Catholic daily readings

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent

Wednesday, December 2, 2026 · Advent - Week 1

The readings invite a little room for holy waiting. Stay with what Jesus says or does here, and let it ask for one honest response.

Today’s readings

First Reading

Isaiah 25:6-10a

In this mountain, the LORD of Armies will make all peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast of choice wines, of choice meat full of marrow, of well refined choice wines. He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for the LORD has spoken it. It shall be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us! This is the LORD! We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!" For the LORD's hand will rest in this mountain. Moab will be trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the water of the dunghill.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD's house forever.

Gospel

Matthew 15:29-37

Jesus departed from there and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up on the mountain and sat there. Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing-and they glorified the God of Israel. Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where could we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?" Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. They all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

A question for your journal

What small space could you make for God before the day gets crowded?

Scripture text: World English Bible Catholic Edition, public domain. Reading citations are prepared for Come Aside from MIT-licensed citation metadata.

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