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 14, 2024 //
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, December 14 (today!) // Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Sunday, December 15 // Third Sunday of Advent
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
Tomorrow is Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, when the priest will wear rose (pink!) vestments, a liturgical color of joy. We call it gaudete because the Entrance Antiphon begins with this Latin word for “rejoice,” and the Readings all reflect the anticipatory joy of Advent. Saint Paul tells us in the Second Reading, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) This is because “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5). He comes to free us from our anxiety and fear, to bring us peace. In the Gospel, we hear from Saint John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin who leapt for joy in his mother’s womb. His followers ask him what they are to do in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, and Saint John directs them to acts of generosity and charity. He gives us reason to rejoice as he promises that Jesus will baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16), giving us the grace of redemption.
The joy of this Sunday is also the Lord’s own joy. The First Reading speaks of the Lord’s generosity in coming to us, forgiving our sins, and turning away the enemies of sin and temptation. When we run to His mercy, He will “rejoice over [us] with gladness” (Zephaniah 3:17). He rejoices with us in that we are living in the story of the Lord’s great love for us, love that came down to offer us an abundance of grace. The Responsorial Psalm invites us to prepare our hearts, so that we will “draw water at the fountain of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
Let’s drink of that water, dear sister.
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent:
First Reading // Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Responsorial Psalm // Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
Second Reading // Philippians 4:4-7
Gospel // Luke 3:10-18
Prayer Practice // As you go through your Christmas preparations, make room in your heart for the joy that comes with waiting.
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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