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.
November 15, 2025
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
The end is coming soon—the end of the liturgical year during which time we remember the end times, when Jesus will come again “to rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9). Tomorrow is the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, the last ordinary Sunday we will have this year. In the First Reading, Saint Paul gives us instructions on how to live as we await the end. He encourages us to “work quietly” and not concern ourselves with “the business of others” (2 Thessalonians 3:11-12). We each have our own call, and it is not the same as our sister, brother, parent, friend, or colleague. When we meet the Lord at the end of our lives, we will want to show Him how we lived out His call to us..
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of a time of persecution, of wars, of insurrections, of “earthquakes, famines, and plagues” (Luke 21:11). Every generation since He walked the earth has seen these things; we see them more now than ever because of how quickly the media spreads the news. It is easy for us to be overwhelmed by fear and give into worry and despair. We must remember, as we do the work Jesus asks of us, that He is with us giving us the wisdom we need to live in the times that we have been born into. And the Lord promises us in the First Reading: “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Malachi 3:20a). Let the Son’s healing rays cover you, sustain you, and be with you in all you do this week.
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading // Malachi 3:19-20a
Psalm // Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
Second Reading // 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Gospel // Luke 21:5-19
Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days
Saturday, November 15 (today!) // Optional Memorial of Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Sunday, November 16 // Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, November 17 // Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Tuesday, November 18 // Optional Memorial of Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles // Optional Memorial of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin [In the USA]
Susanna Spencer est titulaire d'une maîtrise en théologie de l'Université franciscaine de Steubenville et est l'éditrice théologique de Blessed is She. Elle vit avec son mari philosophe et ses quatre enfants à Saint Paul, Minnesota. Elle aime lire la théologie, assister à de belles liturgies, cuisiner de délicieux plats et suivre le baseball avec désinvolture. Elle était la narratrice de Maranatha, L'histoire de notre Sauveur et de notre livre pour enfants, Rise Up . En savoir plus sur elle ici .
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