Today is a Wednesday in Christmas. The liturgical color is white.
Saints & Celebrations:
Today, January 4, in the Ordinary Form in the United States, we celebrate St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious. It is a memorial.
There is no special liturgical day in the Extraordinary Form.
If you’d like to learn more about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, you can click here.
For information about other saints, blesseds, and feasts celebrated today, you can click here.
Readings:
To see today’s readings in the Ordinary Form, you can click here.
Or you can click play to listen to them:
Devotional Information:
According to the Holy See’s Directory on Popular Piety:
13. The objective difference between pious exercises and devotional practices should always be clear in expressions of worship. Hence, the formulae proper to pious exercises should not be commingled with the liturgical actions. Acts of devotion and piety are external to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, and of the other sacraments.
On the one hand, a superimposing of pious and devotional practices on the Liturgy so as to differentiate their language, rhythm, course, and theological emphasis from those of the corresponding liturgical action, must be avoided, while any form of competition with or opposition to the liturgical actions, where such exists, must also be resolved. Thus, precedence must always be given to Sunday, Solemnities, and to the liturgical seasons and days.
Since, on the other, pious practices must conserve their proper style, simplicity and language, attempts to impose forms of “liturgical celebration” on them are always to be avoided.
