First Reading
Wisdom is bright, and does not grow dim. By those who love her she is
readily seen, and found by those who look for her. Quick to anticipate
those who desire her, she makes herself known to them. Watch for her
early and you will have no trouble: you will find her sitting at your
gates. Even to think about her is understanding fully grown; be on the
alert for her and anxiety will quickly leave you. She herself walks about
looking for those who are worthy of her and graciously shows herself
to them as they go, in every thought of theirs coming to meet them.
Second Reading
We want you to be quite certain, brothers and sisters, about those who
have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the
other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose
again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus:
God will bring them with him.
Gospel
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven will be
like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the
foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the
sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom
was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight
there was a cry, 'The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.' At
this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the
foolish ones said to the sensible ones, 'Give us some of your oil: our
lamps are going out.' But they replied, 'There may not be enough for
us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some
for yourselves.' They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom
arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall
and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. 'Lord,
Lord,' they said 'open the door for us.' But he replied, 'I tell you
solemnly, I do not know you.' So stay awake, because you do not know
either the day or the hour."
Meditation
The marriage customs at the time of Christ are somewhat unclear, but a typical ceremony seems to have progressed in the following way. The groom, having previously negotiated with the bride's father for a bride price, went with his friends to the bride's house. Then, in grand procession, bride and groom together with their friends went with singing and dancing to the groom's house. There a great feast of celebration was held. It would seem that today's gospel portrays a scene in which the groom has not yet arrived at the bride's house. The details of the wedding ceremony are neglected in favour of the basic message of the parable, the need to remain ready. The delay of the groom may lull the invited guests into carelessness, but there will be no allowance for the unprepared. The Church waits at the bride's house for the return of the groom. The wait has been long. For this reason we continue to exhort each other with the words of the gospel: "Keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour."
32nd Sunday of the Year A
O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting. (Ps 62:2)
First Reading
Wisdom is bright, and does not grow dim. By those who love her she is
readily seen, and found by those who look for her. Quick to anticipate
those who desire her, she makes herself known to them. Watch for her
early and you will have no trouble: you will find her sitting at your gates.
Even to think about her is understanding fully grown; be on the alert for
her and anxiety will quickly leave you. She herself walks about looking for
those who are worthy of her and graciously shows herself to them as they
go, in every thought of theirs coming to meet them.
Second Reading
We want you to be quite certain, brothers and sisters, about those who
have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other
people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and
that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring
them with him.
We can tell you this from the Lord's own teaching, that any of us who are
left alive until the Lord's coming will not have any advantage over those
who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call
out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those
who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who
are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet
the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such
thoughts as these you should comfort one another.
Gospel
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven will be
like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the
foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the
sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom
was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight
there was a cry, 'The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.' At
this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the
foolish ones said to the sensible ones, 'Give us some of your oil: our
lamps are going out.' But they replied, 'There may not be enough for
us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some
for yourselves.' They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom
arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall
and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. 'Lord,
Lord,' they said 'open the door for us.' But he replied, 'I tell you
solemnly, I do not know you.' So stay awake, because you do not know
either the day or the hour."
Meditation
The marriage customs at the time of Christ are somewhat unclear, but a typical ceremony seems to have progressed in the following way. The groom, having previously negotiated with the bride's father for a bride price, went with his friends to the bride's house. Then, in grand procession, bride and groom together with their friends went with singing and dancing to the groom's house. There a great feast of celebration was held. It would seem that today's gospel portrays a scene in which the groom has not yet arrived at the bride's house. The details of the wedding ceremony are neglected in favour of the basic message of the parable, the need to remain ready. The delay of the groom may lull the invited guests into carelessness, but there will be no allowance for the unprepared. The Church waits at the bride's house for the return of the groom. The wait has been long. For this reason we continue to exhort each other with the words of the gospel: "Keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour."
