Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday)

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry in Jerusalem, days before he was arrested and crucified. It is celebrated the Sunday before Easter and is the beginning of Holy Week.

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

Mass Readings for the Palm Sunday Year A

• Procession – Matthew 21:1-11: “The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road.”
• First Reading – Isaiah 50:4-7: “Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
• Second Reading – Philippians 2:6-11: “Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.”
• Gospel – Matthew 26:14 – 27:66: “I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.”

Mass Readings for the Palm Sunday Year B

• Procession – Mark 11:1-10: “Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
• Procession alternate gospel – John 12:12-16: “When the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him”
• First reading – Isaiah 50:4-7: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
• Second Reading – Philippians 2:6-11: “he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”
• Gospel – Mark 14:1—15:47: “Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.”

Mass Readings for the Palm Sunday Year C

• Procession – Luke 19:28-40: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”
• First Reading – Isaiah 50:4-7: “The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
• Second Reading – Philippians 2:6-11: “Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
• Gospel – Luke 22:14—23:56: “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.”

Where Is God?

This prayer is based on Psalm 22, which is the responsorial psalm for Palm Sunday Year C. It is a prayer for when we feel like God is nowhere to be found. Psalm 22 is the psalm Jesus prayed from the cross when he quoted “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Where Have You Been? (Reflection on the Passion of Jesus Christ)

Reflect on the sentencing of Jesus. It works well if one person reads the scripture and another reads the meditation. It includes a set of questions for small group discussion.

Attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper commemorates the last supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples, when the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist took place.  Holy Thursday is not a holy day of obligation, but you should consider attending with your whole family.

Make Jars with the Jelly Bean Prayer to Prepare for Easter

The Jelly Bean Prayer is a fun Easter prayer for your family or youth ministry. Make up some jars of jelly beans to give away with the prayer during the Octave of Easter. Put them on display for the rest of Lent to remember that we are walking this Lenten journey with the hope of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord on Easter.

Attend Good Friday Services

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. On Good Friday, Catholics commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who died to redeem us. There is no mass on Good Friday, but your local parish will hold a liturgy to remember this tremendous act of love. Attend them with your family.

Prayerfully Read the Passion of Our Lord

We are all familiar with the Passion story. We hear it every year on Palm Sunday and on Good Friday. But when we read it at Mass, we read it at the same pace as the whole congregation. So try reading it prayerfully on your own.