FRIDAY OF WEEK 21 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2024

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man. LK 21:36

1 CORINTHIANS 1:17-25

My Soul's Beloved,

St. Paul knows exactly what he is talking about in these passages taken from his letter to the Corinthians as this was his own experience before his personal encounter with You on the road to Damascus. He who once followed the Jewish faith he loved with a great passion bordering on fanaticism and was prepared to drag Christians both men and women and haul them into jail understood how belief in a helpless, crucified man on the Cross would look ridiculous to anyone outside the Christian faith.

But when we encounter You on the Way of Suffering, faith steps in, the scales fall from our eyes just as they did for St. Paul, and we recognize in You the Savior of the world, we too fall on our knees prostrate before You in awe, adoration, and worship. For all who believe, the Cross is the ultimate symbol of sacrificial love, for on it, You paid the ransom that set the whole human race free from eternal death.

St. Paul reminds us that we do not need eloquent words to preach the Good News all we need to do is preach the Good News of Christ crucified and trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest. Our mission is to preach the Gospel through our lives and leave conversion of hearts and minds to God who alone can bring sinners to repentance.

And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

PSALM 32(33):1-2,4-5,10-11

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;

  for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,

  with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.

For the word of the Lord is faithful

  and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

  and fills the earth with his love.

He frustrates the designs of the nations,

  he defeats the plans of the peoples.

His own designs shall stand for ever,

  the plans of his heart from age to age.

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

MATTHEW 25:1-13

My Soul's Beloved,

The people in the world are like the ten bridesmaids some are wise - they hear the Good News, believe in it, and prepare accordingly to meet the bridegroom. When he arrives they are ready and will accompany him into the banquet hall. Others are foolish because despite hearing the word of God preached in some way, shape, form, or manner they refuse to accept it.

There was a time when the culture was conducive to living a life of Christian values and virtues. Children were raised by parents who taught them the faith and helped them to grow in their understanding of it. But with each generation and as the glitter of the world lured them with its false promises of happiness, many have fallen by the wayside we now live in a world of debauchery, chicanery, and mayhem and there are a greater proportion of foolish virgins than wise.

So many of us helpless hapless parents who truly strived the best way they knew how, to raise holy and godfearing children launched them into the world hoping they would be leaven in it only to find that they succumbed to the values of the world. All we can do now is pray as St. Monica did relentlessly and unceasingly that God may, in His tender mercy, compassion, and goodness pursue them and carry them back into His fold.

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.’