Get Ready for Sunday

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Letter from the Editor //

Dear Sister,

“Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory” (Psalm 24: 7c, 10b). Christmas is so close, we can almost feel it, but still we wait on the cusp of hope for the gift of our God coming as a little Baby. On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, Saint Paul writes to us about what God “promised previously through his prophets in the Holy Spirit” which is “the gospel about his Son descended from David according to the flesh, but established as the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness” (Romans 1:3-4). Jesus is both God and Man and entered our world through our Blessed Mother’s yes to God’s request of her. The prophet Isaiah foretold this birth long before it came about writing that “the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Emmanuel—“God is with us.” In the Gospel, we hear Saint Joseph described as a righteous man, meaning he wants to follow the law of God and to do what is right. He is afraid and uncertain when Mary is found with the Child. How often do we fear God’s will or do not understand His plan for us even when we want to do the right thing? We can relate to Joseph’s uncertainty. Waiting for Christmas, for God to fulfill His plan of salvation for the world, is also a time for us to wait for the fulfillment of His promise to us. God is with us now, just as He was with Mary and Joseph. The words of the Gospel are for us too: “[D]o not be afraid” (Matthew 1:20). Do not be afraid, sister, to do what God is asking of you. He will give you the grace you need.

In Christ’s Love,

Susanna

Read the Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:

First Reading // Isaiah 7:10-14

Psalm // Psalm 24:1-6, 7, 10

Second Reading // Romans 1:1-7

Gospel // Matthew 1:18-24

Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days

Sunday, December 21 // Fourth Sunday of Advent

Wednesday, December 24 // Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent // Christmas Eve

Thursday, December 25 // The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) // Holy Day of Obligation

Friday, December 26 // Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr

Be a Woman of the Word

About Susanna Spencer

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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. She lives with her philosopher husband, three teen daughters, one pre-teen son, and a miracle baby girl in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology and novels, 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, Preach in His Name: A Meditation on Luke, and Abide in His Love: A Meditation on John. She was the 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.