Saturday of the 2nd Week of Advent
- St. Lucy virgin and martyr (283-304) Patroness of Syracuse
- Bl. Antonio Grassi of Fermo priest C.O. (1592-1671)
- Saint of the day
First Reading
Elijah will return.
From the book of Sirach
Sir 48:1-4.9-11 (NV) [gr. 48:1-4.9-11b]
In those days, Elijah the prophet arose, like a fire;
his word burned like a torch.
He brought famine upon them
and with zeal reduced them to few.
By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens,
and so three times he brought down fire.
How glorious you were, Elijah, with your wonders!
And who can boast of being your equal?
You were taken up in a whirlwind of fire,
on a chariot with fiery horses;
you were appointed to rebuke future times,
to calm wrath before it blazes,
to turn the heart of the father to the son,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed are those who saw you
and fell asleep in love.
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
From Psalm 79 (80)
R. Make your face shine upon us, Lord, and we shall be saved.
You, shepherd of Israel, listen.
Enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Awaken your might
and come to save us. R.
God of hosts, return!
Look down from heaven and see,
visit this vine,
protect what your right hand has planted,
the son of man whom you made strong for yourself. R.
Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand,
upon the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
We shall never turn away from you again;
give us life, and we will call upon your name. R.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths!
All flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Lk 3:4,6)
Alleluia.
The Gospel of the day December 13, 2025
Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 17:10-13
As they were coming down the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He replied, “Yes, Elijah will come and restore all things. But I tell you: Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him; rather, they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
The Gospel of the Lord.
St. Augustine (354-430)
Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Gospel of John, no. 4 (New Augustinian Library)
“He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Lk 1:17)
“Why then do the scribes—the scribes were experts in the law—say that Elijah must come first?” And the Lord answers: “Elijah has already come, and they treated him as they pleased; and, if you want to know, he is John the Baptist.” The Lord Jesus Christ therefore said: “Elijah has already come,” and he is John the Baptist; yet John, when questioned, replies that he is not Elijah, just as he replies that he is not the Christ (Jn 1:20ff)… Why then does he say: “I am not Elijah,” while the Lord says: He is Elijah? Behold, in him, the Lord Jesus Christ wished to foreshadow his future coming, and emphasized that John had come in the spirit of Elijah. And what John was for the first coming, Elijah will be for the second. As there are two comings of the Judge, so there are two heralds. The Judge is the same, while the heralds are two… The Lord who will judge had to come once to be judged, and he sent before him the first herald, and called him Elijah, because Elijah will be in the second coming what John was in the first. Your Charity can have confirmation of what I say. When John was conceived… the Holy Spirit made this prophecy about him: “He will go before the Most High in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Lk 1:17)… But who will understand? Whoever has imitated the humility of the herald and known the greatness of the Judge. For no one was more humble than the herald. My brothers, John’s greatest merit was this humility, by which, while he could have deceived men, while he could have been believed and passed himself off as the Christ (so great was the grace he had received, and equally great his moral stature), he openly declared: “I am not the Christ. – Are you then Elijah?… – I am not Elijah.”
THE WORDS OF THE POPES
John, having completed his mission, knows how to step aside, he withdraws from the scene to make room for Jesus. (…) He is not interested in having followers for himself, or in gaining prestige and success, but he bears witness and then takes a step back, so that many may have the joy of meeting Jesus. We can say: he opens the door and leaves. With this spirit of service, with his ability to make room for Jesus, John the Baptist teaches us something important: freedom from attachments. Yes, because it is easy to become attached to roles and positions, to the need to be esteemed, recognized, rewarded. And this, though natural, is not a good thing, because service involves gratuity. (…) It will also do us good to cultivate, like John, the virtue of stepping aside at the right moment, (…) Learning to take leave: I have accomplished this mission, I have had this encounter, I step aside and leave room for the Lord. (Pope Francis – Angelus, January 15, 2023)
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