Fourth Sunday of Advent
Reading 1 Isaiah 7:10-14
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6.
R. (7c and 10b) Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Reading 2 Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia Matthew 1:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
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, April 26, 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, April 26 // Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Sunday, April 27 // Second Sunday of Easter // Sunday of Divine Mercy
Monday, April 28 //Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, Optional Memorial of Saint Louis Mary de Montfort, Priest
Tuesday, April 29 // Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Wednesday, April 30 // Optional Memorial of Saint Pius V, Pope, religious
Thursday, May 1 // Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker
Friday, May 2 // Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
On this Divine Mercy Sunday of the Second Sunday of Easter we find ourselves in the Upper Room. Will we believe what Saint John the Evangelist wrote down for us? Are his words that he wrote enough for us to believe, “and through this belief [. . .] have life in [Jesus’] name” (John 20:31)? Jesus tells us that we are blessed because we “have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29). Sometimes though, we want to be like Saint Thomas the Apostle and reach into the Lord’s side, the side from which His Blood along with water poured out with mercy for the whole world. We hear about the signs and wonders done by the Apostles in Jerusalem after Pentecost (see Acts 5:12), and we want to witness a miracle ourselves.
But sister, we often overlook the miracle of mercy that is before us every Sunday, the Sacrifice made present before us on the altar, the Death which gives us life. Jesus was dead, “but now He is alive forever” (Revelation 19:17). He wants us to join Him, to be with Him forever. He wants us to experience His pierced side in the Eucharist, and as the priest raises the consecrated host, cry out in our hearts with Saint Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) This miracle occurs every single day on countless altars around the world. May we always pray, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it” (Psalm 118:24).
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the readings for the Second Sunday of Easter:
First Reading // Acts 5:12-16
Psalm // Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Second Reading // Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
Gospel // John 20:19-31
Prayer Practice // How is Jesus inviting you to believe without seeing in this season?
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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