breastplate.
The earliest record of the Ave Regina Caelorum is from the 12th century. The version below is from an English hymn-style translation, which I’ve modernized, and to which I’ve added the third verse.
Ave Regina caelorum
Hail, O Queen of Heaven enthroned.
Hail, by angels mistress owned.
Root of Jesse, Gate of morn
Whence the world’s true light was born.
Glorious Virgin, joy to you,
Seen in heaven, most lovely, true.
Fairest Maid, where all are fair,
Plead with Christ our souls to spare.
Sacred Virgin, let me bring
Grateful hymns your praise to sing.
Virgin Mother, full of grace,
Grant me strength my day to face.
Amen.
St. Patrick’s Breastplate is traditionally ascribed to St. Patrick who lived in the 5th century, but may actually date from 8th-century Ireland. The original is written in imitation of a Druidic incantation for protection on a journey. The version below is a modernized version of Catherine Winkworth’s 19th-century translation.
St. Patrick’s Breastplate
I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three-in-One and One-in-Three.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three-in-One and One-in-Three,
Of whom all nature has creation:
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word.
I praise the Lord of my salvation;
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
DAY-BY-DAY LENTEN SCRIPTURAL MEDITATIONS FOR USE DURING THE ROSARY
All quotations of Scripture are taken from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. The only change made is substituting either ‘Lord’ or ‘God’ where the WEB has ‘Yahweh’.
FROM ASH WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY
The Book of Isaiah
Wednesday
1 - “Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high... kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand.” (Isaiah 52:13, 15)
2 - “He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.” (Isaiah 53:3)
3 - “All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
4 - “Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:4)
5 - “But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Thursday
1 - “... The Lord God will help me; therefore I have not been confounded... He is near who justifies me; who will bring charges against me? Let us stand up together: who is my adversary? Let him come near to me.” (Isaiah 50:7a, 8)
2 - “I gave my back to the strikers, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair; I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.” (Isaiah 50:6)
3 - “Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he who shall condemn me? Behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up.” (Isaiah 50:9)
4 - “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn’t open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)
5 - “They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:9)
Friday
1 - “The spirit of the Lord God is on me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1)
2 - “... Your iniquities have separated between you and your God... For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.” (Isaiah 59:2a, 3)
3 - “His appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” (Isaiah 52:14)
4 - “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights - I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.” (Isaiah 42:1-2)
5 - “... He poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of so many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12b)
Saturday
1 - “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call you on him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)
2 - “... Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths.” (Isaiah 59:6b-7)
3 - Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of the Lord who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (Isaiah 49:7)
4 - “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
5 - “So shall my word be that goes out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do.” (Isaiah 55:11)
FIRST WEEK OF LENT
Psalms
Sunday
1 - “My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:2)
2 - “... I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men and despised by the people.” (Psalm 22:6)
3 - “All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips.” (Psalm 22:7)
4 - “They shake their heads, saying, ‘He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.’” (Psalm 22:8)
5 - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1)
Monday
1 - “... Don’t be far off, O Lord. You are my help: hurry to help me.” (Psalm 22:19)
2 - “Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help... They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.” (Psalm 22:11, 13)
3 - “I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.” (Psalm 22:14)
4 - “I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.” (Psalm 22:17-18)
5 - “My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.” (Psalm 22:15)
Tuesday
1 - “But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.” (Psalm 69:13)
2 - “Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.” (Psalm 69:14-15)
3 - “Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.” (Psalm 69:4)
4 - “I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psalm 69:20b-21)
5 - “Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, O Lord God of Hosts.... Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.” (Psalm 69:6a, 7)
Wednesday
1 - “He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!’” (Psalm 89:26)
2 - “... You have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed.” (Psalm 89:38)
3 - “You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust.” (Psalm 89:39)
4 - “All who pass by the way rob him. He has become a reproach to his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries. You have made all of his enemies rejoice.” (Psalm 89:41-42)
5 - “You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground. You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame.” (Psalm 89:44-45)
Thursday
1 - “Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, O Lord. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have surrounded me.” (Psalm 40:11-12a)
2 - “I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.” (Psalm 40:10)
3 - “I said, ‘Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll. I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:7-8)
4 - “Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.” (Psalm 40:14)
5 - “I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.” (Psalm 40:17)
Friday
1 - “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.” (Psalm 35:1-2)
2 - “Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about. They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.” (Psalm 35:11-12)
3 - “... In my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together... against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.” (Psalm 35:15)
4 - “Without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.” (Psalm 35:7)
5 - “All my bones shall say, ‘O Lord, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?’” (Psalm 35:10)
Saturday
1 - “Lord, don’t be far from me. Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!” (Psalm 35:23)
2 - “Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.” (Psalm 35:26)
3 - “Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.” (Psalm 35:17)
4 - “Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.” (Psalm 35:19)
5 - “Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.” (Psalm 35:24)
SECOND WEEK OF LENT
The Gospel of Mark
Sunday
1 - [Jesus] to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” He took with them Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed. (Mark 14:32-33)
2 - [Jesus said, “]Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. But this is so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.” (Mark 14:48-49)
3 - [The soldiers] clothed [Jesus] with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mark 15:17-18)
4 - They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene... to go with them, that he might bear [Jesus’] cross. (Mark 15:21)
5 - At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)
Monday
1 - [Jesus said, “]My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch.” (Mark 14:34)
2 - The high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?” But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. (Mark 14:60-61a)
3 - [The soldiers] struck [Jesus’] head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. (Mark 15:19)
4 - They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it. (Mark 15:22-23)
5 - Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. (Mark 15:37-38)
Tuesday
1 - [Jesus] went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. (Mark 14:35)
2 - They all condemned [Jesus] to be worthy of death. Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands. (Mark 14:64b-65)
3 - When [the soldiers] had mocked him, they took the purple off of him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:20)
4 - They offered [Jesus] wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it. Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. (Mark 15:23-24)
5 - When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)
Wednesday
1 - [Jesus] said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, what you desire.” (Mark 14:36)
2 - Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.” (Mark 15:1-2)
3 - [The soldiers] clothed [Jesus] with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Mark 15:17-18)
4 - It was the third hour, and they crucified him. The superscription of his accusation was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Mark 15:25-26)
5 - There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. (Mark 15:40-41)
Thursday
1 - [Jesus] came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you watch one hour? Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:37-38)
2 - Pilate again asked [Jesus], “Have you answer? See how many things they testify against you! But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled.
3 - [The soldiers] struck [Jesus’] head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. (Mark 15:19)
4 - Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” (Mark 15:29-30)
5 - Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for the Kingdom of God, came. He boldly went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. (Mark 15:43)
Friday
1 - Again [Jesus] went away, and prayed, saying the same words. Again he returned, and found [his disciples] sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn’t know what to answer him. (Mark 14:39-40)
2 - Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:12-13)
3 - When [the soldiers] had mocked him, they took the purple off of him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:20)
4 - Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” (Mark 15:31-32a)
5 - Pilate marveled if [Jesus] were already dead... When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. (Mark 15:44a, 45)
Saturday
1 - [Jesus] said, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” (Mark 14:41)
2 - Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified. (Mark 15:15)
3 - [The soldiers] clothed [Jesus] with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. ... They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. (Mark 15:17, 19)
4 - At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)
5 - [Joseph of Arimathea] bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid. (Mark 15:46-47)
THIRD WEEK OF LENT
The Gospel of Matthew
Sunday
1 - Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled. (Matt. 26:36-37)
2 - Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” (Matt. 26:55-56)
3 - [The governor’s soldiers] stripped [Jesus], and put a scarlet robe on him. They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. (Matt. 27:28-29a)
4 - As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry [Jesus’] cross. (Matt. 27:32)
5 - About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46)
Monday
1 - [Jesus said, “]My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me.” (Matt. 26:38)
2 - Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?” (Matt. 26:67-68)
3 - [The soldiers] braided a crown of thorns and put it on [Jesus’] head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matt. 27:29)
4 - They came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull.” They gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink. (Matt. 27:33-34)
5 - Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. (Matt. 27:50-52)
Tuesday
1 - [Jesus] went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.” (Matt. 26:39)
2 - Then Pilate said to [Jesus], “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?” He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. (Matt. 27:13-14)
3 - [The soldiers] spat on [Jesus]. and took the reed and struck him on the head. When they had mocked him, they took the robe off of him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Matt. 27:30-31)
4 - When they had crucified [Jesus], they divided his clothing among them, casting lots, and they sat and watched him there. (Matt. 27:35-36)
5 - Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matt. 27:54)
Wednesday
1 - [Jesus] came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What, couldn’t you watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:40-41)
2 - While [Pilate] was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. (Matt. 27:19-20)
3 - [The governor’s soldiers] stripped [Jesus], and put a scarlet robe on him. They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. (Matt. 27:28-29a)
4 - They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left. (Matt. 27:37-38)
5 - When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus’ disciple came. This man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. (Matt. 27:57-58)
Thursday
1 - Again, a second time [Jesus] went away, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup can’t pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done.” (Matt. 26:42)
2 - Pilate said to [the multitudes], “What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let him be crucified!” (Matt. 27:22)
3 - [The soldiers] braided a crown of thorns and put it on [Jesus’] head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matt. 27:29)
4 - Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” (Matt. 27:39-40)
5 - Joseph [of Arimathea] took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock, and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed. Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. (Matt. 27:59-61)
Friday
1 - [Jesus] came again and found [his disciples] sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words. (Matt. 26:43-44)
2 - So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.” (Matt. 27:24)
3 - [The soldiers] spat on [Jesus]. and took the reed and struck him on the head. When they had mocked him, they took the robe off of him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Matt. 27:30-31)
4 - Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.” (Matt. 27:41-42)
5 - [The chief priests said to Pilate, “]Command... that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead.’” (Matt. 27:64)
Saturday
1 - Then [Jesus] came to his disciples, and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let’s be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand.” (Matt. 26:45-46)
2 - [Pilate] released to [the multitudes] Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified. (Matt. 27:26)
3 - [The soldiers] braided a crown of thorns and put it on [Jesus’] head, and a reed in his right hand... They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him in the head. [Then they] led him away to crucify him. (Matt. 27:29a, 30, 31b)
4 - [They mocked Jesus, saying, “]He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach. (Matt. 27:43-44)
5 - Pilate said [to the chief priests and Pharisees], “You have a guard. Go, make [the tomb] as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone. (Matt. 27:65-66)
FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
The Gospel of Luke
Sunday
1 - [Jesus] came out, and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples also followed him. When he was at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you don’t enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-40)
2 - Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?” (Luke 22:52)
3 - The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him. Having blindfolded him, they struck him on the face and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?” (Luke 22:63-64)
4 - Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus, but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:20-21)
5 - Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)
Monday
1 - [Jesus] knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:41b-42)
2 - [Jesus said, “]When I was with you in the temple daily, you didn’t stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22:53)
3 - The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him... They spoke many other things against him, insulting him. (Luke 22:63, 65)
4 - When they led [Jesus] away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus. A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him. (Luke 23:26-27)
5 - When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” (Luke 23:47)
Tuesday
1 - [Jesus said, “]Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. (Luke 22:42-43)
2 - [The chief priests and scribes said to Jesus, “]If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe, and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go.” (Luke 22:67-68)
3 - They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say it, because I am.” They said, “Why do we need any more witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth!” (Luke 22:70-71)
4 - [Jesus said, “]Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’” (Luke 23:28-29)
5 - All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts. All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” (Luke 23:48-49)
Wednesday
1 - Being in agony [Jesus] prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. (Luke 22:44)
2 - [They] brought him before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” (Luke 23:1b-2)
3 - Pilate asked [Jesus], “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “So you say.” (Luke 23:3)
4 - When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:33-34)
5 - Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man... went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. (Luke 23:50, 52)
Thursday
1 - [Jesus said, “]Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
2 - The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him. Having blindfolded him, they struck him on the face and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?” (Luke 22:63-64)
3 - The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him. Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate. (Luke 23:10-11)
4 - The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!” (Luke 23:35)
5 - [Joseph of Arimathea] took [Jesus’ body] down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid. (Luke 23:53)
Friday
1 - When [Jesus] rose up from his prayer, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping because of grief, and said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:45-46)
2 - [Pilate said, “...]nothing worthy of death has been done by him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” (Luke 23:15b-16)
3 - [Pilate] said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed. (Luke 23:22-23)
4 - The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” (Luke 23:36-37)
5 - The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid. (Luke 23:55)
Saturday
1 - While [Jesus] was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:47-48)
2 - Having blindfolded [Jesus, the men] struck him on the face and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?” They spoke many other things against him, insulting him. (Luke 22:64-65)
3 - Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done. He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will. (Luke 23:24-25)
4 - [The criminal] said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)
5 - [The women] saw how [Jesus’] body was laid. They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:55b-56)
FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
The Gospel of John
Sunday
1 - Jesus said... lifting up his eyes to heaven,... “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you; even as you gave him authority over all flesh, he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (John 17:1-2)
2 - Jesus... said to Peter, “... The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?” (John 18:11)
3 - Jesus [said], “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)
4 - [Jesus] went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”, where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the middle. (John 19:17-18)
5 - [Jesus said,] “Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy... I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and none will take your joy away from you.” (John 16:20, 22b)
Monday
1 - [Jesus said,] “This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.” (John 17:3-4)
2 - So the detachment, the commanding officer, and the officers of the Jews, seized Jesus and bound him, and led him to Annas first. (John 18:12-13a)
3 - Jesus [said], “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37b)
4 - Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. There was written, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (John 19:19)
5 - [Jesus said,] “I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father... I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world!” (John 16:28, 33)
Tuesday
1 - [Jesus said,] “I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word... I pray for them.” (John 17:6, 9a)
2 - Jesus [said], “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet. I said nothing in secret.” (John 18:20)
3 - The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown, and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple garment. They kept saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they kept slapping him. (John 19:2-3)
4 - Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part... that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, “They parted my garments among them. For my cloak they cast lots.” (John 19:23a, 24b)
5 - [Jesus said,] “All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine, and will declare it to you. A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little while, and you will see me.” (John 16:15-16)
Wednesday
1 - [Jesus said,] “I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.” (John 17:11)
2 - ... One of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?” (John 18:22-23)
3 - Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!” (John 19:5)
4 - ... When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:26-27)
5 - Jesus said to [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
Thursday
1 - [Jesus said,] “I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one... Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:15, 17-18)
2 - Pilate [said], “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have delivered him up to you.” (John 18:29-30)
3 - When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him.” (John 19:6)
4 - After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty;” so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his mouth. (John 19:28-29)
5 - Jesus said... “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)
Friday
1 - [Jesus said,] “Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one;... that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.” (John 17:20-21a, 23b)
2 - The Jews said to [Pilate], “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he should die. (John 18:31b-32)
3 - Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at about the sixth hour. [Pilate] said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” (John 19:14-15a)
4 - When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up the spirit. (John 19:30)
5 - [Jesus said,] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Saturday
1 - [Jesus said,] “Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world... I made known to them your name, and will make it known.” (John 17:24, 26a)
2 - Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Do you say this by yourself, or did others tell you about me?” (John 18:33-34)
3 - Pilate said... “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” So then he delivered him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away.” (John 19:15b-16)
4 - ... When they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. However, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (John 19:33-34)
5 - For these things happened, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him will not be broken.” Again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they pierced.” (John 19:36-37)
HOLY WEEK to come!
