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

Tuesday, December 28, 2027

The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

The liturgical day

The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

  • Feast
  • Christmas Time
  • Liturgical color: Red

The Mass readings

First reading
1 John 1:5–2:2
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8
Gospel
Matthew 2:13-18

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: 1 John 1:5–2:2

Douay-Rheims: 1 John 1:5-10; 2:1-2

1:5And this is the declaration which we have heard from him, and declare unto you: That God is light, and in him there is no darkness. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2:1My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

Douay-Rheims: Psalm 123:2-5, 7-8 (Psalm 124 at Mass)

2If it had not been that the Lord was with us, When men rose up against us, 3Perhaps they had swallowed us up alive. When their fury was enkindled against us, 4Perhaps the waters had swallowed us up. 5Our soul hath passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through a water insupportable.

7Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we are delivered. 8Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18

Douay-Rheims: Matthew 2:13-18

13And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. 14Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: 15That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: 18A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

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 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, 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 red, this page29, 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 verily it is not deep words that make a man holy and upright; it is a good life which maketh a man dear to God.

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.