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

Tuesday, December 21, 2027

December 21

The liturgical day

December 21

  • Advent
  • Liturgical color: Violet

The Mass readings

First reading
Song of Songs 2:8-14
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
Gospel
Luke 1:39-45

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: Song of Songs 2:8-14

Douay-Rheims: Canticle of Canticles 2:8-14

8The voice of my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. 9My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices. 10Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. 11For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. 12The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: 13The fig tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come: 14My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

Douay-Rheims: Psalm 32:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 (Psalm 33 at Mass)

2Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings. 3Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.

11But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.

20Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector. 21For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

Douay-Rheims: Luke 1:39-45

39And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. 40And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. 41And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

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 2027

December 2027
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1, Wednesday of the first week of Advent, liturgical color violet2, Thursday of the first week of Advent, liturgical color violet3, Saint Francis Xavier, Priest, liturgical color white4, Saturday of the first week of Advent, liturgical color violet
5, Second Sunday of Advent, liturgical color violet6, Monday of the second week 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, Thursday of the second week of Advent, liturgical color violet10, Friday of the second week of Advent, liturgical color violet11, Saturday of the second week of Advent, liturgical color violet
12, Third Sunday of Advent, liturgical color rose or violet13, Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr, liturgical color red14, Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church, liturgical color white15, Wednesday of the third week of Advent, liturgical color violet16, Thursday of the third week of Advent, liturgical color violet17, December 17, liturgical color violet18, December 18, liturgical color violet
19, Fourth Sunday of Advent, liturgical color violet20, December 20, liturgical color violet21, December 21, liturgical color violet, this page22, 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, The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, liturgical color white27, Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, 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 Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the ChurchOptional memorial. Died in 1597.

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 Sorrowful Mysteries, prayed on Tuesday and Friday.

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.