Weekday Masses for Years I & II
in the
Seasons of Advent and Christmas

The Season of Advent:

Advent is not usually a full four weeks, but between three and four weeks long, depending on what weekday Christmas is in a particular year. Advent begins on the Sunday between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3.
Thus, the readings listed here for the "Third Week of Advent" might not all be used, since the last eight days before Christmas use the readings assigned for Dec. 17-24, as listed at the bottom of this table.

Exceptions for 2024:

• Dec. 9 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with its own Proper Readings (transferred from Dec. 8 in this year only)..
• Dec. 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with its own Proper Readings.
• Dec. 22 is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, with its own Proper Readings (rather than those listed here, which would be used if Dec. 22 were a weekday).
• Several "Memorials" of saints occur during Advent; on these days, the readings for the corresponding Advent Weekday should normally still be used:
  Dec. 7 - St. Ambrose; Dec. 13 - St. Lucy; Dec. 14 - St. John of the Cross.
• Several "Optional Memorials" of saints also occur during Advent; but again, the readings for the corresponding Advent Weekday should normally still be used on these days:
  Dec. 4 - St. John of Damascus; Dec. 6 - St. Nicholas; Dec. 9 - St. Juan Diego; Dec. 11 - St. Damasus I; Dec. 12 - St. Jane Frances de Chantal; Dec. 21 - St. Peter Canisius; Dec. 23 - St. John of Kanty.

Notes:

#192 = Alleluia Verses for Weekdays of Advent up to December 16: "These texts may be used in place of the texts proposed for each day." (14 options)
#201 = Alleluia Verses for Weekdays of Advent from December 17 to December 24: "These texts may be used in place of the texts proposed for each day." (7 "O Antiphons")

*Lectionary Note before each of ##187-191: "If today is December 17 or 18, omit these readings and use those given for the weekdays of Advent, nos. 193 or 194."
**Lectionary Note before #193: "The following readings are used from December 17 to 24. If a Sunday occurs during this time, the weekday readings for that day are omitted, but they may be anticipated or used later on another day during the week, especially to avoid duplicating the Sunday readings."

Rationale: The "General Introduction to the Lectionary" (Second Edition, 1981) briefly explains the rationale for the reading choices for the Weekdays of Advent:

"There are two series of readings: one to be used from the beginning of Advent until 16 December; the other from 17 to 24 December.
In the first part of Advent there are readings from the Book of Isaiah, distributed in accord with the sequence of the book itself and including the more important texts that are also read on the Sundays. For the choice of the weekday Gospel the first reading has been taken into consideration. On Thursday of the second week the readings from the Gospel concerning John the Baptist begin. The first reading is either a continuation of Isaiah or a text chosen in view of the Gospel.
In the last week before Christmas the events that immediately prepared for the Lord's birth are presented from the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 1) and Luke (chapter 1). The texts in the first reading, chosen in view of the Gospel reading, are from different Old Testament books and include important Messianic prophecies." (Lectionary for Mass, "Introduction," chap. 5, par. 94.)

Three Parts of Advent: As the above Rationale shows, Advent can actually be subdivided into three parts (not just two), based on different emphases in the readings:
the first focus is on the prophet Isaiah, the second on the "precursor" John the Baptist, and the third on the events just before the birth of Jesus:

• Part ONE: Focus on Readings from Isaiah (with complementary Gospel texts)
  • 1st Week, Monday (Years B&C): Isa 2:1-5 – "The Lord will gather all nations into the eternal peace of the Kingdom of God."
    1st Week, Monday (Year A): Isa 4:2-6 – "There will be splendor for the survivors."
    cf. Matt 8:5-11 – "Many will come from the east and the west into the Kingdom of heaven."
     
  • 1st Week, Tuesday: Isa 11:1-10 – "The Spirit of the LORD God shall rest upon him."
    cf. Luke 10:21-24 – "Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit."
     
  • 1st Week, Wednesday: Isa 25:6-10a – "The Lord invites us to his feast and will wipe away the tears from all faces."
    cf. Matt 15:29-37 – "Jesus heals many and multiplies the bread."
     
  • 1st Week, Thursday: Isa 26:1-6 – "Let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith."
    cf. Matt 7:21, 24-27 – "Whoever does the will of my Father will enter the Kingdom of heaven."
     
  • 1st Week, Friday: Isa 29:17-24 – "On that day, the eyes of the blind shall see."
    cf. Matt 9:27-31 – "Believing in Jesus, two who were blind are cured."
     
  • 1st Week, Saturday: Isa 30:19-21, 23-26 – "The Merciful One will show you mercy when you cry out."
    cf. Matt 9:35—10:1, 5a, 6-8 – "At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them."
     
  • 2nd Week, Monday: Isa 35:1-10 – "God himself will come and save you."
    cf. Luke 5:17-26 – "We have seen incredible things today."
     
  • 2nd Week, Tuesday: Isa 40:1-11 – "God consoles his people."
    cf. Matt 18:12-14 – "God does not will that the little ones be lost."
     
  • 2nd Week, Wednesday: Isa 40:25-31 – "The LORD God is almighty and gives strength to the fainting."
    cf. Matt 11:28-30 – "Come to me, all you who labor."
     
• Part TWO: Focus on Readings about John the Baptist
  • 2nd Week, Thursday: Matt 11:11-15 – "None greater than John the Baptist has been born."
  • 2nd Week, Friday: Matt 11:16-19 – "They listened neither to John nor to the Son of Man."
  • 2nd Week, Saturday: Matt 17:9a, 10-13 – "Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him."
  • 3rd Week, Monday: Matt 21:23-27 – "John's baptism: where did it come from?"
  • 3rd Week, Tuesday: Matt 21:28-32 – "John came and sinners believed in him."
  • 3rd Week, Wednesday: Luke 7:18b-23 – "Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard."
  • 3rd Week, Thursday: Luke 7:24-30 – "John is the messenger who prepares the way of the Lord."
  • 3rd Week, Friday: John 5:33-36 – "John was a burning and shining lamp."
     
• Part THREE: Focus on the Events that immediately prepared for the Lord's birth
  • Dec. 17: Matt 1:1-17 – The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.
  • Dec. 18: Matt 1:18-24 – The dreams of Joseph about the conception and birth of Jesus
  • Dec. 19: Luke 1:5-25 – The birth of John the Baptist is announced by the angel Gabriel to Zechariah
  • Dec. 20: Luke 1:26-38 – The birth of Jesus is announced by the angel Gabriel to Mary
  • Dec. 21: Luke 1:39-45 – Mary visits Elizabeth, who calls Mary blessed
  • Dec. 22: Luke 1:46-56 – The Magnificat: Mary's song of praise to God
  • Dec. 23: Luke 1:57-66 – The birth, circumcision, and naming of John the Baptist
  • Dec. 24 (morning Mass): Luke 1:67-79 – The Benedictus: Zechariah's hymn blessing God

The Season of Christmas:

In the Lectionary for Mass, the readings for December 26-28 are listed in the "Proper of the Saints" rather than among the weekdays of Christmas; but they are included here to provide a comprehensive overview of the readings for the Christmas Season, esp. its use of the complete text of 1 John in the First Readings.

The readings for the Solemnities and Major Feasts during the Christmas Season are listed in the Sunday Lectionary: Holy Family (Sunday after Christmas; or Dec. 30 if Christmas itself is a Sunday); Mary, Mother of God (Jan. 1); Epiphany of the Lord (Jan. 6, or the Sunday after Jan. 1), and Baptism of the Lord (the Sunday after Epiphany; or the Monday after Epiphany if Epiphany is Jan. 7 or 8). Each of these Solemnities/Feasts has both a First Reading and a Second Reading before the Gospel, as listed on the webpage for Christmas Sundays & Feasts.

Notes:

^Since the Feast of the Holy Family is normally celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas, the readings shown here for one of the days between Dec. 26 and Dec. 31 are omitted each year.
But if Christmas itself falls on a Sunday, however, then the Feast of the Holy Family is on Friday, Dec. 30, as in 2022. For details, see the page on Moveable Feasts during the Christmas Season.

*Lectionary Note before #209: "If the Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday, January 7 or 8, the following readings are used for the Mass on January 6."
**Lectionary Note before #210: "If the Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday, January 8, the following readings are used for the Mass on January 7."
***Lectionary Note before #212: "In the dioceses of the United States of America, where Epiphany is celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8, the following readings are used on the days that follow Epiphany up to the following Sunday. Nevertheless, on Monday after the Sunday on which the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated (that is, the Sunday after January 6), the readings of Ordinary Time begin, and any readings left over from those assigned for January 7 to January 12 are omitted."

#211 = Alleluia Verses for Weekdays before Epiphany: "These texts may be used in place of the texts proposed for each day." (3 options)
#218 = Alleluia Verses for Weekdays after Epiphany: "These texts may be used in place of the texts proposed for each day." (5 options)

Several "Memorials" and "Optional Memorials" of saints also occur during Christmas season; but the readings for the corresponding Christmas Weekday should normally still be used on these days:
Dec. 29 - St. Thomas Becket; Dec. 31 - St. Sylvester I; Jan. 2 - Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen; Jan. 3 - Holy Name of Jesus; Jan. 4 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; Jan. 5 - St. John Neumann; Jan. 6 - Bl. André Bessette; Jan. 7 - St. Raymond of Peñafort.

Rationale: The "General Introduction to the Lectionary" (Second Edition, 1981) briefly explains the rationale for the reading choices for the Weekdays of the Christmas Season:

"From 29 December on, there is a continuous reading of the whole of the First Letter of John, which actually begins earlier, on 27 December, the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, and on 28 December, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The Gospels relate manifestations of the Lord: events of Jesus' childhood from the Gospel of Luke (29-30 December); passages from the first chapter of the Gospel of John (31 December - 5 January); other manifestations of the Lord from the four Gospels (7-12 January)." (Lectionary for Mass, "Introduction," chap. 5, par. 96.)
 

More Advent/Christmas Resources:

• Liturgical Readings for the Four Sundays of Advent
   
• Liturgical Readings for Sundays and Solemnities of the Christmas Season
   
• An Overview of the Advent and Christmas Seasons
   
• How Long is the Season of Advent?
   
• The "O Antiphons" for December 17 to 24
   
• Movable Feasts during the Christmas Season
   
• Readings from the Letters of John (esp. during Christmas Season)
   
• The Birth of Jesus in the Gospel Infancy Narratives
   
• Full Texts of the Liturgical Readings - from the USCCB website
   
• "Advent in 2 Minutes" - Don't miss this wonderful video by "Busted Halo"!
   

Weekday Readings for the other Liturgical Seasons:
Advent and Christmas | Lent | Easter | Ordinary Time: Year I | Ordinary Time: Year II | Saints and Feast Days

Readings from the Lectionary for Mass, Volume 4:
Commons | Ritual Masses | Various Needs & Occasions | Votive Masses | Masses for the Dead

Source: Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, 
© 2001, 1998, 1992, 1986, 1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.

The Lectionary for Mass used in the USA is based on the Ordo Lectionum Missae, editio typical altera (Latin Lectionary, second edition, 1981).

For the full texts of the readings for the current and upcoming months, 
please refer to the official web-site of the New American Bible, sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.