A Catholic guide for saints, prayer, and practical devotional reading.
Francis Xavier. Advent. A clean reading layout for church, prayer, or preparation.
The Roman Catholic readings for this date are shown below on-site. Use plain reading mode if you want clearer modern wording, or switch back to the original Douay-Rheims wording at any time.
On-site scripture text: Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Plain mode is a built-in reading aid that modernizes older wording for easier understanding while keeping the same Roman Catholic reading references for the day.
Isaiah 25:6-10a
Read this as the first big movement of the day. Notice what God is doing, who is speaking, and what part of the story or teaching should stay with you.
Full on-site text is not available for this reference yet, so use the reference above and the official link below.
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
The psalm is meant to be prayed, not rushed. If the wording feels older, focus on the main movement of the prayer: trust, praise, sorrow, gratitude, or hope.
5You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!
6And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord to length of days.
Matthew 15:29-37
The Gospel is the center of the reading set. Pay close attention to what Jesus says, what Jesus does, and what response he is asking for.
29And when Jesus had passed away from from there, he came nigh the sea of Galilee. And going up into a mountain, he sat there.
30And there came to him great crowds, having with them the dumb, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and many others: and they cast them down at his feet, and he healed them:
31So that the crowds marvelled seeing the dumb speak, the lame walk, and the blind see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
32And Jesus called together his disciples, and said: I have compassion on the crowds, because they continue with me now three days, and have not what to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
33And the disciples say to him: Whence then should we have so many bread in the desert, as to fill so great a crowd?
34And Jesus said to them: How many bread have you? But they said: Seven, and a few little fishes.
35And he commanded the crowd to sit down upon the ground.
36And taking the seven bread and the fishes, and giving thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the people.
37And they did all eat, and had their fill. And they took up seven baskets full, of what remained of the fragments.
This page uses the Catholic Readings API for the day's references and liturgical celebration data, while the on-site scripture text is rendered from the public-domain Douay-Rheims Bible distributed through the Open Bibles project.