Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
Reading 1 Isaiah 7:10-14
The LORD spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary men,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Key of David,
opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
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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