Daily readings

Thursday, December 24, 2026

Thursday of the 4th week of Advent. Advent. Read the day's readings in one place for prayer, preparation, or quiet reflection.

CelebrationThursday of the 4th week of Advent

TypeWeekday

SeasonAdvent

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 December 24, 2026?

The Catholic Mass readings for Thursday December 24, 2026 are gathered on this page in their proper order: first reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, psalm Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29, no second reading is appointed for this Mass,and Gospel Luke 1:67-79.

What is the Gospel for Thursday December 24, 2026?

The Gospel for Thursday December 24, 2026 is Luke 1:67-79. It appears below with the rest of the day's Catholic readings.

What is the Psalm for Thursday December 24, 2026?

The psalm for Thursday December 24, 2026 is Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29. 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 December 24, 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

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

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.

7:1And it happened when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

2He said to Nathan the prophet: Do you see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins?

3And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in your heart: because the Lord is with you.

4But it happened that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5Go, and say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Shall you build me a house to dwell in?

8And now thus shall you speak to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: a I took you out of the pastures from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel:

9And I have been with you wheresoever you have walked, and have killed all your enemies from before your face: and I have made you a great man, like to the name of the great ones that are on the earth.

10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell in it, and shall be disturbed no more: neither shall the children of sin afflict them any more as they did before,

11From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give you rest from all your enemies. And the Lord foretelleth to you, that the Lord will make you a house.

12And when your days shall be fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, which shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he commit any sin, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the people.

16And your house shall be faithful, and your kingdom forever before your face, and your throne shall be firm forever.

2

Psalm

Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

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.

89:2The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever. I will show forth your truth with my mouth to generation and generation.

3For you have said: Mercy shall be built up forever in the heavens: your truth shall be prepared in them.

4I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn to David my servant:

5Your offspring will I settle forever. And I will build up your throne to generation and generation.

27He shall cry out to me: You are my father: my God, and the support of my salvation.

29I will keep my mercy for him forever: and my covenant faithful to him.

3

Gospel

Luke 1:67-79

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.

1:67And Zachary his father was satisfied with the Holy Ghost; and he prophesied, saying:

68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he has visited and wrought the redemption of his people:

69And has raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:

70As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the start:

71Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:

72To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,

73The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,

74That being rescued from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,

75In holiness and righteousness before him, all our days.

76And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:

77To give knowledge of salvation to his people, to the remission of their sins:

78Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high has visited us:

79To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.

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

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

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 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

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

Luke 1:67-79

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 December 24, 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.