Daily Mass Readings

August 29, 2026 — Saturday

The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Martyr (Memorial)

Season: Ordinary Time

First Reading

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

13The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

19To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

20Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

21For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

Text shown in KJV (public domain).

Gospel

Mark 6:17-29

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.

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