A Catholic guide for saints, prayer, and practical devotional reading.
Saint Stephen, The First Martyr. Christmas. 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.
Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
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 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17
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.
Full on-site text is not available for this reference yet, so use the reference above and the official link below.
Matthew 10:17-22
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.
17But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.
18And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a teaching to them and to the Gentiles:
19But when they shall deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak.
20For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.
21The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death.
22And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but the one who will persevere to the end, he shall be saved.
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.