Meditations and Readings for Lent from St. Thomas Aquinas
Editor’s note: The three Sundays preceding Ash Wednesday are called Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima, which mean, respectively, the seventieth, sixtieth, and fiftieth day, that is, before Easter. They are mere names, to correspond with the name of Lent (Quadragesima, in Latin, fortieth); obviously they do not actually correspond with the period they indicate.
2021
February
1. Monday after Septuagesima – On Doing Good
2. Tuesday after Septuagesima – The Prayer of Our Lord in The Garden
3. Wednesday after Septuagesima – Good Works
4. Thursday after Septuagesima – The Reward
5. Friday after Septuagesima – The Need For Caution
6. Saturday after Septuagesima – On Reforming Ourselves
7. Sexagesima Sunday – The Seed
8. Monday after Sexagesima – The Goodness of God
9. Tuesday after Sexagesima – The Remembrance of Our Lord’s Passion
10. Wednesday after Sexagesima – The Need to Be Watchful
11. Thursday after Sexagesima – Our Watch Must Be Ceaseless
12. Friday after Sexagesima – The Worship Due to God
13. Saturday after Sexagesima – How Are We to Serve God?
14. Quinquagesima Sunday – How We Should Serve God on the Lord’s Day
15. Monday after Quinquagesima – Holiness
16. Tuesday after Quinquagesima – Our Lord is Scourged
17. Ash Wednesday – Death
18. Thursday – Fasting
19. Friday – The Crown of Thorns
20. Saturday – The Grain of Wheat
21. First Week in Lent — Sunday – It Was Fitting That Christ Should Be Tempted
22. First Monday – Christ Had to be Tempted in the Desert
23. First Tuesday – Christ Underwent Every Kind of Suffering
24. First Wednesday – How Great Was the Sorrow of Our Lord in His Passion?
25. First Thursday – It Was Fitting That Christ Should Be Crucified With the Thieves
26. First Friday – The Feast of the Holy Lance and the Nails of Our Lord
27. First Saturday – The Love of God Shown in the Passion of Christ
28. Second Week in Lent — Sunday – God the Father Delivered Christ to His Passion
March
1. Second Monday – It Was Fitting That Our Lord Should Suffer at the Hands of the Gentiles
2. Second Tuesday – The Passion of Christ Brought About Our Salvation Because it Was a Meritorious Act
3. Second Wednesday – The Passion of Christ Brought About Our Salvation Because it Was an Act of Satisfaction
4. Second Thursday – That the Passion of Christ Brought About Its Effect Because it Was a Sacrifice
5. Second Friday – Feast of the Holy Winding Sheet
6. Second Saturday – The Passion of Christ Wrought Our Salvation by Redeeming Us
7. Third Week in Lent — Sunday – It is the Passion of Christ That Has Freed Us From Sin
8. Third Monday – The Passion of Christ Has Delivered Us From the Devil
9. Third Tuesday – Christ is Truly Our Redeemer
10. Third Wednesday – The Price of Our Redemption
11. Third Thursday – The Preaching of the Samaritan Woman
12. Third Friday – It is By the Passion of Christ That We Have Been Freed From the Punishment Due to Sin
13. Third Saturday– The Passion of Christ Reconciles Us to God
14. Fourth Week in Lent — Sunday – Christ by His Passion Opened to Us the Gates of Heaven
15. Fourth Monday – Christ by His Passion Merited to be Exalted
16. Fourth Tuesday – The Example of Christ Crucified
17. Fourth Wednesday – The Divine Friend
18. Fourth Thursday – The Death of Lazarus
19. Fourth Friday – The Precious Blood
20. Fourth Saturday – There Was Not Any More Fitting Way to Free the Human Race Than Through the Passion of Christ
21. Passion Week — Sunday – The Passion of Christ
22. Passion Monday – The Passion of Christ is a Remedy Against Sin
23. Passion Tuesday – The Burial of Christ
24. Passion Wednesday – On Being Buried Spiritually
25. Passion Thursday – Which is the Greatest Sign of His Love Our Lord Has Given Us?
26. Passion Friday – Our Lady’s Suffering in the Passion
27. Passion Saturday – How We, Each of Us, Should Wash One Another’s Feet
28. Holy Week — Palm Sunday – Christ’s Passion Serves Us as an Example
29. Monday in Holy Week – It is Necessary that We Be Wholly Clean
30. Tuesday in Holy Week – Christ Preparing to Wash the Apostle’s Feet
31. Holy Wednesday – Three Things are Symbolised by the Washing of the Feet