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, July 12, 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
Sunday, July 13 // Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, July 14 // Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Tuesday, July 15 // Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Wednesday, July 16 // Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Friday, July 18 // Optional Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
The Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time draw us into a truth about our very existence. Saint Paul writes to us that “Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God” and that with “all things” we were created “through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15, 16). Each of us was created to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). This may seem hard to do, but the Psalmist tells us that “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing to the soul” (Psalm 19:9). Only in following His law of love will we be who He wants us to be.
The Lord is not far away from us, nor do we have to seek the grace to follow Him “up in the sky” or “across the sea” (Deuteronomy 30:12, 13). No, sister, He and His Word are “very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts” (Deuteronomy 30:14). The call to follow Him is always before us. Like the Good Samaritan who saw the need of his neighbor and “treated him with mercy” (Luke 10:37), we are given the call to love our neighbor as ourselves every single day. The Lord is just waiting for us to say yes to His love and then with His help we will “have only to carry it out” in our daily lives (Deuteronomy 30:14). For this we were made.
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading // Deuteronomy 30:10-14
Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11 (2nd Option)
Second Reading // Colossians 1:15-20
Gospel // Luke 10:25-37
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
