A Catholic guide for saints, prayer, and practical devotional reading.
Holy Innocents, Martyrs. 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.
1 John 1:5—2:2
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 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8
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.
2Look as the eyes of the servants are on the hands of their masters, As the eyes of the servant are on the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes to the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us.
3Have mercy on us, OH Lord, have mercy on us: for we are greatly satisfied with disgrace.
4For our soul is greatly satisfied: we are a shame to the rich, and disgrace to the proud.
Matthew 2:13-18
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.
13And after they were departed, look an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell you. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.
14Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod:
15That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
17Then was fulfilled that which was said by Jeremias the prophet, saying:
18A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
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.