First Reading

Amos 5:18-24

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
  Why do you want the day of the Lord?
 It is darkness, not light,
  as if someone fled from a lion
  and was met by a bear
 or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall
  and was bitten by a snake.
 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
  and gloom with no brightness in it?
 I hate, I despise your festivals,
  and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
  I will not accept them,
 and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
  I will not look upon.
 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
  I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
 But let justice roll down like water
  and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

The Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.  But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those young women got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But 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.’ And 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. Later the other young women came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.