Daily Bible Reading

Palm Sunday

Chief Hymn: The Lutheran Hymnal #146

Liturgical Color: Violet

Introit

O LORD, - || do not | be | far | from - | Me; *
    O My Strength, hast- | en - | to - | help | Me!
|| Save Me from | the | li- | on’s - | mouth *
    And from the horns of | the - | wild - | ox- | en! (Psalm 22:19, 21a)
|| My God, My God, why have You | for- | sak- | en - | Me? *
    Why are You so far | from - | help- - | ing | Me?
|| All those who see Me | ri- | di- | cule - | Me; *
    They shoot out the lip, | they - | shake - | the | head.
|| They say “He trusted in the Lord, let | Him | res- | cue - | Him; *
    Let Him deliver Him, since He | de- - | lights - | in | Him!”
|| Be not far from Me, for | trou- | ble | is - | near; *
    For there | is - | none - | to | help. (Psalm 22:1b, 7–8, 11)

(From Judica through Holy Saturday the Gloria Patri is omitted).

|| O Lord, do not | be | far | from - | Me; *
    O My Strength, hast- | en - | to - | help | Me!
|| Save Me from | the | li- | on’s - | mouth *
    And from the horns of | the - | wild - | ox- | en! (Psalm 22:19, 21a)

Psalm Readings

Matins: Psalm 116

Vespers: Psalm 70

Collect

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hast sent Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross that all mankind should follow the example of His great humility, mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of His patience and also be made partakers of His Resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Old Testament Reading (TLH): Zech. 9:9-10

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’

First Reading: Phil. 2:5-11

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Gradual

|| You hold me | by | my | right - | hand. *
    You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive | me - | to - | glo- | ry.
|| Truly God is good to Israel, to such as | are | pure | in - | heart. *
    But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious | of - | the - | boast- | ful. (Psalm 73:23b–24, 1-3a)

Tract (From Septuagesima to Holy Saturday, the Tract replaces the Verse)

|| My God, My God, why have You | for- | sak- | en - | Me? *
    Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words | of - | My - | groan- | ing?
|| But I am a | worm, | and | no - | man; *
    A reproach of men, and despised | by - | the - | peo- | ple.
|| O Lord, do not | be | far | from - | Me; *
    O My Strength, hast- | en - | to - | help | Me!
|| I will declare Your name | to | My | breth- - | ren; *
    In the midst of the assembly | I - | will - | praise | You.
|| They will come and declare His righteousness to a people | who | will | be - | born, *
    That | He - | has - | done | this. (Psalm 22:1, 6, 19, 22, and 31)

Second Reading: Matt. 21:1-9

21  Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord !’ Hosanna in the highest!”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.