5 December 2025 (Friday) / Advent Weekday/ Friday of the First Week of Advent

5 December 2025 (Friday)

Advent Weekday/ Friday of the First Week of Advent.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Isaiah 29: 17-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 27: 1, 4, 13-14
Gospel: Matthew 9: 27-31

First Reading: Isaiah 29: 17-24

Is it not yet a very little while, and Libanus shall be turned into charmel, and charmel shall be esteemed as a forest? And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and out of darkness and obscurity the eyes of the blind shall see. And the meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For he that did prevail hath failed, the scorner is consumed, and they are all cut off that watched for iniquity: That made men sin by word, and supplanted him that reproved them in the gate, and declined in vain from the just. Therefore thus saith the Lord to the house of Jacob, he that redeemed Abraham: Jacob shall not now be confounded, neither shall his countenance now be ashamed: But when he shall see his children, the work of my hands in the midst of him sanctifying my name, and they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall glorify the God of Israel: And they that erred in spirit, shall know understanding, and they that murmured, shall learn the law.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 27: 1, 4, 13-14

R. (1) The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou 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

And as Jesus passed from thence, there followed him two blind men crying out and saying, Have mercy on us, O Son of David. And when he was come to the house, the blind men came to him. And Jesus saith to them, Do you believe, that I can do this unto you? They say to him, Yea, Lord. Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it done unto you. And their eyes were opened, and Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know this. But they going out, spread his fame abroad in all that country.

For our reflection today:

Two blind men cried out in misery and hope: “Have mercy on us, Son of David” (Mt 9:27). The two men in today’s Gospel are blind, yet they see the most important thing: they realize that Jesus is the Messiah who has come into the world. The two men in the Gospel trusted in Jesus. They followed him in search of light for their eyes. Why, brothers and sisters, did they trust in Jesus? Because they realized that, within the darkness of history, he is the light that brightens the “nights” of the heart and the world. The light that overcomes the darkness and triumphs over the blindness. We too have a kind of “blindness” in our hearts. Like those two blind men, we are often like wayfarers, immersed in the darkness of life. The first thing to do in response is go to Jesus, just as he tells us: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). Is there any one of us who is not, in some way, tired or heavy laden? All of us are. Yet, we resist coming to Jesus. Often we would rather remain closed in on ourselves, alone in the darkness, feeling sorry for ourselves and content to have sadness as our companion. Jesus is the divine physician: he alone is the true light that illuminates every man and woman (cf. Jn 1:9), the one who gives us an abundance of light, warmth and love. (Pope Francis, Homily, “GSP Stadium” in Nicosia, 3 December 2021)

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed  and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)