The Lectionary for Mass – Second Typical Edition (USA, 2002, and Supplement, 2017) – Volumes 2&3

Proper of Saints
Readings for Masses Celebrating the Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials of the Saints

Introduction:

1. Calendars: The Roman Catholic Church has both a "Universal Calendar" and many different "Particular Calendars."
   • Universal Calendar - lists all celebrations that are to be observed in all churches throughout the world, normally on the same prescribed day.
   • Particular Calendar - lists additional celebrations that are observed in a particular country (USA, Mexico, etc.) or diocese (New York, Los Angeles, etc.), or by a particular religious order within the Catholic Church (Jesuits, Franciscans, etc.). For example, see the Jesuit Lectionary.
   • Additions to the Liturgical Calendar made since the publication of the Roman Missal and the Lectionary for Mass are given in various Vatican sources, as published Supplements.
      
2. People and Events: The "sanctoral cycle" of the Church includes not only historical people, but also some commemorations of biblical and historical events, and some theological truths.
   1. People - Certain people of the past are officially recognized by the Church as having lived exemplary Christian lives, and thus are recommended to the faithful for our imitation and veneration; new people are regularly added, who are first "beatified" by the Church (called "Blessed"), and later may also be "canonized" (called "Saints").
   2. Events - We not only celebrate the major events in the life of Jesus (Birth, Baptism, Transfiguration, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, etc.), and of Mary (Nativity, Annunciation, Visitation, etc.), but also other important events, such as the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the Anniversary of the Dedication of important churches (the four major Basilicas in Rome, and the local Cathedral of any Diocese).
   3. Doctrines - The liturgical calendar of the Church also includes celebrations that focus on the Most Holy Trinity, the Most Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Name of Jesus, and various celebrations related to Mary (Immaculate Conception, Assumption, Holy Name, Immaculate Heart, Mother of Sorrows, Mother of the Church, Our Lady of...).
       
3. Ranks: Celebrations of the saints fall into four different categories or ranks, in decreasing order of importance: Solemnities, Feasts, Memorials (obligatory), and Optional Memorials.
   1. Solemnities - major events in the life of Jesus (Christmas, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, etc.);
      also some celebrations of Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the apostles Peter and Paul, All Saints, and All Souls Day.
   2. Feasts - other major celebrations related to Mary, all the Apostles and Evangelists, three early martyrs, and the archangels.
   3. Memorials - New Testament characters and saints of later centuries held up for regular veneration by the universal Church.
   4. Optional Memorials - other saints important in the history of the Church, but of greater or lesser relevance in various regions or among various groups.
       
4. Variations: In some cases, a celebration may have one date and or one rank on the Universal Calendar, but a different date and/or a higher rank on a Particular Calendar.
   Some examples:
   • Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) is a "Memorial" in much of the world, but is ranked as a "Feast" in the Americas.
   • St. Jane Frances de Chantal (Opt. Mem.) was on Dec. 12 world-wide, but moved to August 18 in the USA, to avoid conflict on Dec. 12 with Our Lady of Guadalupe; it has now been moved to August 12 on the Roman Calendar (for use world-wide).
   • St. Ignatius Loyola (July 31) is a "Memorial" in most of the world, but is a "Feast" on the particular calendar of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
   • The "patron saint" of any country, diocese, or parish is a "Feast" in that particular country, diocese, or parish, but not necessarily in other places.
      
5. Readings: The Lectionary for Mass contains two sets of scripture readings to be used for the celebrations of saints: the "Proper of Saints" and the "Common of Saints."
   1. Proper of Saints - specific biblical readings prescribed for the celebrations of certain saints (esp. people and events directly mentioned in the New Testament).
   • All Solemnities and Feasts have their own proper readings; only some Memorials and Optional Memorials also have proper readings.
   • A few Memorials and Optional Memorials also have one or two "Proper" readings, especially biblical figures mentioned in certain New Testament texts.
   2. Common of Saints - lists of recommended readings that may be freely chosen for the celebrations of various types or classes of saints.
      • There are six specific classes (Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church; Blessed Virgin Mary; Martyrs; Pastors; Doctors of the Church (i.e. great teachers); and Virgins) and one general class (Holy Men and Women).
      • Most Memorials and Optional Memorials now have specific readings printed in the Lectionary for Mass (second edition), but one may also freely choose other selections from the "Common" readings recommended for that class of saint.
         
6. Sundays: If a particular date falls on a Sunday in a given year, the celebration of that saint is normally omitted, since the celebration of the Sunday usually takes precedence. There are some exceptions:
   1. Twelve Solemnities and Feasts are considered important enough to replace the Sundays of Ordinary Time (but never Sundays of Lent or Easter, nor Holy Week or the Easter Octave).
   2. The Lectionary assigns three "Proper Readings" to each of these twelve Masses; for details, see the page on Solemnities and Feasts of the Lord and of the Saints.
   3. The patron saint of a diocese, parish, or religious order is also considered a "Feast" important enough to supplant a Sunday of Ordinary Time, if necessary.
       
7. The following table lists all the saints currently on the "Universal Calendar" of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the saints found on the Particular Calendar of the USA.
   1. The first column indicates the "Lectionary Number" assigned to each set of readings in the official Latin Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typica altera (1981).
      Letters A, B, C are used in volumes 2-3 of the Lectionary for Mass (2002 edition), and in the Lectionary for Mass: Supplement (2017 edition), and in later decrees from the Vatican, to keep new celebrations in proper chronological order.
      Click the underlined links in the first column for details.
   2. The second column gives the calendar day for each celebration, with links to the full biblical texts prescribed or recommended, most of which are available on the USCCB website.
      Dates highlighted in light red may have other saints and/or different "ranks" of the listed sanctoral celebrations in the Lectionary Supplement for the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
   3. "USA" in any column indicates that a celebration is on the "particular calendar" for the USA, rather than on the "universal calendar" of the Church.
      "USA Mem." indicates obligatory Memorials, while "USA Opt." indicates Optional Memorials.
   4. The name of the saint is usually followed by a designation of the type or "class" of saint he or she is: apostle, bishop, virgin, martyr, doctor of the church, etc.
   5. If possible, the Responsorial Psalm should be sung, but it may also be recited;
      the Alleluia (a.k.a. Verse before the Gospel, during Lent) should also be sung, or else it can be either recited or omitted.

NOTE: Dates highlighted in light red may have other saints and/or different "ranks" of the listed sanctoral celebrations in the Lectionary Supplement for the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
For example, Jan. 3 (The Most Holy Name of Jesus) is an "Optional Memorial" in the universal calendar, but a "Solemnity" for the Society of Jesus.
Also, Jan. 19, Feb. 4, and many other days have Memorials or Optional Memorials of Jesuit saints not included on the Church's universal calendar.

Summary of Celebrations of Saints with "Proper Readings"

• Eight "Solemnities" – each with three proper readings (these can replace Sundays of Ordinary Time, but not Sundays of Easter or Advent)
  • *March 19: St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • *March 25: Annunciation of the Lord
  • June 24: Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Vigil & Day)
  • June 29: Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles (Vigil & Day)
  • Aug. 15: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Vigil & Day)
  • Nov. 1: All Saints
  • Nov. 2: Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (“All Souls Day”) – choice of many readings recommended for Masses for the Dead
  • Dec. 8: Immaculate Conception the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • In addition to the “Solemnities” of Christmas, Mary Mother of God (Jan. 1), Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, etc. (see the special liturgical seasons)
  • *Note: When March 19 or March 25 fall on a Sunday of Lent or during Holy Week (as in 2023), these Solemnities are not omitted but are transferred to a different day. Click here for details.
     
• Four "Feasts" – each with three proper readings (can also replace Sundays of Ordinary Time)
  • Feb. 2: Presentation of the Lord – biblical event
  • Aug. 6: Transfiguration of the Lord – biblical event
  • Sept. 14: Exaltation of the Holy Cross – from 4th Cent.
  • Nov. 9: Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome – from 4th Cent.
     
• Twenty-One "Feasts" – most with two proper readings (but omitted if they fall on a Sunday)
  • Blessed Virgin Mary:
    • May 31: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
    • Sept. 8: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
    • Dec. 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Feast in USA)
  • Apostles and Evangelists:
    • Jan. 25: Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle
    • Feb. 22: Chair of St. Peter, Apostle
    • April 25: St. Mark, evangelist
    • May 3: Sts. Philip and James, Apostles
    • May 13: St. Matthias, Apostle
    • July 3: St. Thomas, Apostle
    • July 22: St. Mary Magdalene – Gospel only (upgraded from "Memorial" to "Feast" by Pope Francis on 6/3/2016)
    • July 25: St. James, Apostle
    • Aug. 24: St. Bartholomew, Apostle
    • Sept. 21: St. Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
    • Oct. 18: St. Luke, evangelist
    • Oct. 28: Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
    • Nov. 30: St. Andrew, Apostle
    • Dec. 27: St. John, Apostle and evangelist
  • Other Characters:
    • Aug. 10: St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr (only post-NT individual)
    • Sept. 29: Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
    • Dec. 26: St. Stephen, first martyr
    • Dec. 28: Holy Innocents, martyrs
       
• Seven "Memorials" – each with one or two proper readings (mostly biblical characters)
  • Jan. 26: Sts. Timothy and Titus, bishops – 1st Reading
  • Monday after Pentecost Sunday – Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (new, as of 2018) – both readings
  • June 11: St. Barnabas, Apostle – 1st Reading
  • July 29: Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus – Gospel
    • Formerly the Memorial of St. Martha alone, Pope Francis on 2/2/21 added her siblings Mary and Lazarus to this Memorial; see the Vatican Decree.
  • Aug. 29: Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist – Gospel
  • Sept. 15: Our Lady of Sorrows – Sequence and Gospel
  • Oct. 2: Guardian Angels – Gospel
     
• Three "Optional Memorials" – each with one or two proper readings
  • May 1: St. Joseph the Worker – Gospel
  • Sat. after 2nd Sun after Pentecost: Immaculate Heart of BVM – Gospel
  • Nov. 18: Dedication of Basilicas of Sts. Peter & Paul – both readings
     
• Proper Readings for Saints and Blesseds of the Society of Jesus (the JESUITS)
  • See the Jesuit Lectionary page

Sources: Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition,
© 2001, 1998, 1992, 1986, 1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.
and Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition: Supplement,
© 2016, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.

The Lectionary for Mass used in the USA is based on the Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typical altera (Latin Lectionary, second edition, 1981).
There are some slight changes in wording, especially in the titles, between the Latin and USA editions;
for example, "Saint Mary..." is changed to "Blessed Virgin Mary..." or "Our Lady of…";
"For those who do works of mercy" is changed to "For Those Who Work for the Underprivileged"; etc.

For the full texts of the readings for the current and upcoming months, 
please refer to the official web-site of the New American Bible, sponsored by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

2023 is Sunday Cycle A and weekday Year I.
2024 is Sunday Cycle B and weekday Year II.
2025 is Sunday Cycle C and weekday Year I.