3rd Sunday of Lent

For the 3rd Sunday of Lent, we consider that the things of this world tempt us, but they do not bring us eternal life. What will bring us closer to God? Find games, ideas, and reflection for your classroom, youth group, or family here.

Click on the appropriate year below to see resources, themes, homilies, games, lesson plans, and more.

Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year A

• First Reading – Exodus 17:3-7: “Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 95: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
• Second Reading – Romans 5:1-2, 5-8: “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
• Gospel – John 4:5-42: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B

• First Reading – Exodus 20:1-17: “I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 19: “Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.”
• Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 1:22-25: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”
• Gospel – John 2:13-25: “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

Mass Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year C

• First Reading – Exodus 3:1-8A, 13-15: “I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 103: “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
• Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12: “God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.”
• Gospel – Luke 13:1-9: “Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!’”