Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, teaching his disciples the importance of being prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

Jesus teaches us that we are to be ready to receive him when he comes again. Through our instruction and our own actions, we can teach younger children to be ready to receive Jesus.

Materials Needed

• On strips of paper, write actions that a child would do to get ready for school in the morning (have breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, put homework in backpack) as well as actions that wouldn’t be appropriate (watch hours of TV, put on pajamas, read bedtime story).

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: I’m going to read you some actions. If the action would be appropriate for getting ready for school, say “Yes!” If the action wouldn’t be appropriate, say, “No!” Occasionally ask children to explain their choices. Then say: It’s important that we do all the things we need to do to get ready in the morning, isn’t it? We don’t want to forget something important, like our schoolbooks, by being distracted by things we don’t need to do.

2. Say: Today’s Gospel reading is about being ready for something different. We learn about being ready to receive Jesus.

3. Read today’s Gospel, Matthew 25:1–13.

4. Ask: Were the wise women in Jesus’ parable able to attend the wedding? Why? (Yes, they were prepared.) Were the women who were unprepared able to attend the wedding feast? (No.)

5. Say: Just like the wise women in this story, we need to be ready to receive Jesus. When we live as Jesus has taught us to live, we are ready to receive him. Ask: What are some things Jesus has taught us to do? (Accept reasonable responses, including love God and one another, follow the Commandments, pray.)

6. Pray that Jesus will continue to help us be ready to receive him. Then pray together the Lord’s Prayer.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, teaching his disciples the importance of being prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6)

Older children are beginning to appreciate the importance of being prepared for particular events and activities. We can also teach them about the importance of preparing ourselves to receive Jesus when he comes again.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Say: Let’s imagine that we are planning a surprise party for a friend. How would we go about preparing for this party? Let’s make a list of the things we would need to do to prepare. Create a list that includes items such as preparing an invitation list, setting the date and place for the party, planning the food, choosing the decorations, planning activities, and so on.

2. Say: There’s a lot of preparation needed for a surprise party. What would happen if the guest of honor arrived before we were ready? What would happen if the guest of honor was delayed in his or her arrival? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

3. Say: Jesus talked about the importance of being prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven, using the example of a wedding feast. Let us listen carefully to what Jesus taught.

4. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today’s Gospel, Matthew 25:1-13.

5. Say: In Jesus’ time, the bridegroom traveled from his home to the home of the bride to meet the bride and bring her back to his home. The virgins in this parable were family members and friends of the bride, whose job it was to greet the bridegroom and escort him to the bride. What did they need to do to be prepared for this job? (They had to prepare their lamps and meet the bridegroom.) What happened in the story? (Some of the women didn’t bring enough oil for their lamps, and when the bridegroom was delayed, they were unable to meet him.) Were these foolish virgins able to attend the wedding feast? (No, they were unable to accompany the bridegroom to the feast; they were not able to attend the feast because they arrived too late.)

6. Say: Jesus concludes this parable by reminding his listeners that we must stay prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven because we do not know when the Kingdom of Heaven will come. What are some things that we should be doing to stay prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven? (praying every day, learning what God wants us to do, obeying the Commandments)

7. Conclude in prayer together for the strength to prepare to receive the Kingdom of Heaven when it comes. Pray together the Prayer to the Holy Spirit or the Prayer of Saint Richard of Chichester.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, teaching his disciples the importance of being prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)
Young people at this age are more aware of the need to be prepared for routine responsibilities and activities as well as the consequences of their lack of readiness. Encourage them also to prepare themselves spiritually to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

Materials Needed

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask: If one of your teachers told you that a comprehensive quiz would be given next week, but warned that you would not know on which day, when would you begin to study? Ask for a show of hands for each option: Right away? After calculating when you think the teacher will be most likely to give the quiz? Later?
2. Say: We’re all different. Some of us like to get to the task at hand as soon as possible. Others are apt to put off until later what can be done right away. The parable in this Sunday’s Gospel reading speaks to this subject.
3. Ask for a volunteer to read aloud Matthew 25:1–13.
4. Say: The ten virgins are young maidens who accompany the bridegroom as he brings his bride to the wedding celebration and her new home. However, the groom was late, and things took longer than expected. Ask: As a consequence, what happened to the five foolish virgins? (They ran out of oil for their lamps and missed the wedding feast because they had to purchase additional oil. They were not prepared.)
5. Say: Jesus often refers to the Kingdom of Heaven as a banquet or wedding feast. In this parable, the bridegroom represents Jesus. It’s one thing to miss a wedding reception, but it’s an entirely different issue to miss the second coming of Jesus at the end of time. We all want to be included in the heavenly banquet. Since Jesus tells us that we don’t know the time of his coming, we have to be prepared always—there’s no putting off readiness.
6. Ask: What can we do to get ready? (Accept all reasonable answers, including pray, receive the sacraments, keep the commandments, be charitable, etc.)
7. Say: Let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer together, asking our heavenly Father to help us be ready to meet Jesus when the time comes.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, teaching his disciples the importance of being prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

Family Connection

In the daily activities of family life, we can easily find excuses for not attending to our spiritual lives. If not given top priority, prayer and reading Scripture risk becoming occasional activities rather than daily practices. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that if we fail to give our spiritual life priority, we will find ourselves unprepared to receive Jesus. Daily prayer and spiritual practice keeps us ready to receive Jesus.

Gather together as a family and talk about some of the things our faith calls us to do every day and every week to keep God first in our lives. Talk about what might happen if we don’t do these things regularly. Explain to your family that Jesus taught us that it is important to keep ourselves ready to receive him when he comes again. Tell them to listen as you read the parable that Jesus tells in today’s Gospel. Read aloud Matthew 25:1-13. Talk with your family about why Jesus says that it is so important to remain ready to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Pray together that your family will always keep God first in your lives so that you will all be prepared to receive Jesus when he comes. Pray together the Act of Hope.