Daily Readings - Sun Nov 08 2020

¹²Therefore, desire my words, love them, and you will have instruction¹³Wisdom is pure and never fades away, and is easily seen by those who love her and found by those who seek her¹⁴She anticipates those who desire her, so that she first reveals herself to them¹⁵Whoever awakens early to seek her, will not labor, for he will find her sitting at his door¹⁶Therefore, by thinking about her, understanding is perfected, and whoever remains watchful for her, will quickly be secure

1 Thessalonians

Chapter 4

¹³And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him¹⁵For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep¹⁶For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first¹⁷Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always¹⁸Therefore, console one another with these words

Matthew

Chapter 25

¹"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the groom and the bride²But five of them were foolish, and five were prudent³For the five foolish, having brought their lamps, did not take oil with them⁴Yet truly, the prudent ones brought the oil, in their containers, with the lamps⁵Since the bridegroom was delayed, they all fell asleep, and they were sleeping⁶But in the middle of the night, a cry went out: ‘Behold, the groom is arriving. Go out to meet him.⁷Then all those virgins rose up and trimmed their lamps⁸But the foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give to us from your oil, for our lamps are being extinguished.⁹The prudent responded by saying, ‘Lest perhaps there may not be enough for us and for you, it would be better for you to go to the vendors and buy some for yourselves.¹⁰But while they were going to buy it, the groom arrived. And those who were prepared entered with him to the wedding, and the door was closed¹¹Yet truly, at the very end, the remaining virgins also arrived, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.¹²But he responded by saying, ‘Amen I say to you, I do not know you.¹³And so you must be vigilant, because you do not know the day or the hour

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of wisdom, hope, and preparedness. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom encourages us to seek wisdom diligently, emphasizing that it is a gift that can be found by those who love and pursue it. The second reading from 1 Thessalonians offers comfort regarding those who have passed away, assuring us of the hope of resurrection and the promise of eternal life with Christ. The Gospel parable of the ten virgins underscores the importance of being prepared to meet the Lord, reminding us to stay vigilant and ready for His return. These readings are interconnected through the theme of preparedness and the pursuit of what is truly valuable. Wisdom, as personified in the first reading, is not just knowledge but a way of life that guides us in making virtuous choices. The hope of resurrection in the second reading gives us the assurance that our efforts to live a life of faith are not in vain. The parable of the virgins in the Gospel serves as a reminder that our spiritual lives require constant attention and preparation, much like the prudent virgins who ensured they had enough oil for their lamps. In our daily lives, these readings call us to be mindful of our spiritual state. We are encouraged to seek wisdom in our decisions, to live with hope even in the face of uncertainty, and to remain vigilant in our faith. The moral lesson here is clear: our lives should be oriented towards eternal values, and we must be prepared to meet the Lord at any moment. As we go about our daily routines, let us remember to nurture our spiritual lives, just as the prudent virgins tended to their lamps, so that we may be ready to welcome Christ whenever He comes.