Saturday, January 25, 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, January 25 (today!)// Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Sunday, January 26 // Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, January 27 // Optional Memorial of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin
Tuesday, January 28 //Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Friday, January 31, 2025 // Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
In the Gospel for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Saint Luke tells us that he “decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you” (Luke 1:3). He acknowledges that others who were eyewitnesses, have already done so, but he felt called to share his perspective, to speak to people and share their part in the narrative, and to give us stories such as the nativity of Saint John the Baptist and the Annunciation. He saw that, following in the footsteps of Jesus, he was anointed to bring “glad tidings” (Luke 4:18). Luke’s traveling companion, Saint Paul, tells us in the Second Reading that each and every one of us is “necessary” to the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:22).
Like Saint Luke, our telling of Christ’s story and our experience of Him in our own lives is important. At our Baptism, we were given the gift of prophecy to proclaim the truth of God’s love, and we were sent out like the apostles at our Confirmation. Our smallest acts of love can become mighty deeds that bring about the Lord’s healing in hearts that are wounded. Our tongues can interpret God’s message in a way no one else can proclaim it (see 1 Corinthians 12:28-30). Like the people returned from exile in First Reading from Nehemiah, there are people who have not heard the good news of God’s love, and the day you speak it to them will be “holy to our LORD” (Nehemiah 8:10). And as we do so, may the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our hearts find favor before the Lord (see Psalm 19:15).
I am praying you know His love for you, dear sister.
With You In Christ’s Body,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading // Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm // Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Second Reading // 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
Gospel // Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Prayer Practice // Ask the Lord to show you where He is calling you to speak the Gospel to others this week, both through your loving actions and charitable words.
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 all of the Blessed is She Gospel Meditation Studies. 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 is the Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.
Be a Woman of the Word
