Faith Daily | 27 August 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST APBA p572

Creator God,

you have made us for yourself,

and our hearts are restless

until they find their rest in you:

teach us to offer ourselves to your service,

that here we may have your peace,

and in the world to come may see you face to face;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Matthew 25: 1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Rev'd Sandra

In this parable Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to what happened to ten bridesmaids who were waiting for the bridegroom to appear and take his bride in procession to the wedding banquet. The setting is that the bridesmaids are waiting at the bride’s house ready to light torches for the procession back to the groom’s house, where the ceremony will take place. The five who are called foolish took their torches but forgot to take extra oil. The wise took containers of additional oil that would be needed for the procession and the dancing that would follow.

Jesus is telling us all that Wisdom consists of being prepared: foolishness is seen as the lack of preparation for unexpected circumstances that may arise. The conclusion that Jesus draws is that we are urged to ‘Stay awake – to keep watch!’ It is a call for us to be in a state of constant readiness to receive Jesus.

FINAL PRAYER: – Adapted by Rev Sandra from Carmina Gadelica – Iona Community

Circuit

I make my circuit

in the fellowship of my God

on the machair, in the meadow

on the cold heathery hill

on the corner in the open

on the chill windy dock

to the nose of drills blasting,

to the sound of children asking.

I make my circuit

in the fellowship of my God

in city street

or on spring-turfed hill,

in shop-floor room

or at office desk.

God has no favourite places.

There are no special things.

All are God’s and all is sacred.

I tread each day in light or dark

in the fellowship of my God.

Be the sacred Three of glory

interwoven with our lives

until the One who walks it with us

leads us home

through death to life. Amen.