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roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:italic"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:26px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:italic"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:26px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:italic"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:26px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:italic"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:26px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:italic"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:26px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:italic">Friday, August 31, 2018</span></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b><br></div>
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<tr style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row-margin25502" style="padding:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row25502" class="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row gmail-m_-7758236607970589989widget gmail-m_-7758236607970589989_widget_html gmail-m_-7758236607970589989style25502" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row-padding25502" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);padding:30px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989html_div25039" width="590" align="left"> <p style="color:black;font-family:Avenir Next;font-size:20px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.25;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase">Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time</p>
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<tr style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row-margin25503" style="padding:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row25503" class="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row gmail-m_-7758236607970589989widget gmail-m_-7758236607970589989_widget_html gmail-m_-7758236607970589989style25503" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row-padding25503" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);padding:5px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989html_div25040" width="590" align="left"> <p style="color:rgb(237,119,34);font-family:Avenir Next;font-size:18px;line-height:1.25;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase">Matthew 25:1-13</p>
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<tr style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row-margin25507" style="padding:5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row25507" class="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row gmail-m_-7758236607970589989widget gmail-m_-7758236607970589989_widget_text gmail-m_-7758236607970589989style25507" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989layout-row-padding25507" style="padding:10px 30px 30px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989text_div25044" class="gmail-m_-7758236607970589989td_text gmail-m_-7758236607970589989td_block" style="color:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:inherit;line-height:1.5;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:Arial" valign="top" align="left"> <div style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5"> <div style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-weight:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">Friends,
<span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>our Gospel today is the parable that compares the kingdom of heaven
"with ten virgins who with their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom."
</b></span> This is an image borrowed from the customs of the time. The bridesmaids
would wait for the groom and, upon his appearance, accompany him. </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>Well,
this is the Christian community, waiting for Christ the groom to
arrive. </b></span>Did Jesus tell this parable because he knew that his Church
would be in for a long period of waiting? </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>We
are wise in our waiting if we pray on a regular basis; if we educate
ourselves in the
faith; if we participate in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; if
we perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; if we become
people of love</b></span>. <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>We are foolish </b><b>in</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>our waiting</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>if we neglect </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>these
things</b></span>.</span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">And
here is one of the hardest truths of this parable: <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>the divine life, </b></span>so
cultivated,<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> cannot simply be shared with another at the last minute.</b></span> The
wise virgins are not being difficult and self-absorbed when they tell
their friends that they can’t help them. <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>A saint can’t <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">simply infuse</span> his
life <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">into</span><span style="color:rgb(19,79,92)"><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"> another</span>;</span> it just doesn’t work <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">that
way</span>.</b></span></span></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b><br></div>
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