Ordinary Time
Thursday, August 20, 2026
On Thursday, August 20, 2026, the Catholic Church is in Ordinary Time and the liturgical color is white. The Church celebrates St Bernard of Clairvaux.
Liturgical color: White · for the memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux
Rembrandt · The Apostle Paul · 1657 · public domain
Saint of the day
Memorial
St Bernard of Clairvaux
(1090–1153) Cistercian abbot and Doctor of the Church. His sermons on the Song of Songs are mystical masterpieces. Called the 'last of the Fathers' for his patristic style.
Saint Bernard, honey-tongued doctor, give us the sweet name of Jesus on our lips.
A memorial is an obligatory commemoration of a saint.
About Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time is the Church's ordered counting of weeks — 'ordinal', not 'ordinary' in the sense of plain. It falls in two stretches, after the Christmas season and after Pentecost, and it is where most of the Gospel is read straight through, Sunday by Sunday.
Why white?
White is worn at Christmas and Easter, and on feasts of the Lord, Mary, and saints who were not martyred. It is the color of joy and of light.
Verse of the day
Phil 4:8
Read it in context — the whole Catholic Bible is in the app, offline and free.
Frequently asked
What liturgical color is worn on August 20, 2026?
White, for the memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux. White is worn at Christmas and Easter, and on feasts of the Lord, Mary, and saints who were not martyred. It is the color of joy and of light.
What liturgical season is August 20, 2026 in?
Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is the Church's ordered counting of weeks — 'ordinal', not 'ordinary' in the sense of plain. It falls in two stretches, after the Christmas season and after Pentecost, and it is where most of the Gospel is read straight through, Sunday by Sunday.
Is August 20, 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 August 20, 2026?
St Bernard of Clairvaux. (1090–1153) Cistercian abbot and Doctor of the Church. His sermons on the Song of Songs are mystical masterpieces. Called the 'last of the Fathers' for his patristic…
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