Daily Readings - Sun Nov 12 2023

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

In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the themes of preparedness, hope, and the pursuit of wisdom. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom encourages us to seek wisdom diligently, for it is a gift from God that illuminates our path and perfects our understanding. Wisdom is not something we stumble upon by chance; it requires effort, vigilance, and a willingness to seek it with an open heart. The reading reminds us that wisdom anticipates those who desire it and reveals herself to those who are watchful and attentive. The second reading from 1 Thessalonians shifts our focus to hope and comfort in the face of loss. St. Paul reassures the early Christians that those who have died in Christ will rise again with him. This passage is a beautiful reminder of the Christian hope that transcends death. It encourages us to console one another with the promise of resurrection and to live with the assurance that we will one day be united with the Lord and with each other. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. The five wise virgins, who brought extra oil for their lamps, represent those who are vigilant and ready to meet the Lord at any moment. The foolish virgins, who ran out of oil, remind us that spiritual complacency can lead to missed opportunities. This parable is a call to live with a sense of urgency and readiness, nurturing our faith and love for God so that we may be found prepared when the Lord comes. These readings are deeply connected. The pursuit of wisdom in the first reading, the hope of resurrection in the second, and the call to preparedness in the Gospel all point to the same truth: our lives as Christians are marked by anticipation and readiness. We are called to live each day with a sense of purpose, seeking wisdom, nurturing hope, and staying vigilant for the Lord’s return. In practical terms, this means cultivating prayer, living with integrity, and being mindful of how we use the time and resources God has given us. May we, like the wise virgins, be found prepared and faithful when the Lord comes, whether in the end of our lives or at the end of time. Let us trust in God’s promises and live with hearts open to his grace.