Daily readings

Thursday, January 15, 2026

Thursday of the 1st week of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time. Read the day's readings in one place for prayer, preparation, or quiet reflection.

CelebrationThursday of the 1st week of Ordinary Time

TypeWeekday

SeasonOrdinary Time

Year2026 archive

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.

Reading mode

Plain mode helps modern readers follow the text more easily.

The on-site reading text is drawn from public-domain Douay-Rheims sources. 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.

What are the Mass readings for Thursday January 15, 2026?

The Catholic Mass readings for Thursday January 15, 2026 are gathered on this page in their proper order: first reading 1 Samuel 4:1-11, psalm Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25, no second reading is appointed for this Mass,and Gospel Mark 1:40-45.

What is the Gospel for Thursday January 15, 2026?

The Gospel for Thursday January 15, 2026 is Mark 1:40-45. It appears below with the rest of the day's Catholic readings.

What is the Psalm for Thursday January 15, 2026?

The psalm for Thursday January 15, 2026 is Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25. It is included below in the same reading order used at Mass, between the first reading and the Gospel.

Are these the USCCB daily readings for Thursday January 15, 2026?

The same day's Catholic readings are gathered here on-site, with the official readings link available below in the source note.

1

First Reading

1 Samuel 4:1-11

How to approach it

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.

4:1And it happened in those days, that the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight: and Israel went out to war against the Philistines, and camped by the Stone of help. And the Philistines came to Aphec,

2And put their army in array against Israel. And when they had joined battle, Israel turned their backs to the Philistines, and there was killed in that fight here and there in the fields about four thousand men.

3And the people returned to the camp: and the leaders of Israel said: Why has the Lord defeated us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch to us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Silo, and let it come in the midst of us, that it may save us from the hand of our enemies.

4So the people sent to Silo, and they brought from from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts sitting upon the cherubim: and the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were with the ark of the covenant of God.

5And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, and the earth rang again.

6And the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and they said: What is this noise of a great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.

7And the Philistines were afraid, saying: God is come into the camp. And sighing, they said:

8Sorrow to us: for there was no such great joy yesterday and the day before: Sorrow to us. Who shall deliver us from the hand of these high gods? these are the gods that struck Egypt with all the plagues in the desert.

9Take courage and behave like men, you Philistines: lest you come to be servants to the Hebrews, as they have served you: take courage and fight.

10So the Philistines fought, and Israel was overthrown, and every man fled to his own dwelling: and there was an exceeding great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11And the ark of God was taken: and the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were killed.

2

Psalm

Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25

How to pray it

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.

44:10But now you have cast us off, and put us to shame$1 and you, O God, will not go out with our armies.

11You have made us turn our back to our enemies$1 and those who hated us plundered for themselves.

14You have made us a shame to our neighbours, a scoff and derision to them that are round about us.

15You have made us a byword among the Gentiles$1 a shaking of the head among the people.

24Why turnest you face away? and forgettest our want and our trouble?

25For our soul is humbled down to the dust$1 our belly cleaveth to the earth.

3

Gospel

Mark 1:40-45

What to watch for

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.

1:40And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down said to him: If you will, you canst make me clean.

41And Jesus having compassion on him, stretched forth his hand; and touching him, says to him: I will. Be you made clean.

42And when he had said, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.

43And he strictly charged him, and forthwith sent him away.

44And he says to him: See you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the high priest, and offer for your cleansing the things that Moses commanded, for a teaching to them.

45But he being gone out, began to publish and to blaze abroad the word: so that he could not openly go into the city, but was without in desert places: and they flocked to him from all sides.

How the readings move through Mass today

The Liturgy of the Word normally moves from the first reading to the psalm, then to the second reading when one is appointed, then to the Gospel, and then into the homily. On weekday Masses, the second reading is often omitted, so the Church moves from the psalm directly to the Gospel.

1

First Reading

1 Samuel 4:1-11

The first reading is usually taken from the Old Testament. It prepares the heart to hear how God has been acting through his covenant and promises.

2

Psalm

Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25

The psalm is the Church’s prayerful response to the first reading. It helps the congregation answer God’s word with trust, praise, repentance, or hope.

3

Second Reading

Usually omitted today

There is no second reading at many weekday Masses. On days like this, the liturgy moves from the psalm directly to the Gospel.

4

Gospel

Mark 1:40-45

The Gospel is the high point of the Liturgy of the Word. Catholics stand because Christ himself speaks to his people in a special way through the Gospel proclamation.

5

Homily

After the Gospel

The homily follows the Gospel. It should gather the day’s readings together, explain the mystery being celebrated, and help people carry the word of God into ordinary life.

What the homily usually draws together

A Catholic homily usually gathers the first reading, the psalm, and the Gospel into one spiritual movement. It may explain how the Old Testament prepares for Christ, how the apostles witness to the risen Lord, how the psalm teaches the Church to pray, and how the Gospel calls for faith and conversion now.

If you are preparing before Mass, try to carry one sentence, one image, or one invitation from the readings with you. That usually makes the homily easier to follow because you already know what part of God's word has stayed with you.

What about the Prayers of the Faithful for Thursday January 15, 2026?

The Prayers of the Faithful are usually written locally by a parish, diocese, or celebrant, so there is not always one universal text for this exact day. The scriptural readings above are the stable part the whole Church receives, and they usually shape the petitions that follow at Mass.

Source note

The day's references and liturgical celebration data come from the Catholic Readings API, while the on-site scripture text is rendered from public-domain Douay-Rheims sources so the day's readings can be read directly on the page.