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

Saturday, December 26, 2026

Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

The liturgical day

Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

  • Feast
  • Christmas Time
  • Liturgical color: Red

The Mass readings

First reading
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17
Gospel
Matthew 10:17-22

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: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Douay-Rheims: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-58

6:8And Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9Now there arose some of that which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke.

7:54Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him. 55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 56And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him. 57And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. 58And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17

Douay-Rheims: Psalm 30:3-4, 6, 8, 16-17 (Psalm 31 at Mass)

3Bow down thy ear to me: make haste to deliver me. Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me. 4For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name’s sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.

6Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.

8I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. For thou hast regarded my humility, thou hast saved my soul out of distresses.

16My lots are in thy hands. Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me. 17Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy.

Gospel: Matthew 10:17-22

Douay-Rheims: Matthew 10:17-22

17But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles: 19But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. 20For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. 21The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death. 22And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.

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 violet21, 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, this page
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.

Saint of the day

  • Saint Stephen, the First MartyrFeast. Died in 35.

A word for the day

It is better to be unknown and take heed to oneself than to neglect oneself and work wonders.

The Rosary today

The Joyful Mysteries, prayed on Monday and Saturday.

Keep this day

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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.