Catholic TV Mass Online November 8, 2020: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Presider: Fr. Dan Volkert
Parish: St. Bruno & St. Paul
TEXT FROM THE HOMILY
This story that we just heard in the gospel essentially is borrowed from a practice of Jesus' own time. In the first century, the focus of the Israelite wedding was not on the bride. Unlike today, our focus is on the bride. Instead in the first century the focus was all on the groom. Now, the custom was night would fall and essentially bridegrooms would be dispatched to escort the groom to the bride's house. And then the bridesmaids would escort the groom as well as the bride to wherever the wedding celebration would occur. Now notice it is at night well, if you live in a village in first century Palestine it is very dark at night. Now we have the luxury of electricity so we can travel at night with relative safety but not in the first century. So you better have a lamp and you better have plenty of oil. And we see in this story five are wise and five are foolish now what are we to make of this story? Well, like these bridesmaids, we are all Christians waiting, right? We're in that in between time we know Jesus is coming, therefore we wait with joyful hope how do we wait? Well, some of us wait wisely and some wait foolishly. Some of us have lamps that are well stocked with oil. Some don't. So what do those lamps stand for? Well, that spiritual life that was given to us at the time of our baptism. We are meant to keep that life alive. While we wait. What do the oils stand for? Well, things like prayer and the sacraments, and study and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. These are all ways in which the life of Jesus Christ remains vibrant in us always. See that's the well stocked oil that Jesus is referring to here in the gospel. So who are the wise? Well, those people that practice these things they keep that faith, that light of their faith always burning brightly. Who are the foolish? Those who allow their faith to die. And so it begs some questions. How often do we pray? Every day? Prayer is very important. In a way of keeping the oil well stocked in our lamps what about the sacraments, specifically the eucharist and confession do we engage in them on a regular basis? How about study? Do you seek to come and understand and know your faith each and every day of your life? Do you study the bible? Do you study church history? Do you study art and architecture the lives of the saints? I always say, faith won't grow if you don't want to know. The more we start growing in the knowledge of our faith the stronger our faith continues. How about the corporal and spiritual works of mercy? Do we will the good for others every day? And do something about it? See these are all ways in which we keep the oil well stocked in our lamps. And importantly we are ready. We are well prepared to welcome the groom, Jesus Christ always into our life. More to it, we are ready to enter into that great wedding. The great wedding of eternal life that is waiting for each and every one of us in heaven.
Entrance: Lord of All Hopefulness
Text: Jan Struther, 1901-1953, © Oxford University Press
Tune: SLANE 10 11 11 12; Gaelic; harm. By Erik Routley, 1917-1982, © 1975, Hope Publishing Company
Psalm 63: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord
Text: Based on Psalm 63:2, 5-9. Refrain © 1969, 1981 ICEL All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Verses, Steve Angrisano b. 1965 © 1997, 1998, Steve Angrisano. Published by OCP. All rights reserved.
Music: Steve Angrisano; keyboard acc. By Rick Modlin, b. 1966 © 1997, 1998 Steve Angrisano. Published by OCP. All rights reserved.
Preparation: Steal Away
Text: Traditional.
Music: Spiritual
Communion: Shepherd Me O God
Text: Psalm 23; Marty Haugen
Music: Marty Haugen
© 1986, GIA Publications, Inc.
Sending Forth: Lord of all Hopefulness
Text: Lord of All Hopefulness
Text: Jan Struther, 1901-1953, © Oxford University Press
Tune: SLANE 10 11 11 12; Gaelic; harm. By Erik Routley, 1917-1982, © 1975, Hope Publishing Company
Mass Setting: Mass of Saint Ann
Text © 2010, ICEL
Music: Ed Bolduc © 2011 WLP
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this liturgy obtained from ONE LICENSE, License No. A-718591.
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