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, January 25, 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, January 25 (today!)// Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Sunday, January 26 // Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, January 27 // Optional Memorial of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin
Tuesday, January 28 //Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Friday, January 31, 2025 // Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
In the Gospel for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Saint Luke tells us that he “decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you” (Luke 1:3). He acknowledges that others who were eyewitnesses, have already done so, but he felt called to share his perspective, to speak to people and share their part in the narrative, and to give us stories such as the nativity of Saint John the Baptist and the Annunciation. He saw that, following in the footsteps of Jesus, he was anointed to bring “glad tidings” (Luke 4:18). Luke’s traveling companion, Saint Paul, tells us in the Second Reading that each and every one of us is “necessary” to the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:22).
Like Saint Luke, our telling of Christ’s story and our experience of Him in our own lives is important. At our Baptism, we were given the gift of prophecy to proclaim the truth of God’s love, and we were sent out like the apostles at our Confirmation. Our smallest acts of love can become mighty deeds that bring about the Lord’s healing in hearts that are wounded. Our tongues can interpret God’s message in a way no one else can proclaim it (see 1 Corinthians 12:28-30). Like the people returned from exile in First Reading from Nehemiah, there are people who have not heard the good news of God’s love, and the day you speak it to them will be “holy to our LORD” (Nehemiah 8:10). And as we do so, may the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our hearts find favor before the Lord (see Psalm 19:15).
I am praying you know His love for you, dear sister.
With You In Christ’s Body,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading // Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm // Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Second Reading // 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
Gospel // Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Prayer Practice // Ask the Lord to show you where He is calling you to speak the Gospel to others this week, both through your loving actions and charitable words.
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
