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, June 28, 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, June 28 (today!)// Optional Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary // Optional Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
Sunday, June 29 // Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Tuesday, July 1 // Optional Memorial of Saint Junipero Serra, Priest [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Thursday, July 3 // Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle
Friday, July 4 // Independence Day [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
Tomorrow we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul instead of having the regular Sunday readings. In the Gospel, we hear when Peter became one of the “Pillars of the Church,” our first pope. Peter makes his confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus responds that it is His “heavenly father” that revealed this to Peter (Matthew 16:16-17). Jesus shows us that the only way for a mere human to lead the Church is for him to teach what is revealed by the Father. This is why we must follow the example in Acts when “prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on [Peter’s] behalf” (Acts 12:5). Being pope is not easy, and while we can trust that the “gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against” the Church (Matthew 16:18), our new pope, Leo XIV, needs our daily prayers to lead the Church in truth and charity.
Saint Paul is the Pillar of the Church who was sent personally by Jesus (after His Ascension) to evangelize those who were not Jews—he helped the Church see that Jesus came to save the whole world. He wrote many of the letters that make up the New Testament, and, like Peter, relied on the Lord, Whom he says, “stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it” (2 Timothy 4:17). We can thank the Lord for the gift of His Apostles, pray for their successors who are our bishops, and trust that the “angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:8).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (Mass during the Day):
First Reading // Acts 12:1-11
Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Second Reading // 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Gospel // Matthew 16:13-19
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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