Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time (II)

Official Translation

Reading 1 – 1 Corinthians 1.17-25

Brothers and sisters:
Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel,
and not in the wisdom of logic, lest the cross of Christ be emptied.
For the logic of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying,
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,
I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”

Where are the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since, in the wisdom of God,
the world through its wisdom did not know God,
it was God’s good pleasure to, through the folly of our preaching, save those who believe.
For Jews demand signs, and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified:
a stumbling block to Jews, and folly to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than that of humans,
and the weakness of God is stronger than that of humans.

Responsorial – Psalm 33.1-2, 4-5, 10-11 Resp. 5

R. The earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord.

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous!
Praise is fitting for the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre.
Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.

R. The earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord.

The word of the Lord is right.
All his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice.
The earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord.

R. The earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing.
He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
The counsel of the Lord stands fast forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

R. The earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord.

Gospel – Matthew 25.1-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins,
who, taking their own lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom.
Now, five of them were foolish and five wise.
For the foolish ones, having taken their lamps,
did not take oil with them,
but the wise took oil in their bottles with their own lamps.
But the bridegroom being delayed, they all were drowsy and fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, there was a shout:
“Behold the bridegroom! Go forth to meet him!”
Then all those virgins arose and prepared their lamps.
The foolish said to the wise,
“Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have run out.”
However, the wise said, “Definitely not!
There is not enough for us and for you.
Instead, go to the sellers and purchase some.”
But while they were gone shopping, the bridegroom came,
and those who were ready
went in with him to the wedding feast,
and the door was shut.
Finally, the other virgins came, saying,
“Lord, Lord, open up for us”,
but he answered saying,
“Amen I say to you, I do not know you.”
Stay awake, therefore,
because you do not know the day nor the hour.