Monday of the Second Week of Advent

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Isaiah 35.1-10

The desert and the dry land will be glad.
The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
It will blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing.
Lebanon’s glory will be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord, the excellence of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
“Tell those who have a fearful heart, ‘Be strong. Be not afraid.’
Behold, your God will come with vengeance, divine retribution. He will come and save you.
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unclogged.
Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing;
for waters will break out in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.
In the habitation of jackals, where they lay, there will be grass with reeds and rushes.
A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called The Holy Way.
The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way.
Wicked fools will not go there.
No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous animal go up on it.
They will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk there.
The ransomed of the Lord will return, and come with singing to Zion;
and everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

Responsorial – Psalm 85.9ab+10, 11-12, 13-14 Resp. Isaiah 35:4f

R. Our God will come to save us!

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
for he will speak peace unto his people,
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.

R. Our God will come to save us!

Mercy and truth are met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth springs out of the earth,
and righteousness has looked down from heaven.

R. Our God will come to save us!

The Lord will give what is good,
and our land shall yield its increase.
Righteousness shall go before him,
and shall prepare a way for his footsteps to walk.

R. Our God will come to save us!

Gospel – Luke 5.17-26

On one of those days, Jesus was teaching,
and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by,
who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.
The power of the Lord was with him to heal.
Behold, men brought upon a cot a paralyzed human,
and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.
Not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up to the housetop, and let him down on his cot through the tiles
into the middle before Jesus.
Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Human, your sins are forgiven you.”

The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying,
“Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?
Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you;’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’
But that you may know that the Son of Human has authority on earth to forgive sins”
(he said to the paralytic), “I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house.”
Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on,
and departed to his house, glorifying God.
Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God.
They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen unexpected things today.”