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, May 24, 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, May 25 // Sixth Sunday of Easter
Monday, May 26 // Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
Tuesday, May 27 // Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop
Thursday, May 28 // Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter // Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord [In Ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha, and Philadelphia]
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On this Sixth Sunday of Easter we are plopped into the Acts of the Apostles in the middle of a discussion among the Apostles, our first bishops, about the Christian Gentiles, and whether they should be obliged to follow the laws of the Old Covenant. When Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders, He promised that, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26). Acts shows us how the Holy Spirit is at work in the early Church and how the prophecy found in today’s Psalm is fulfilled, so that the Lord’s “way [would] be known upon earth” and “among all nations, [His] salvation” (Psalm 67:3).
The Holy Spirit still works in the Church today. We must trust that God will bring about His will despite the human failings of our leaders, just like He did with Peter and James, whose failings we see in the Gospels. We can thank Jesus for the Church, for through its ministers at our Baptisms He fulfills His promise to us, that “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23). And we can hope for the day when we will worship Him with the whole Church in the heavenly Jerusalem without mediation when the “temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter:
First Reading // Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Psalm // Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Second Reading // Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
Gospel // John 14:23-29
Prayer Practice // What do you love about being Catholic? Thank Jesus for that today.
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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