Advent
Monday, December 14, 2026
On Monday, December 14, 2026, the Catholic Church is in Advent and the liturgical color is purple. The Church celebrates St John of the Cross.
Liturgical color: Purple
Day 16 of Advent this year, with 10 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 15 of 25 of the St Andrew Christmas Novena.
Caravaggio · The Taking of Christ · 1602 · public domain
Mass readings
Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor (US lectionary references; read the full texts in your missal, your parish's missalette or the app).
- First reading Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a
- Responsorial psalm Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6, 7bc, 8-9
- Gospel Matthew 21:23-27
Read the full texts free in the app: Google Play · App Store
Saint of the day
Memorial
St John of the Cross
(1542–1591) Spanish Carmelite, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. With Teresa of Ávila he reformed the Carmelites. Imprisoned for nine months by his own order, where he wrote the Spiritual Canticle. The Dark Night of the Soul is his.
Saint John, doctor of the dark night, pray for those whose prayer feels empty.
A memorial is an obligatory commemoration of a saint.
This season
- Advent 2026: the day-by-day calendarA reflection prompt for every day to Christmas, the wreath, the O Antiphons
- Jesse Tree, day 16: Matthew 1:6Today's verse (Douay-Rheims) and the names in it
- St Andrew Christmas Novena — day 15 of 25The prayer, fifteen times today
- Novenas being prayed todaySt Andrew Christmas Novena
- Monday's Rosary: The Joyful MysteriesPrayed on Mondays and Saturdays
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
Zech 9:9
Read it in context — the whole Catholic Bible is in the app, offline and free.
Frequently asked
What liturgical color is worn on December 14, 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 14, 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 14, 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 14, 2026?
St John of the Cross. (1542–1591) Spanish Carmelite, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. With Teresa of Ávila he reformed the Carmelites. Imprisoned for nine months by his own order, where he wrote the Spiritual Canticle.…
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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