Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Reading 1 Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
"This is the way; walk in it,"
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Alleluia Isaiah 33:22
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;
he it is who will save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest."
Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
"Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."
- Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Nicholas, Bishop
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, May 17, 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, May 18 // Fifth Sunday of Easter
Tuesday, May 20 // Optional Memorial of Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest
Wednesday, May 21 // Optional Memorial of Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Thursday, May 22 // Optional Memorial of Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On this Fifth Sunday of Easter we read about the great love God has for us, like that of a husband for his bride. He wants to be with us, to love us to the end. Saint John writes, “He will dwell with them and they will be his people” (Revelation 21:3). He has modeled for us what this love looks like, a love poured out, one that glorifies God. In the Gospel we are given part of Jesus’ teaching from the Last Supper. As He prepares to go and lay down His life for us, He tells us, “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34).
He wants us to be filled with His own love; that is the virtue of charity. With this love, He wants to make us and “all things new” (Revelation 21:5a). And He does not want us to keep this Good News to ourselves. He has a unique call for each of us to spread the truth of His love. When Saints Paul and Barnabas exhort us that “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22), they want us to know that it will not be easy. But it will be worth it. The Lord dwells with us now and He wants to come to dwell in everyone. He has chosen us to bring the truth of His great love to the whole world. May we accept the grace to “make known [the Lord’s] might to the children of Adam, and the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom” (Psalm 145:12).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter:
First Reading // Acts 14:21-27
Psalm // Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Second Reading // Revelation 21:1-5a
Gospel // John 13:31-33a, 34-35
Prayer Practice // How will you choose to love like Christ today?
