First Reading Jeremiah 23:5-8
Read in the CPDV: Jeremiah 23
Friday of the Third Week of Advent · Weekday
Mass Readings for Friday, December 18, 2026
On Friday, December 18, 2026, the Church in the United States keeps Friday of the Third Week of Advent (Cycle I); the liturgical color is violet. The Gospel is Matthew 1:18-25.
The liturgical day
Liturgical color
Violet
- Celebration
- Friday of the Third Week of Advent
- Season
- Advent · Week 3
- Rank
- Weekday
- Sunday cycle
- Year B
- Weekday cycle
- Cycle I
Mass readings US
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
Read in the CPDV: Psalm 72 (71 in the Vulgate)
Gospel Matthew 1:18-25
18Now the procreation of the Christ occurred in this way. After his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together, she was found to have conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit.
19Then Joseph, her husband, since he was just and was not willing to hand her over, preferred to send her away secretly.
20But while thinking over these things, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to accept Mary as your wife. For what has been formed in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21And she shall give birth to a son. And you shall call his name JESUS. For he shall accomplish the salvation of his people from their sins.”
22Now all this occurred in order to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23“Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb, and she shall give birth to a son. And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means: God is with us.”
24Then Joseph, arising from sleep, did just as the Angel of the Lord had instructed him, and he accepted her as his wife.
25And he knew her not, yet she bore her son, the firstborn. And he called his name JESUS.
Catholic Public Domain Version
Read in the CPDV: The whole of Matthew 1
Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar.
In US parishes the readings are proclaimed from the NABRE; the text shown here is the Catholic Public Domain Version.
Old Testament readings and the psalm are listed with a link to their chapter: the US Lectionary numbers some of their verses differently from the CPDV, so their text is not printed here. Psalm citations keep the Lectionary’s Hebrew numbering; the CPDV numbers the Psalms as the Vulgate does.
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Saint of the day
Bishop · Remembered on December 18
The day’s Mass is of the weekday (Friday of the Third Week of Advent).