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

Sunday, December 27, 2026

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

The liturgical day

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

  • Feast
  • Christmas Time
  • Liturgical color: White

The Mass readings

First reading
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Second reading
Colossians 3:12-21
Gospel
Luke 2:22-40

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.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Douay-Rheims: Psalm 127:1-5 (Psalm 128 at Mass)

1Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways. 2For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee. 3Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house. Thy children as olive plants, round about thy table. 4Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. 5May the Lord bless thee out of Sion: and mayest thou see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

Second reading: Colossians 3:12-21

Douay-Rheims: Colossians 3:12-21

12Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: 13Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. 14But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: 15And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. 17All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 18Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behoveth in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them. 20Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be discouraged.

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Douay-Rheims: Luke 2:22-40

22And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord: 23As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord: 24And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons: 25And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him. 26And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 27And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: 29Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; 30Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, 31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: 32A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. 34And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; 35And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed. 36And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. 37And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day. 38Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel. 39And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth. 40And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him.

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
27, The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, liturgical color white, this page28, 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

Leave vain things to vain men, and mind thou the things which God hath commanded thee.

The Rosary today

The Glorious Mysteries, prayed on Wednesday and Sunday.

Keep this day

Or follow every day in your calendar app: subscribe to the daily calendar (calendar file).

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.