Holy Week Daily Readings

A three-year journey through the story of Jesus, from Palm Sunday to Easter.

In 2026, we will be using cycle “A” (Matthew).

An Invitation to Walk the Week

Holy Week can pass too quickly. Many of us move from the celebration of Palm Sunday to the celebration of Easter with only the barest hint of the drama in between. These readings are an invitation to slow down—to dwell with the Scriptures day by day—and to follow Jesus through the week that leads to the cross.

This is a meditative journey. The goal is not to “cover material,” but to be present: to watch, to listen, to pray, and to notice the human weight Jesus carries as the week unfolds. When we allow Holy Week to be fully Holy Week, Easter becomes more than a single morning—it becomes the hard-won joy on the far side of love.

The readings below follow the Revised Common Lectionary’s three-year Gospel cycle: Year A (Matthew), Year B (Mark), and Year C (Luke).

The Three-Year Cycle

Year A — Matthew (MT)

  • Matthew 21:1–11
  • Philippians 2:5–11
  • Matthew 26:14–27:66
    or Matthew 27:11–54

YEAR B — MARK (MK)

  • Mark 11:1–11
  • Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29 (UMH 839)
  • Philippians 2:5–11
  • Mark 14:1–15:47
    or Mark 15:1–39

YEAR C — LUKE (LK)

  • Luke 19:28–40
  • Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29 (UMH 839)
  • Philippians 2:5–11
  • Luke 22:1–23:56
    • or Luke 23:1–49