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, December 6, 2025
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” (Matthew 3:3), the baptist cries in his clothing of camel hair. Saint John preached the coming of Christ while in the desert. Our world is also a desert, one that is spiritually barren. On the Second Sunday of Advent, John’s words apply to our lives as well as the people in his time; we must use this holy time to prepare for Christ to come into our hearts more fully at Christmas, to water us in His grace. As we prepare, we can imitate John, living differently from others in the world, being witnesses to a life of repentance and love of God and others.
We hear from the psalmist that “justice shall flower in his day and profound peace” (Psalm 72:7). In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah gives us an image of the coming peaceful kingdom that will come at the end of time, when Christ, the incarnate Son, rules over all. His kingdom is also here now, for death has already been defeated. The same Spirit that rests upon Jesus, He has sent to us—with the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the Lord to help us live His kingdom now. Allow these gifts of the Holy Spirit to guide you this Advent as you navigate these weeks of preparation and waiting. It is not always easy to live our faith with the pressures of our culture ready to rush past Advent into Christmas, but we have a “God of endurance and encouragement” (Romans 15:5), Who will help us on our way. And we have each other in the Church and our Blessed is She community for love and support.
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent:
First Reading // Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm // Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Second Reading // Romans 15:4-9
Gospel // Matthew 3:1-12
Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days
Saturday, December 6 (today!) // Optional Memorial of Saint Nicholas, Bishop
Sunday, December 7 // Second Sunday of Advent
Monday, December 8 // Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary // Holy Day of Obligation in the USA
Tuesday, December 9 // Optional Memorial of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
Wednesday, December 10 // Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto
Thursday, December 11 // Optional Memorial of Saint Damasus I, Pope
Friday, December 12 // Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
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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