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 21, 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 21 (today!) // Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Sunday, December 22 // Fourth Sunday of Advent
Monday, December 23 // Optional Memorial of Saint John of Kanty, Priest
Wednesday, December 25 // The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) (Holy Day of Obligation!)
Thursday, December 26 // Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr
Friday, December 27 // Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
Tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and the urgency of our waiting is reaching its height. “Rouse your power and come to save us” (Psalm 80:3), our hearts will cry out with the Psalmist at Mass this weekend. We know our weakness, we know we cannot do it on our own as we plead with the Lord, “make us turn to you” (Psalm Response). In the Gospel, Mary, our Blessed Mother, travels in haste to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary is also hastening to us, bringing us her Son, the One Who will save us. Will our hearts leap as we hear her greeting? Let us respond with the faith of Elizabeth: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42).
Mary, a model for all of us, is “blessed” because she believes in the promises that were spoken to her by the angel. She responded by accepting the Lord’s will for her. And through her yes, the prophecy of Micah from the First Reading was fulfilled with Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. The author of Hebrews tells us how Christ had the same response to the Father, saying, “Behold, I come to do your will” (Hebrew 10:9). The Lord desires the same response from us, to humbly—with the Son who became Man and with His Mother—say to the Lord that we want to do His will. Let us be found among the flock this Christmas drawing on the strength of our Shepherd, Who draws His strength from the Father (see Micah 5:3). I am ready to be saved. Are you?
I am praying for you this week, dear sister.
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:
First Reading // Micah 5:1-4a
Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Second Reading // Hebrews 10:5-10
Gospel // Luke 1:39-45
Prayer Practice // How is the Lord inviting you to say yes in this season? Ask for Mary’s intercession to help you offer it to Jesus.
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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