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, July 19, 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, July 20 // Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, July 21 // Optional Memorial of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Tuesday, July 22 // Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Wednesday, July 23 // Optional Memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious
Thursday, July 24 // Optional Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest
Friday, July 25 // Feast of Saint James, Apostle
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On the Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Readings teach us about two key parts of our growth in holiness: being present to the Lord in both the active life of service and the contemplative life of prayer. The sisters Martha and Mary in the Gospel model these two ways for us. Martha serves the Lord in her work, showing us the importance of attending to our duties. When she is “burdened with much serving,” she brings her cares to the Lord, and He reminds her of her need to be in His presence (Luke 10:40-41). Mary, with her “better part,” sits at the Lord’s feet and shows us how to pray (Luke 10:42).
In the First Reading, the Lord appears to Abraham as three men, which points us to the reality of God as a Trinity. Abraham welcomes the Lord, offers rest and refreshment, and waits “on them under the tree while they [eat]” (Genesis 18:8). We see in Abraham how to both be present to the Lord and serve the Lord. The Psalmist tells us, “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord” (Psalm 15:1). Everything we do is meant to be done with hearts present to the Trinity Who has dwelled within us since our Baptisms. The Lord’s presence in us “bring[s] to completion for [us] the word of God” (Colossians 1:25). From the beginning, the Lord has desired for us to be united to Him, and because God became a Man, died, and rose, we can now be made “perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading // Genesis 18:1-10a
Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 5
Second Reading // Colossians 1:24-28
Gospel // Luke 10:38-42
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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