Daily Mass Readings

First Reading

Sirach 47:2-11

²And as the fat taken away from the flesh, so was David chosen from among the children of Israel.

³He played with lions as with lambs: and with bears he did in like manner as with the lambs of the flock, in his youth.

⁴Did not he kill the giant, and take away reproach from his people?

⁵In lifting up his hand, with the stone in the sling he beat down the boasting of Goliath:

⁶For he called upon the Lord the Almighty, and he gave strength in his right hand, to take away the mighty warrior, and to set up the horn of his nation.

⁷So in ten thousand did he glorify him, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, in offering to him a crown of glory:

⁸For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and extirpated the Philistines the adversaries unto this day: he broke their horn for ever.

⁹In all his works he gave thanks to the holy one, and to the most High, with words of glory.

¹⁰With his whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved God that made him: and he gave him power against his enemies:

¹¹And he set singers before the altar, and by their voices he made sweet melody.

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (Catholic canon)

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18:31, 47 and 50, 51

³¹For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

⁴⁷It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

⁵⁰Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

Gospel

Mark 6:14-29

¹⁴And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

¹⁵Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

¹⁶But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

¹⁷For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.

¹⁸For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

¹⁹Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

²⁰For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

²¹And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

²²And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

²³And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

²⁴And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

²⁵And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

²⁶And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

²⁷And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

²⁸And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

²⁹And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

The readings proclaimed at Mass in the United States follow the NABRE Lectionary. Read today's official text at USCCB →

Verse text shown from public-domain translations (KJV; Douay-Rheims chain for deuterocanonical books). The text proclaimed at Mass in the United States is the NABRE Lectionary — read it at the USCCB link.