FIRST READING
A reading from the book of Wisdom 6:12-16
Wisdom is found by those who look for her.
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.
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 62
Response: For you my soul is thirsting, O God, my God.
1. O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
2. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
3. So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
4. On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians 4:13-18
God will bring them with him those who have died in Jesus.
We want you to be quite certain, brothers, 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.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel Acclamation Mt 24:42
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake and stand ready, because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 25:1-13
The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.
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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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