A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1:17-25
A reading from the first
Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1:17-25Brothers and sisters: Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,/ and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
The word of the Lord.
Psalm 33
R (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the Lord;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the Lord on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. RFor upright is the word of the Lord,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full. RThe Lord brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the Lord stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations. RAlleluia, alleluia. Be vigilant at all times and pray,/ that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man. Alleluia, alleluia.
- Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! l
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 25:1-13
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Matthew25:1-13Jesus 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.
Saint Who?
Saints Who Took Detours in Life
Saint Who?
Saints Who Took Detours in Life
Saint Devasahayam Pillai
Martyr († 1752) Feast: January 14
Nilakandan was born into a wealthy Hindu family in the kingdom of Travancore, India. As an upper-caste Hindu, he was well educated, served in the military, and received important positions in the king’s court.
Travancore had recently won a war against the Dutch army, and some Dutch soldiers had been captured. One of those soldiers was a Catholic officer and military strategist named Eustache de Lannoy. The king asked de Lannoy to modernize his army, and as de Lannoy and Nilakandan worked together, they became friends. Since Nilakandan was worried about recent hardships in his family life, de Lannoy told him the story of Job. Nilakandan was intrigued by the story, so de Lannoy cautiously shared the Gospel. Nilakandan was converted. He went to a Jesuit missionary who lived outside Travancore to receive baptism and took the name Devasahayam, which corresponds to Lazarus.
Hindu leaders were outraged by his refusal to worship Hindu gods and made false accusations against him. The king took away all his possessions and imprisoned him for three years, hoping to break his resolve. When Devasahayam refused to give up his faith in Christ, he was sent into exile. Along the way, he was repeatedly tortured and publicly humiliated. Faithful and prayerful to the very end, Devasahayam was executed in a forest.
Merciful Father, comfort us with the knowledge
that we have an eternal home in heaven.
