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, March 1, 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, March 2 // Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, March 3 // Optional Memorial of Saint Katharine Drexel, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Tuesday, March 4 // Optional Memorial of Saint Casimir
Wednesday, March 5 // Ash Wednesday (Fasting and Abstinence Day!)
Friday, March 7 // Optional Memorial of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On this Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time the opening words of the First Reading show us our need for healing: “When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks” (Sirach 27:4). How often do we respond to trials with complaints and excuses, revealing the depths of our ingratitude? Jesus echoes this theme in the Gospel, proclaiming that “from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). The words that we speak and the things we do reveal our true character. As we begin the season of Lent this Wednesday with the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we will likely see more of our failings uncovered. But this is no reason to lose hope, for Saint Paul reminds us that, “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).
We can dive into this season with renewed purpose. In our prayer we can “give thanks to the LORD” and “sing praise to [His] name, Most High” (Psalm 92:2), forming new habits in our speech. In our fasting we can ask the Lord to help us to “remove the wooden beams from [our] eye first” (Luke 6:42). And as we give alms, we can detach ourselves from worldly things and be “planted in the house of the Lord,” so that we will be the good tree of the Gospel which bears good fruit. And as we fast, may we proclaim God’s “kindness at dawn and [His] faithfulness throughout the night” (Psalm 92:3).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the readings for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading // Sirach 27:4-7
Psalm //Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16
Second Reading // 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Gospel // Luke 6:39-45
Prayer Practice // Spend time seeking Jesus’ Heart in prayer today. How is He inviting you to pray, fast, and give alms this coming Lent?
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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