Pastoral Care of the Sick
Lectionary Readings
Anointing of the Sick
- First Reading from the Old Testament
- First Reading from the New Testament
- Responsorial Psalm
- Second Reading from the New Testament
- Gospel Acclamation
- Gospel
Viaticum during Mass
Related Pages
- Choosing the readings
- Copyright Information - for using readings in service sheets
- Prayer in time of Sickness
Anointing of the Sick
Note from the Lectionary
The following readings may be used in Mass for the sick, in the visitation of the sick (the rite for one person or for several), or when praying for the sick whether they are present or absent. The selection should be made according to pastoral need, and special attention should be given to the physical and spiritual condition of the sick persons for whom the readings are used. Certain readings are indicated as more suitable for the dying (†).
Readings are presented in pairings. These are suggestions only. Any other suitable pairing may be used.
Gospel
In addition to those given below, readings may also be chosen from the story of the Passion of the Lord, such as those give on Passion Sunday, or Good Friday, or from the Votive Mass of the Holy Cross.
| First Reading from the Old Testament — Outside the Easter Season | |||
| Each reading is paired with a recommended psalm. | psalm | ||
| 1 | 1 Kings 19:1-8 | Elijah, falling faint on the way, is strengthened by the Lord. | 26 |
| 2 | Job 3:1-3 | Why give light to a man of grief? | 6 |
| 3 | Job 7:1-4 | Remember that my life is but a breath. | 85 |
| 4 | Job 7: 12-21 | What is man that you should make so much of him. | 89 |
| 5† | Job 19:23-27 | This I know: that my Avenger lives. | Is 38 or 62 |
| 6 | Wisdom 9:9-11 | Who could have learnt your intention had you not granted Wisdom? | 33 |
| 7 | Isaiah 35:1-10 | Strengthen all weary hands. | 122 |
| 8 | Isaiah 52:13-53 | Ours were the sufferings he bore. | 70 |
| 9 | Isaiah 61:1-3 | The spirit of the Lord has sent me to comfort all those who mourn. | 142 |
| First Reading from the New Testament — In the Easter Season | |||
| Each reading is paired with a recommended psalm. | psalm | ||
| 1 | Acts 3:1-10 | In the name of Jesus, walk. | 24 |
| 2 | Acts 3:11-16 | Faith in him whom God raised from the dead has restored this man to health. | 102 |
| 3 | Acts 4:8-12 | This is the only name by which we can be saved. | 41 |
| 4 | Acts 13:32-39 | The one whom God has raised up has not experienced corruption. | 101 |
| Responsorial Psalm | |||
| 1 | Ps 6:2-6. 9-10 r.3 | Have mercy on me, Lord, I have no strength. | |
| 2 | Ps 24:4-10. 14-16. r.1 | To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. | |
| 3 | Ps 26:1. 4-5. 7-10. r.14 | Hope in the Lord, hold firm and take heart. | |
| 4 | Ps 33:2-7.10-13.17.19. r.19 or. r.9 | The Lord is close to the broken-hearted or Taste and see that the Lord is good. |
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| 5 | Ps 41:3.5; Ps 42:3-4 r. Ps 41:2 | Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God. | |
| 6 | Ps 62:2-9. r.2 | For you my soul is thirsting, O God my God | |
| 7 | Ps 70:1-2.5-6.8-9.14-15 r.12 or r.23 | My God, make haste to help me. or My lips shall rejoice, and my soul, which you have redeemed. |
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| 8 | Ps 85:1-6.11-13.15-16 r.1 or r.15.16 | Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer. or God of mercy and compassion, turn and take pity on me. |
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| 9 | Ps 89:2-6. 9-10.12.14.16 r.1 | O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next. | |
| 10 | Ps 101:2-3. 24-28. 19-21 r.2 | O Lord, listen to my prayer and let my cry for help reach you. | |
| 11 | Ps 102:1-4. 11-18. r.1 or r.8 | My soul gives thanks to the Lord. or The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy. |
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| 12 | Ps 122:1-3 r.2 | Our eyes are on the Lord till he show us his mercy. | |
| 13 | Ps 142:1-2.5-6.110.r.1 or. r.11 | Lord, listen to my prayer. or For your name's sake, Lord, save my life. | |
| 14 | Is 38:10-12. 16 r.17 | You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom. | |
| Second Reading from the New Testament | |||
| 1 | Romans 8:14-17 | If we share his sufferings, we shall share his glory. | |
| 2 | Romans 8:18-27 | We wait for our bodies to be set free. | |
| 3 | Romans 8:31-35. 37-39 | Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ | |
| 4 | 1 Corinthians: 1:18-25 | God's weakness is stronger than human strength. | |
| 5 | 1 Corinthians 12: 12-22. 24-27 | If one part is hurt, all parts are hurt with it. | |
| 6† | 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 | If the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. | |
| 7 | 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 | The inner man is renewed day by day. | |
| 8† | 2 Corinthians 5:1. 6-10 | We have an everlasting home in the heavens | |
| 9 | Galatians 4:12-19 | Illness gave me the opportunity to preach the Good News to you. | |
| 10 | Philippians 2:25-30 | He has been ill, but God took pity on him. | |
| 11 | Colossians 1:22-29 | In my own body I do what I can to make up all that still has to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body. | |
| 12 | Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 | It is not as if we had a high priest incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us. | |
| 13 | James 5:13-16 | The prayer of faith will save the sick man. | |
| 14 | 1 Peter 1:3-9 | This a cause of great joy even though for a short time you may have to bear all sorts of trials. | |
| 15 | 1 John 3:1-2 | What we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed. | |
| 16 | Apocalypse 21:1-7 | There will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. | |
| 17† | Apocalypse 22:17. 20-21 | Come, Lord Jesus. | |
| Gospel Acclamation | |||
| 1 | Psalm 32:22 | May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you. |
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| 2 | Matthew 5:5 | Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted |
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| 3 | Matthew 8:17 | Christ took our sicknesses away, and carried our diseases for us. |
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| 4 | Matthew 11:28 | Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord. |
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| 5 | 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 | Blessed be God, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows. |
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| 6 | Ephesians 1:3 | Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ |
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| 7 | James 1:12 | Happy the man who stand firm when trials come, for he has proved himself, and will win the prize of life. |
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| Gospel | |||
| Gospel Readings are paired with a recommended Gospel Acclamation | |||
| 1 | Matthew 5:1-12 | Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven. | 2 |
| 2 | Matthew 8:1-4 | If you want to, you can cure me. | 3 |
| 3 | Matthew 8:5-17 | He took our sicknesses away. | 3 |
| shorter | Matthew 8:5-13 | He took our sicknesses away. | 3 |
| or | Matthew 8:14-17 | He took our sicknesses away. | 3 |
| 4 | Matthew 11:25-30 | Come to me all you who labour. | 4 |
| 5 | Matthew 15:29-31 | Jesus cures very many people | 1 |
| 6 | Matthew 25:31-40 | In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me. | 7 |
| 7 | Matthew 26:36-46 | If this cup cannot pass by, your will be done. | 7 |
| 8 | Mark 2:1-12 | Seeing their faith he said 'Your sins are forgiven.' | 3 |
| 9 | Mark 4:35-41 | Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith? | 1 |
| 10 | Mark 10:46-52 | Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me. | 6 |
| 11 | Mark 15:33-39; 16:1-6 | The death and resurrection of the Lord | 5 |
| 12 | Mark 16:15-20 | They will lay their hand on the sick, who will recover. | 1 |
| 13 | Luke 7:19-23 | Tell John what you have seen and heard. | 3 |
| 14 | Luke 10:5-6. 8-9 | Cure those who are sick. | 5 |
| 15 | Luke 10:15-37 | Who is my neighbour? | 4 |
| 16 | Luke 11:5-13 | Ask, and it will be given to you. | 6 |
| 17 | Luke 12:35-44 | Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. | 7 |
| 18 | Luke 18:9-14 | God, be merciful to me, a sinner | 2 |
| 19 | Luke 23:44-49; 24:1-6 | The death and resurrection of the Lord | 2 |
| 20 | Luke 24:13-35 | Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory? | 5 |
| 21† | John 6:35-40 | It is the will of the Father that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me. | 6 |
| 22† | John 6:53-58 | Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever | 1 |
| 23 | John 9:1-7 | He has not sinned - it was that the works of God might be displayed in him. | 4 |
| 24 | John 10:11-18 | The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. | 4 |
| 25 | John 20:1-10 | He saw and he believed | 2 |
Viaticum during Mass
| Old Testament Reading | |||
| Each reading is paired with a recommended psalm. | psalm | ||
| 1 | Kings 19:4-8 | Strengthened by that food, he walked until he reached the mountain of God. | 22 |
| 2 | Job 19:23-27 | This I know: that my Avenger lives | 144 |
| New Testament Reading | |||
| Each reading is paired with a recommended psalm. | psalm | ||
| 1 | Corinthians 10:16-17 | The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body. | 115a |
| 2 | Corinthians 11:23-26 | Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord. | 41 |
| 3 | Apocalypse 3:14. 20-22 | I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him | 115b |
| 4 | Apocalypse 22:17. 20-21 | Come, Lord Jesus | 33 |
| Responsorial Psalm | |||
| 1 | Ps 22 r.4 Alt r.1 | If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. | |
| 2 | Ps 33:2-7. 10-11 r.9 | Taste and see that the Lord is good | |
| 3 | Ps 41:2-3.5. Ps 42:3-5 r. Ps 41:3 | My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. When can I enter and see the face of God? |
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| 4 | Ps 115:12-13. 15-18 r. 13 | The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord's name. | |
| 5 | Ps 115:12-13. 15-18 r. Ps 114:9 | I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living. | |
| 6 | Ps 144:10. 14-18 r.18 | The Lord is close to all who call him. | |
| Gospel Acclamation | |||
| 1 | John 6:51 | I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, says the Lord. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. |
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| or | John 10:9 | I am the gate, says the Lord; Whoever enters through me will be safe and will find a place of pasture. |
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| 2 | John 6:54 | Whoever eats my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, says the Lord, and I shall raise him up on the last day. |
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| or | John 11:25; 14:6 | I am the Resurrection and the Life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me. |
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| Gospel | |||
| Gospels are paired with a recommended Gospel Acclamation | |||
| 1 | John 6:41-51 | I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. | 1 |
| 2 | John 6:51-59 | Anyone who eats my flesh has eternal life and I shall raise him up on the last day. | 2 |