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, May 31, 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, May 31 (today!) // Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sunday, June 1 // Solemnity of the Ascension // or Seventh Sunday of Easter [In Ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha, and Philadelphia]
Monday, June 2 // Optional Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs
Tuesday, June 3 // Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
Thursday, June 5 // Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Friday, June 6 // Optional Memorial of Saint Norbert, Bishop
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
In the readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (which is celebrated tomorrow in most dioceses),
we can imagine ourselves standing among the Apostles, watching as Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). We can trace Jesus’ time on earth from the Incarnation to the Ascension, seeing how He redeemed every part of our human existence: in the womb, in His birth, in His obedience to His parents, in His work as a carpenter, in how He entered into the joy and suffering of all He encountered in His ministry, and finally in His suffering and death as He took on all of our sin. And now we are among those “who believe, in accord with the exercise of [the Father’s] great might which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion” (Ephesians 1:19-21).
Our King is in Heaven and His reign is forever. It is easy to forget this when we get caught up in the toils of daily life. But He wants us to live as people who know He redeemed every part of our lives and sits beside His Father “not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21). He wants us to worship Him this Sunday and then return to our homes and daily work, like the Apostles returned to Jerusalem, “with great joy” (Luke 24:52). The Easter season may be almost over, but the time of joy is always here, for our “God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy” (Psalm 47:6).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord:
First Reading // Acts 1:1-11
Psalm // Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
Second Reading (1st Option) // Ephesians 1:17-23
Gospel // Luke 24:46-53
Prayer Practice // Ask for an increase of joy so that you might experience more of the Risen Christ’s life in your daily life.
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.
Walk With Us this Advent
Get Your Prayerful Planner
