Fourth Sunday of Advent
Reading 1 Isaiah 7:10-14
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6.
R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Reading 2 Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia Matthew 1:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
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, June 21, 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
Saturday, June 21 (today!) // Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
Sunday, June 22 // The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Tuesday, June 24 // Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Friday, June 27 // Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On tomorrow’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ we hear in the First Reading about the man Melchizedek who is both a priest and king of Salem, which is the ancient site of Jerusalem. Melchizedek prefigures the Eucharist with his celebratory offering of bread and wine. In response, Abraham “gave him a tenth of everything” (Genesis 14:20). Sister, the gift of the Eucharist is God’s gift of Himself, His offering of His Body and Blood so that we can be united to Him. At our Baptism, we are given the character of priest, prophet, and king. When the Psalmist writes, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4), he is talking to both Jesus and us.
A priest’s role is to offer sacrifice. At every Mass, the priest offers the same Sacrifice that Jesus offered on the Cross. This is what Saint Paul means when he writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). We share in this sacrifice by offering “a tenth of everything,” through our monetary contribution to the collection, our daily commitment to prayer, and our offering of our will so that we may always do as the Lord wishes. Our offering may seem as small as “five loaves and two fish” and not nearly enough (Luke 9:13), but we do not need to worry. He wants us to just give Him what we have, for the Lord can multiply even the most meager offering that comes from the heart.
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ:
First Reading // Genesis 14:18-20
Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4
Second Reading // 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel // Luke 9:11b-17
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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