A Catholic guide for saints, prayer, and practical devotional reading.
Wednesday of Holy Week. Holy Week. A clean reading layout for church, prayer, or preparation.
The Roman Catholic readings for this date are shown below on-site. Use plain reading mode if you want clearer modern wording, or switch back to the original Douay-Rheims wording at any time.
On-site scripture text: Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Plain mode is a built-in reading aid that modernizes older wording for easier understanding while keeping the same Roman Catholic reading references for the day.
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Read this as the first big movement of the day. Notice what God is doing, who is speaking, and what part of the story or teaching should stay with you.
Full on-site text is not available for this reference yet, so use the reference above and the official link below.
Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34
The psalm is meant to be prayed, not rushed. If the wording feels older, focus on the main movement of the prayer: trust, praise, sorrow, gratitude, or hope.
8Because for your sake I have borne shame; shame has covered my face.
9I am become a stranger to my brothers and sisters, and an alien to the sons of my mother.
10For the zeal of your house has eaten me up: and the reproaches of them that reproached you are fallen upon me.
21In your sight are all those who afflict me; my heart has expected shame and misery. And I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and I found none.
22And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Matthew 26:14-25
The Gospel is the center of the reading set. Pay close attention to what Jesus says, what Jesus does, and what response he is asking for.
14Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests,
15And said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver.
16And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray him.
17And on the first day of the Azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Where will you that we prepare for you to eat the pasch?
18But Jesus said: Go you into the city to a certain man, and say to him: the master says, My time is near at hand, with you I make the pasch with my disciples.
19And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the pasch.
20But when it was evening, he sat down with his twelve disciples.
21And whilst they were eating, he said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me.
22And they being very much troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord?
23But he answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me.
24The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him: but sorrow to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born.
25And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: Is it I, Teacher? He says to him: You have said it.
This page uses the Catholic Readings API for the day's references and liturgical celebration data, while the on-site scripture text is rendered from the public-domain Douay-Rheims Bible distributed through the Open Bibles project.