Friday of the First Week of Advent
Reading 1 Isaiah 29:17-24
Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 9:27-31
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
"Son of David, have pity on us!"
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
"Do you believe that I can do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it be done for you according to your faith."
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
"See that no one knows about this."
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord.
Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days
Sunday, May 18 // Fifth Sunday of Easter
Tuesday, May 20 // Optional Memorial of Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest
Wednesday, May 21 // Optional Memorial of Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Thursday, May 22 // Optional Memorial of Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On this Fifth Sunday of Easter we read about the great love God has for us, like that of a husband for his bride. He wants to be with us, to love us to the end. Saint John writes, “He will dwell with them and they will be his people” (Revelation 21:3). He has modeled for us what this love looks like, a love poured out, one that glorifies God. In the Gospel we are given part of Jesus’ teaching from the Last Supper. As He prepares to go and lay down His life for us, He tells us, “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34).
He wants us to be filled with His own love; that is the virtue of charity. With this love, He wants to make us and “all things new” (Revelation 21:5a). And He does not want us to keep this Good News to ourselves. He has a unique call for each of us to spread the truth of His love. When Saints Paul and Barnabas exhort us that “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22), they want us to know that it will not be easy. But it will be worth it. The Lord dwells with us now and He wants to come to dwell in everyone. He has chosen us to bring the truth of His great love to the whole world. May we accept the grace to “make known [the Lord’s] might to the children of Adam, and the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom” (Psalm 145:12).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter:
First Reading // Acts 14:21-27
Psalm // Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Second Reading // Revelation 21:1-5a
Gospel // John 13:31-33a, 34-35
Prayer Practice // How will you choose to love like Christ today?
Susanna Spencer holds a master's in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the Devotions Editor for Blessed is She. She is a freelance writer and editor and a teacher-in-training living with her philosopher husband and four kids in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology, attending beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious food, and casually following baseball. She is the author of the Gospel Studies including Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew , Listen to Him: A Meditation on Mark, and Abide in His Love: A Meditation on John. She was narrator for Found: Advent With the Good Shepherd and Rescued: Lent With the Lamb of God and a contributing author and editor for our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up. She was the Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.
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