Holy Innocents, Martyrs · Feast

Mass Readings for Monday, December 28, 2026

On Monday, December 28, 2026, the Church in the United States celebrates the feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs; the liturgical color is red. The Gospel is Matthew 2:13-18.

Updated October 20, 2026

Liturgical color

Red

Celebration: Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Season: Christmas Time
Rank: Feast
Sunday cycle: Year B
Weekday cycle: Cycle I

Mass readings US

First Reading 1 John 1:5—2:2

5And this is the announcement which we have heard from him, and which we announce to you: that God is light, and in him there is no darkness.
6If we claim that we have fellowship with him, and yet we walk in darkness, then we are lying and not telling the truth.
7But if we walk in the light, just as he also is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
8If we claim that we have no sin, then we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9If we confess our sins, then he is faithful and just, so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity.
10If we claim that we have not sinned, then we make him a liar, and his Word is not in us.
2:1My little sons, this I write to you, so that you may not sin. But if anyone has sinned, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One.
2And he is the propitiation for our sins. And not only for our sins, but also for those of the whole world.

Catholic Public Domain Version

Read in the CPDV: The whole of 1 John 1 The whole of 1 John 2

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

Read in the CPDV: Psalm 124 (123 in the Vulgate)

Gospel Matthew 2:13-18

13And after they had gone away, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: “Rise up, and take the boy and his mother, and flee into Egypt. And remain there until I tell you. For it will happen that Herod will seek the boy to destroy him.”
14And getting up, he took the boy and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt.
15And he remained there, until the death of Herod, in order to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt, I called my son.”
16Then Herod, seeing that he had been fooled by the Magi, was very angry. And so he sent to kill all the boys who were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years of age and under, according to the time that he had learned by questioning the Magi.
17Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying:
18“A voice has been heard in Ramah, great weeping and wailing: Rachel crying for her sons. And she was not willing to be consoled, because they were no more.”

Catholic Public Domain Version

Read in the CPDV: The whole of Matthew 2

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

The Holy Innocents

Martyrs · Feast day December 28

Read about The Holy Innocents

The liturgical day

Mass readings US

First Reading 1 John 1:5—2:2

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

Gospel Matthew 2:13-18

Saint of the day