Advent
Friday, December 11, 2026
On Friday, December 11, 2026, the Catholic Church is in Advent and the liturgical color is purple. The Church celebrates St Damasus I.
Liturgical color: Purple
Day 13 of Advent this year, with 13 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 12 of 25 of the St Andrew Christmas Novena.
Caravaggio · The Conversion of Saint Paul · 1601 · public domain
Mass readings
Saint Damasus I, Pope (US lectionary references; read the full texts in your missal, your parish's missalette or the app).
- First reading Isaiah 48:17-19
- Responsorial psalm Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
- Gospel Matthew 11:16-19
Read the full texts free in the app: Google Play · App Store
Saint of the day
Optional
St Damasus I
(c. 305–384) Pope who commissioned Jerome's Vulgate translation of the Bible, adorned the catacombs with verse inscriptions he composed himself for the martyrs' tombs, and upheld Nicaea against the Arians. He called Rome the apostolic see — sedes apostolica.
Saint Damasus, poet of the martyrs, pray that we honor those who sleep in Christ.
This season
- Advent 2026: the day-by-day calendarA reflection prompt for every day to Christmas, the wreath, the O Antiphons
- Jesse Tree, day 13: Matthew 1:3Today's verse (Douay-Rheims) and the names in it
- St Andrew Christmas Novena — day 12 of 25The prayer, fifteen times today
- Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec 12The story, the novena, the customs
- Novenas being prayed todayNovena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, 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
Bar 5:5
Read it in context — the whole Catholic Bible is in the app, offline and free.
Frequently asked
What liturgical color is worn on December 11, 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 11, 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 11, 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 11, 2026?
St Damasus I. (c. 305–384) Pope who commissioned Jerome's Vulgate translation of the Bible, adorned the catacombs with verse inscriptions he composed himself for the martyrs' tombs, and upheld Nicaea against the…
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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