This week's readings Week of Nov. 10 - 16 Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002 Reading I: Wis 6:12-16 Reading II: 1 Thes 4:13-18 or 4:13-14 Gospel: Mt 25:1-13 Monday, Nov. 11, 2002 Reading I: Ti 1:1-9 Gospel: Lk 17:1-6 Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2002 Reading I: Ti 2:1-8, 11-14 Gospel: Lk 17:7-10 Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2002 Reading I: Ti 3:1-7 Gospel: Lk 17:11-19 Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002 Reading I: Phm 7-20 Gospel: Lk 17:20-25 Friday, Nov. 15, 2002 Reading I: 2 Jn 4-9 Gospel: Lk 17:26-37 Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002 Reading I: 3 Jn 5-8 Gospel: Lk 18:1-8 Pope's Prayer Intentions November General Intention That widows and widowers find comfort in Christian communities: That widows and widowers feeling the pain of loneliness find comfort and support in their Christian community. November Mission Intention For the spread of the Gospel via the mass media: That Christians by their active participation encourage the spread of the Gospel via the mass media.

Get ready:
It is up to you to be prepared

		Word of God  Word of Life  Fr. John G. Stillmank

These days when people get married, they are always on time. The bride and groom have been planning for months, even as much as a year. The week before the wedding is a time of finalizing, worrying, celebrating, and preparing for "the big day."

Sometimes the groom is the last one to make it to the rehearsal the night before, but often it's an usher or reader, maybe the soloist or some relative who comes a little late to the rehearsal or who can't make it that night. But everyone is on time for the wedding on Saturday.

"No one else can get us ready for the coming of Jesus. In our lives, it's up to us to be ready, to be on time for Jesus."

Getting ready to be married takes a lot of planning and coordination. It takes months and often years of getting to know the other person, sharing of oneself and sharing in the other, finding in him or her a potential future spouse. It's barely possible - if at all - to meet someone, "fall in love," and get married in a short space of time.

Marriage is an important commitment, and it takes time to get ready. Both must be prepared. Both must make that commitment, that covenant.

The Kingdom of God is an important commitment, too, and it takes time, effort, planning, dedication, sacrifice, and deep love to get ready for it. The Book of Wisdom teaches us that we need prudence, watchfulness, perception, and anticipation in our lives, so that wisdom will come to us - and wisdom will come, for God sends her to all who love her.

Readings for 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Nov. 10, 2002) Wisdom 6:12-16 Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 4:13-14 Matthew 25:1-13

Those who seek the Kingdom of God, who seek room in their hearts and spirits for God to prepare them for his Kingdom, are like those who thirst for the Lord. We pray in the psalms, "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God!" Without God in our lives we become dry, weary, parched, lifeless. We are made for God! And so must we seek him.

Saint Paul teaches that we shall always be with the Lord. We have the hope in God's love that those who have died can be alive in God. Jesus, who died and rose, will raise them up. Jesus has promised that.

He has made a covenant with us. Believing in the Gospel, we can become followers of Jesus as close to him as a bride to her husband. This is an ancient image of the Church, the holy bride, and Christ, the Bridegroom.

This image crops up in the Gospel in the story of the 10 bridesmaids - five wise, five foolish. We who wait for Jesus to return as he promised are those bridesmaids. Some of us are wise; we are preparing ourselves for his coming. Some of us are foolish; we are unprepared, and are not doing anything to get ready.

No one else can do the work of preparation, and no one else can speak the words for a bride and bridegroom when they exchange their consent on the day of their wedding. In those months, on that day, it's up to them.

No one else can get us ready for the coming of Jesus. In our lives, it's up to us to believe in the Gospel, to celebrate the Sacraments, to serve one another, to forgive and be forgiven, to be good stewards of all we have from God, to be ready, to be on time for Jesus.

When the Lord comes, he won't be looking for excuses. He won't be looking for explanations as to why one person has been ready for him, watchful in discipleship, prepared by service and love - and why another person has not been ready for him, not watching, not prepared, not loving.

Instead, those who are ready will go into the wedding feast with him. Those who are not ready will wish they had stayed awake as he told us.

Fr. John G. Stillmank is Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Madison and pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli.