As we make our journey towards Easter, the Church's liturgies encourage us to look forward eagerly to the celebration of the Paschal Mystery: the source of new life and hope for the whole human family.

The first readings of these Sundays recall the history that leads to God's final achievement in the Paschal Mystery.

The gospel readings of Year A commence (1^st and 2^nd Sundays) with passages from Matthew. They then bring us, from John's gospel, three dramatic incidents in the earthly ministry of Jesus that have no parallel in the other gospels.