Word Wide Open: The Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 11/16/26

First Reading (Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31)

A reading from the Book of Proverbs.

When one finds a worthy wife,

her value is far beyond pearls.

Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,

has an unfailing prize.

She brings him good, and not evil,

all the days of her life.

She obtains wool and flax

and works with loving hands.

She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her fingers ply the spindle.

She reaches out her hands to the poor,

and extends her arms to the needy.

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;

the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her a reward for her labors,

and let her works praise her at the city gates.

 

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What does it mean to fear the Lord?

Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.  

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,

you have no need for anything to be written to you. 

For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come

like a thief at night.

When people are saying, "Peace and security, "

then sudden disaster comes upon them,

like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,

and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,

for that day to overtake you like a thief. 

For all of you are children of the light

and children of the day.

We are not of the night or of darkness. 

Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,

but let us stay alert and sober.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we stay alert and sober for the Lord’s coming?

Gospel (Matthew 25:14-30)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

"A man going on a journey

called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.

To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--

to each according to his ability.

Then he went away.

Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,

and made another five.

Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground

and buried his master's money.

"After a long time

the master of those servants came back

and settled accounts with them.

The one who had received five talents came forward

bringing the additional five.

He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.

See, I have made five more.'

His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters,

I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,

'Master, you gave me two talents.

See, I have made two more.'

His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters,

I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,

'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,

harvesting where you did not plant

and gathering where you did not scatter;

so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.

Here it is back.'

His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!

So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant

and gather where I did not scatter?

Should you not then have put my money in the bank

so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?

Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.

For to everyone who has,

more will be given and he will grow rich;

but from the one who has not,

even what he has will be taken away.

And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What are the talents God gives us? What are we supposed to do with them? In what ways can we waste them like the lazy servant?

Word Wide Open: The Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 11/8/26

First Reading (Wisdom 6:12-16)

A reading from the Book of Wisdom.

Resplendent and unfading is wisdom,

and she is readily perceived by those who love her,

and found by those who seek her.

She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire;

Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed,

for he shall find her sitting by his gate.

For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence,

and whoever for her sake keeps vigil

shall quickly be free from care;

because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her,

and graciously appears to them in the ways,

and meets them with all solicitude.

 

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What is wisdom? How can we use it in our everyday lives?

Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.  

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,

about those who have fallen asleep,

so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,

so too will God, through Jesus,

bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,

that we who are alive,

who are left until the coming of the Lord,

will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself, with a word of command,

with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,

will come down from heaven,

and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Then we who are alive, who are left,

will be caught up together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air. 

Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

Therefore, console one another with these words.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: DDo you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What do you know about the final judgment and the return of Jesus?

Gospel (Matthew 25:1-13)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins

who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 

Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 

The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,

brought no oil with them,

but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 

Since the bridegroom was long delayed,

they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight, there was a cry,

'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 

The foolish ones said to the wise,

'Give us some of your oil,

for our lamps are going out.'

But the wise ones replied,

'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.

Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'

While they went off to buy it,

the bridegroom came

and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. 

Then the door was locked.

Afterwards the other virgins came and said,

'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'

But he said in reply,

'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'

Therefore, stay awake,

for you know neither the day nor the hour."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How can we prepare for the Lord’s coming? What would make the Lord say to us “I don't know you”?

Word Wide Open: The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 10/25/26

First Reading (Exodus 20:22-26)

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

Thus says the LORD:

"You shall not molest or oppress an alien,

for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. 

You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. 

If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,

I will surely hear their cry. 

My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;

then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people,

you shall not act like an extortioner toward him

by demanding interest from him. 

If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge,

you shall return it to him before sunset;

for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body. 

What else has he to sleep in?

If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate."

 

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? In what ways are we called to serve the poor and powerless?

Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10)

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.  

Brothers and sisters:

You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. 

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,

receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit,

so that you became a model for all the believers

in Macedonia and in Achaia.

For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth

not only in Macedonia and in Achaia,

but in every place your faith in God has gone forth,

so that we have no need to say anything. 

For they themselves openly declare about us

what sort of reception we had among you,

and how you turned to God from idols

to serve the living and true God

and to await his Son from heaven,

whom he raised from the dead,

Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we know if we are living a life worthy of imitation?

Gospel (Matthew 22:34-40)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,

they gathered together, and one of them,

a scholar of the law tested him by asking,

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" 

He said to him,

"You shall love the Lord, your God,

with all your heart,

with all your soul,

and with all your mind.

This is the greatest and the first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How do we live out the greatest commandment? How do we love our neighbors as we love ourselves?

Word Wide Open: The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - 10/18/26

First Reading (Isaiah 45:1, 4-6)

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,

whose right hand I grasp,

subduing nations before him,

and making kings run in his service,

opening doors before him

and leaving the gates unbarred:

For the sake of Jacob, my servant,

of Israel, my chosen one,

I have called you by your name,

giving you a title, though you knew me not.

I am the LORD and there is no other,

there is no God besides me.

It is I who arm you, though you know me not,

so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun

people may know that there is none besides me.

I am the LORD, there is no other.

 

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What are the things we put in front of God?

Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b)

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.  

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians

in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

grace to you and peace.

We give thanks to God always for all of you,

remembering you in our prayers,

unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love

and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,

before our God and Father,

knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,

how you were chosen.

For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,

but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

The word of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? How does the Holy Spirit guide the Church?

Gospel (Matthew 22:15-21)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

The Pharisees went off

and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. 

They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,

"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man

and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,

for you do not regard a person's status.

Tell us, then, what is your opinion:

Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" 

Knowing their malice, Jesus said,

"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 

Show me the coin that pays the census tax." 

Then they handed him the Roman coin. 

He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" 

They replied, "Caesar's."

At that he said to them,

"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar

and to God what belongs to God."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Asking the big questions: Do you have any questions about this reading? Is there anything that stuck out to you from this reading? What point is Jesus trying to make with his response? What are the things that we should give back to Him?