Advent
Friday, December 4, 2026
On Friday, December 4, 2026, the Catholic Church is in Advent and the liturgical color is purple. The Church celebrates St John Damascene.
Liturgical color: Purple
Day 6 of Advent this year, with 20 days to go.
Advent in the app
Keep the whole of Advent on your phone. The free Liturgical Living app has the Advent Watch (one prayer a day, any prayer, counted with you until Christmas), the St Andrew Christmas Novena from November 30 to Christmas Eve with a gentle reminder, and every day of Advent in the calendar with its color, feast and readings. Today is day 5 of 25 of the St Andrew Christmas Novena.
Gustave Doré · Matthias Appealing to Jewish Refugees · 1866 · public domain
Mass readings
Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor (US lectionary references; read the full texts in your missal, your parish's missalette or the app).
- First reading Isaiah 29:17-24
- Responsorial psalm Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
- Gospel Matthew 9:27-31
Read the full texts free in the app: Google Play · App Store
Saint of the day
Optional
St John Damascene
(c. 675–749) Christian official of the caliph's court at Damascus who became a monk of Mar Saba near Jerusalem. Last of the Greek Fathers and Doctor of the Church, he defended the holy images against the iconoclast emperors and wrote hymns still sung at Easter.
Saint John Damascene, singer of the resurrection, pray that we defend what we have seen.
This season
- Advent 2026: the day-by-day calendarA reflection prompt for every day to Christmas, the wreath, the O Antiphons
- Jesse Tree, day 6: Isaias 11:6Today's verse (Douay-Rheims) and the names in it
- St Andrew Christmas Novena — day 5 of 25The prayer, fifteen times today
- The Immaculate Conception, Dec 8A holy day of obligation in the US this year (Tuesday)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec 12The story, the novena, the customs
- Novenas being prayed todayNovena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Novena to the Immaculate Conception, St Andrew Christmas Novena
- Friday's Rosary: The Sorrowful MysteriesPrayed on Tuesdays and Fridays
About Advent
Advent is the Church's four-week preparation for Christmas, beginning on the fourth Sunday before 25 December. It looks two ways at once: back to the Incarnation, and forward to Christ's return. The mood is watchful rather than penitential — the Gloria is omitted at Mass, but the Alleluia stays.
Why purple?
Purple is worn in Advent and Lent, and at funerals: preparation, penance, and mourning.
Verse of the day
Isa 9:6
Read it in context — the whole Catholic Bible is in the app, offline and free.
Frequently asked
What liturgical color is worn on December 4, 2026?
Purple, the color of Advent. Purple is worn in Advent and Lent, and at funerals: preparation, penance, and mourning.
What liturgical season is December 4, 2026 in?
Advent. Advent is the Church's four-week preparation for Christmas, beginning on the fourth Sunday before 25 December. It looks two ways at once: back to the Incarnation, and forward to Christ's return. The mood is watchful rather than penitential — the Gloria is omitted at Mass, but the Alleluia stays.
Is December 4, 2026 a holy day of obligation in the United States?
No. In the United States the holy days of obligation are Mary, Mother of God (1 January), the Assumption (15 August), All Saints (1 November), the Immaculate Conception (8 December), and Christmas (25 December); the Ascension is observed on a Thursday or the following Sunday depending on the diocese.
Which saint is celebrated on December 4, 2026?
St John Damascene. (c. 675–749) Christian official of the caliph's court at Damascus who became a monk of Mar Saba near Jerusalem. Last of the Greek Fathers and Doctor of the Church, he defended the holy images against…
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Today's readings, the saint, and the day's color — on your home screen every morning.
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- Common Catholic prayersThe Rosary, the Chaplet, the Angelus — full texts
- Traditional novenasComplete nine-day texts
- The whole liturgical calendarEvery day from July 2026 to December 2027