Reading 1 1 Cor 1:17-25
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Alleluia Lk 21:36
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
FAITH-FIGHT
"It pleased God to save those who believe through the absurdity of the preaching of the gospel." –1 Corinthians 1:21
Pope St. John Paul II maintained that the western world, especially, Europe, Canada, and the USA, was in a crisis of faith. The lack of priestly and religious vocations in our part of the world is a symptom of a lack of faith. Our problems are not superficial, but critical. Satan is not just trying to break the windows of western civilization; he's trying to take out our foundation.
Because "all depends on faith" (Rm 4:16), we need faith. However, Satan has worked over so many people that some Christians no longer believe in Jesus' cross or in His final coming. The cross of forgiving enemies, the cross of letting ourselves be persecuted, the cross of sexual purity, the cross of a simple lifestyle, and the cross of submission to authority are a few of the crosses which many Christians stumble over and consider absurd (1 Cor 1:23). Moreover, some Christians have lost their faith in Jesus' Second Coming. They are therefore among the foolish bridesmaids who were not ready for the Master's return (see Mt 25:2). Jesus' final coming is rarely on many Christians' minds and has no practical effects on their lives.
Faith in the foundational revelations of Christianity is eroding. Repent, believe, and "fight hard for the faith" (Jude 3).
| PRAYER: | Jesus, when You return may You find me with a strong faith (see Lk 18:8). |
| PROMISE: | "Keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour." –Mt 25:13 |
| PRAISE: | Matt chose a life of sexual purity, a simple lifestyle, and submission to authority as his way to follow Jesus daily. |
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