Our Sabbath Scripture Stories – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

Read or listen to this Sunday’s Mass readings here.

  • Wisdom 6:12-16
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
  • Matthew 25:1-13

Suitcases began piling up by the front door very early this morning.  Box games, treats, pillows, and books also were being stacked.  This was a fun time of the year.  This afternoon, after Mass, the entire Pauline family was piling into the van for their annual “Relaxation, Winterization, Jubilation Vacation”!  This was when Mr. and Mrs. Pauline planned a couple of nights away somewhere “just for the thrill of it.”  It was a great family adventure before winter set in.

“After Mass this morning, remind me to put some extra treats out for Saint,” Lucy sighed. 

Lucy was looking forward to the adventure nights except for one thing.  Saint, the family’s gigantic Saint Bernard dog, would be spending the two days in his kennel.  That made her sad.

“Don’t worry, Lucy,” Dad reassured her, “Saint will be all right.  We are leaving out tons of food for him and plenty of water.  He’ll be fine running between the outside and the garage kennel area.”

“I hope so … ” was all Lucy could manage to say.

Even with all the whirlwind preparations for the “Relaxation, Winterization, Jubilation Vacation,” Dad always had time to reach for his Bible and go through the Gospel reading the family would be hearing soon at Mass.

This morning the Gospel came from Matthew, Chapter 25.  It richly related the story of the 10 bridesmaids.  When Dad was finished, he closed his Bible and looked around the room.  “Who wants to go first and explain our reading for today?” Dad asked.

“Well, it’s a nice story … ” Vincent shrugged.  “But I’m having a hard time seeing why Jesus told it!  It was about lamps going out, not enough oil, a bridegroom … “

Lucy nodded.  “I guess you need to explain it, Dad.”

Dad sat there and thought for a moment.  Then he got an ear-to-ear grin.  “Okay, Guys,” he said, “I’ll tell you another story, to explain our Bible story, to unlock the parable story of the 10 bridesmaids!  Okay?”

They all nodded their heads up and down in agreement.

“Okay, here goes,” Dad began.  “Once there was a dog named Saint, whose master was going away for awhile … “

“Huh?” they all said, as they sat up to listen even better.

“Well, Saint’s master gave him a huge dish of dog food.  It was enough to last him until he got back.  But, Saint acted foolishly and ate up all the dog food in the first five minutes!  He had nothing to eat as he waited for his master’s return.  When the master finally returned, he found the poor dog faint with hunger.   Saint was even too weak to welcome the master home and join him in the warmth of the house.  Now, what should Saint have done?”

“Saint should have been better about his food and ate it more carefully!” Lucy squealed.

“Exactly, Lucy!” Dad shouted.  “And that’s what Jesus is telling us in this reading!   Jesus has given us His words to live by, and His promise of calling us to eternal life if we heed it.”

“That’s right!” Mom added.  “In our reading, we can think of Jesus as the bridegroom returning to bring us home to heaven.  We don’t know when He will come.  And the parable is asking us, ‘Will we be ready when Jesus comes for us?’  Will we be like the five sensible bridesmaids who were ready with everything in right order, or will we be like the five foolish bridesmaids who wasted their resources and were found unprepared?”

“So, to borrow Saint again … ” Vincent began, “Saint needs to be watchful of his food because we may get back late!  He’d be awfully hungry if he ate everything up right after we left!”

“And, from our Gospel reading, we learned that we need to be watchful and keep our souls pure, because Jesus may come at a time other than we think!” Mary Clare reasoned.

“Great, Kids!” Dad exclaimed.  “I think you’ve got it!  Now, in keeping with what we just learned from our Gospel parable, let’s be attentive to God’s Word now and always, and always practice our virtues until He comes for us, and … ” Dad added with a grin, “leave out a huge bowl of dog chow for Saint!”

“YES!” they all agreed and then scrambled off for Mass and the excitement of the Pauline “Relaxation, Winterization, Jubilation Vacation!”

The moral is:
“Keep your eyes open, for you know not the day or the hour.”
(Matthew 25:13)

Would you prefer a print a copy of this story?

Cycle A, 32 OT, SSSDownload

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