A desert road at first light, a pillar of golden light rising from the mesa.

Sunday, December 20, 2026

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The liturgical day

Fourth Sunday of Advent

  • Advent
  • Liturgical color: Violet

The Mass readings

First reading
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
Second reading
Romans 16:25-27
Gospel
Luke 1:26-38

Read today's Mass readings on the USCCB site

The readings open on the USCCB website. They follow the Lectionary for Mass approved for the United States, a different translation from the Douay-Rheims we use on this site. Desert Road Catholic is not affiliated with the USCCB.

First reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

Douay-Rheims: 2 Kings 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16

1And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2He said to Nathan the prophet: Dost thou see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins? 3And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in thy heart: because the Lord is with thee. 4But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying: 5Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in?

8And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee out of the pastures from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel: 9And I have been with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have slain all thy enemies from before thy face: and I have made thee a great man, like unto the name of the great ones that are on the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell therein, and shall be disturbed no more: neither shall the children of iniquity afflict them any more as they did before, 11From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thy enemies. And the Lord foretelleth to thee, that the Lord will make thee a house. 12And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.

16And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

Douay-Rheims: Psalm 88:2-5, 27, 29 (Psalm 89 at Mass)

2The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever. I will shew forth thy truth with my mouth to generation and generation. 3For thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens: thy truth shall be prepared in them. 4I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn to David my servant: 5Thy seed will I settle for ever. And I will build up thy throne unto generation and generation.

27He shall cry out to me: Thou art my father: my God, and the support of my salvation.

29I will keep my mercy for him for ever: and my covenant faithful to him.

Second reading: Romans 16:25-27

Douay-Rheims: Romans 16:25-27

25Now to him that is able to establish you, according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret from eternity, 26(Which now is made manifest by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the precept of the eternal God, for the obedience of faith,) known among all nations; 27To God the only wise, through Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Douay-Rheims: Luke 1:26-38

26And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. 31Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. 33And of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? 35And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: 37Because no word shall be impossible with God. 38And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

The same passages in the Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), the translation we use on this site. The words read at Mass come from the Lectionary for Mass and differ. Where a reading begins or ends partway through a verse, the whole verse is shown. For the official text, open the readings on the USCCB site.

December 2026

December 2026
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1, Tuesday of the first week of Advent, liturgical color violet2, Wednesday of the first week of Advent, liturgical color violet3, Saint Francis Xavier, Priest, liturgical color white4, Friday of the first week of Advent, liturgical color violet5, Saturday of the first week of Advent, liturgical color violet
6, Second Sunday of Advent, liturgical color violet7, Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, liturgical color white8, The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patroness of the USA, liturgical color white, Holy day of obligation (also a solemnity)9, Wednesday of the second week of Advent, liturgical color violet10, Thursday of the second week of Advent, liturgical color violet11, Friday of the second week of Advent, liturgical color violet12, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, liturgical color white
13, Third Sunday of Advent, liturgical color rose or violet14, Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church, liturgical color white15, Tuesday of the third week of Advent, liturgical color violet16, Wednesday of the third week of Advent, liturgical color violet17, December 17, liturgical color violet18, December 18, liturgical color violet19, December 19, liturgical color violet
20, Fourth Sunday of Advent, liturgical color violet, this page21, December 21, liturgical color violet22, December 22, liturgical color violet23, December 23, liturgical color violet24, December 24, liturgical color violet25, The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), liturgical color white, Holy day of obligation (also a solemnity)26, Saint Stephen, the First Martyr, liturgical color red
27, The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, liturgical color white28, The Holy Innocents, Martyrs, liturgical color red29, Fifth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord, liturgical color white30, Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord, liturgical color white31, Seventh Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord, liturgical color white

Key

  • Violet
  • White
  • Rose
  • Red
  • ObligHoly day of obligation (also a solemnity)

The dot shows the liturgical color of the day. Fridays outside Lent carry no marker.

A word for the day

For man proposeth, but God disposeth.

The Rosary today

The Glorious Mysteries, prayed on Wednesday and Sunday.

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This calendar follows the General Roman Calendar for the United States. Some feasts are kept on other days in some provinces and dioceses, so check your parish calendar.

Calendar computed with romcal (MIT License). Reading citations from the Catholic Readings API (MIT License), with gaps checked against the USCCB pages. Douay-Rheims text courtesy of eBible.org.