March 2024 is Year B in the Sunday liturgical cycle and Year 2 in the weekday cycle. See Mass readings resources for specific Sundays and feast days in March 2024 here. Learn more about lectionary cycles from the USCCB.
The Lenten Sundays in March 2024 progress from the 3rd Sunday of Lent, focusing on obedience to God’s commandments, through themes of God’s faithfulness, covenant, and sacrifice, leading up to Holy Week. Holy Week observances begin with Palm Sunday, highlighting Jesus’ sacrificial love, followed by Holy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood. Good Friday solemnly recalls Jesus’ crucifixion, and Holy Saturday, a day of mourning and anticipation. The month culminates in Easter Sunday, celebrating Jesus Christ’s resurrection, affirming hope and divine fidelity.
Sundays and Holy Days in March 2024
3rd Sunday of Lent
Sunday March 3, 2024
In March 2024, the readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B underscore the necessity of genuinely adhering to and internalizing God’s commandments for a fulfilling life. The first reading presents the Ten Commandments, foundational guidelines for living in harmony with God’s will. The second reading contrasts divine wisdom with human understanding, emphasizing the depth and uniqueness of God’s insights. The Gospel narrative of Jesus cleansing the temple highlights the call to prioritize our devotion to God over material or self-serving interests, urging us to cleanse our hearts and focus on sincere worship and service to God, reflecting a pure and devoted relationship with the Father.
4th Sunday of Lent
Sunday March 10, 2024
In March 2024, the 4th Sunday of Lent Year B readings illuminate God’s steadfast love and intent to draw us closer to Him. The first reading reveals how God moved Cyrus to allow His chosen people to return and worship in Jerusalem, demonstrating His faithfulness and the fulfillment of promises. The Gospel shares Jesus’ enlightening conversation with Nicodemus, where Jesus reveals His mission as the manifestation of God’s boundless love for humanity. These passages encourage reflection on God’s unending mercy and the transformative power of love, inviting us to embrace the light of Christ and the hope it brings into our lives.
5th Sunday of Lent
Sunday March 17, 2024
In March 2024, the readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent Year B delve into God’s unwavering covenant with humanity, highlighting our redemption through Jesus Christ’s obedience and sacrifice. The first reading introduces a new covenant, promising a closer, more personal relationship with God, even amidst our unfaithfulness. The second reading emphasizes salvation achieved through Christ’s obedience, contrasting human weakness with divine steadfastness. The Gospel features Jesus foreshadowing His death, teaching that true followers must embrace self-sacrifice to attain eternal life. These themes collectively underscore the journey from death to life, urging believers to follow Christ’s path of self-denial for genuine transformation and eternal union with God.
Palm Sunday Year B – Passion Sunday
Sunday March 24, 2024
Palm Sunday Year B in March 2024 vividly commemorates Jesus Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. Beginning with His joyous entry into Jerusalem, the narrative swiftly transitions to the profound events of His Passion. The scriptures from Isaiah and the Psalms echo the depth of Jesus’ suffering, fulfilling His own words on the cross. Philippians elevates Jesus as our humble Lord and Savior, culminating in the Gospel’s recount of the Last Supper and Jesus’ willing sacrifice as our Redeemer. This day invites us to meditate on Christ’s immense love and the salvation He offers, reflecting on the profound implications of His sacrificial journey for us.
Holy Thursday
Thursday March 28, 2024
On Holy Thursday in March 2024, Catholics reflect on Jesus Christ’s Last Supper with His apostles, a pivotal moment marking the Eucharist’s institution and the priesthood’s foundation. This day, rich in symbolism and teaching, emphasizes Jesus’ profound acts of love and humility, particularly through the washing of the feet, instructing us in service and compassion towards one another. It encapsulates key themes of sacrifice, salvation, obedience, and communal sharing, inviting us to live in accordance with Jesus’ example. Holy Thursday embodies the essence of Christian faith, urging us to embrace and practice the core values of love, service, and unity.
Good Friday
Friday March 29, 2024
Good Friday’s liturgy in March 2024 deeply explores themes central to Christian faith: suffering and sacrifice, redemption, unwavering faith, divine mercy, scriptural fulfillment, love, forgiveness, and the cross’s mystery. It reflects on Jesus’ immense suffering for humanity’s salvation, highlighting his role as a high priest offering the ultimate sacrifice. This day emphasizes faith and trust in God, even in adversity, and calls believers to embody love and forgiveness. Good Friday challenges us to ponder the profound paradox of the cross, where through death and suffering comes life and redemption, offering profound insights for spiritual reflection and practice.
Holy Saturday
Saturday March 30, 2024
Holy Saturday in March 2024 marks a solemn pause in Holy Week, bridging Good Friday’s sorrow and Easter Sunday’s joy with a day of silent contemplation and hopeful anticipation. This day, devoid of its own Mass, invites the faithful into a deep reflection on Jesus Christ’s death, engaging in morning prayers and dwelling in the quiet of waiting. Holy Saturday embodies a profound duality—mourning the Savior’s sacrifice while anticipating His Resurrection’s promise. It’s a time to embrace the quiet before the dawn, teaching patience and trust as we await the light of Easter, symbolizing that even after the darkest times, new life emerges.
Easter
Sunday March 31, 2024
Easter in March 2024 epitomizes the zenith of the Christian liturgical year, celebrating Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the profound promise of redemption and eternal life it offers to humanity. Central to this celebration is Easter Sunday, overflowing with the joy of the Risen Lord and inaugurating the Easter Octave—eight days of ceaseless celebration, each regarded as Easter itself. This period deeply immerses believers in the rejuvenating and life-affirming mysteries of Christ’s victory over death, inviting us to a renewed personal encounter with the Risen Christ. It marks a season of new beginnings, divine grace, and a deeper connection to our faith’s core.
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