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 28, 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 28 (today!)// Optional Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary // Optional Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
Sunday, June 29 // Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Tuesday, July 1 // Optional Memorial of Saint Junipero Serra, Priest [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Thursday, July 3 // Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Friday, July 4 // Independence Day [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
Tomorrow we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul instead of having the regular Sunday readings. In the Gospel, we hear when Peter became one of the “Pillars of the Church,” our first pope. Peter makes his confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus responds that it is His “heavenly father” that revealed this to Peter (Matthew 16:16-17). Jesus shows us that the only way for a mere human to lead the Church is for him to teach what is revealed by the Father. This is why we must follow the example in Acts when “prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on [Peter’s] behalf” (Acts 12:5). Being pope is not easy, and while we can trust that the “gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against” the Church (Matthew 16:18), our new pope, Leo XIV, needs our daily prayers to lead the Church in truth and charity.
Saint Paul is the Pillar of the Church who was sent personally by Jesus (after His Ascension) to evangelize those who were not Jews—he helped the Church see that Jesus came to save the whole world. He wrote many of the letters that make up the New Testament, and, like Peter, relied on the Lord, Whom he says, “stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it” (2 Timothy 4:17). We can thank the Lord for the gift of His Apostles, pray for their successors who are our bishops, and trust that the “angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:8).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (Mass during the Day):
First Reading // Acts 12:1-11
Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Second Reading // 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Gospel // Matthew 16:13-19
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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