A Catholic guide for saints, prayer, and practical devotional reading.
Holy Family. 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.
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
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 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.
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.
1Unless the Lord build the house, they work in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it.
2It is vain for you to rise before light, rise you after you have sitten, you that eat the bread of sorrow. When he shall give sleep to his beloved,
3look the gift of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.
Colossians 3:12-21
This reading often teaches Christians how to live with steadiness, charity, and faith. Look for one clear encouragement or warning you can carry into the day.
12Put you on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience:
13Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord has forgiven you, so do you also.
14But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection:
15And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, in which also you are called in one body: and be you thankful.
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God.
17All whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
18Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behoveth in the Lord.
19Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them.
20Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be discouraged.
Luke 2:22-40
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.
22And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:
23As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord:
24And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons:
25And look there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him.
26And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
27And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,
28He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said:
29Now you do dismiss your servant, OH Lord, according to your word in peace;
30Because my eyes have seen your salvation,
31Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples:
32A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.
33And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were said concerning him.
34And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Look this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted;
35And your own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.
36And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.
37And she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day.
38Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of him to all that looked for the rescue of Israel.
39And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth.
40And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him.
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.