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St. Mary’s is a Catholic school community that strives for academic, emotional, and spiritual growth for all students.
We welcome students of all faiths!
WHY
ST. MARY’S SCHOOL
Small Classes
Our 10:1 teacher to student ratio provides individualized attention with staff that are dedicated to each and every student’s success.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH & VALUES
SMS instills faith formation and values and provides many community activities and field trips outside of school.
Academic EXCELLENCE
Passionate teachers use creative lessons to inspire students to achieve beyond their expectations
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Saint Mary's Catholic School
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+JMJ+St. Mary & St. Sebastian SMORGASBORDSt. Mary Gym; 417 N. Chestnut; Mt. Carmel, ILTHIS SUNDAY, Nov. 8th; 11-1:30pm; Basket Raffle; Country Store; 50/50 Raffle; Cupcake Walk; Mystery Grab BagFree Will Offering - PLEASE JOIN US!
+JMJ+SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONSfor Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, November 8th, 2026The First Reading - Wisdom 6:12-16Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate. For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence, and whoever for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care; because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude.Reflection To the Jew, wisdom is the knowledge of how to conduct oneself in speech and conduct in such a way as to dispose others favorably, to foster one’s own success and advancement, and to live free of the anxiety which arises from hostility, opposition, and failure. Young men were trained in the manners of a good scribe when they learned their letters. Israelite wisdom differed from the wisdom of other cultures in that it was modified by its relation of faith in the Lord. Only God is truly wise – his wisdom is exhibited in creation. Adults - How would you define wisdom? How does our faith call us to see wisdom? Teens - What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?Kids - How can you grow in wisdom? Responsorial- Psalm 63:2,3-4, 5-6,7-8 R.My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.O God, you are my God whom I seek;for you my flesh pines and my soul thirstslike the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuaryto see your power and your glory,For your kindness is a greater good than life;my lips shall glorify you.R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.Thus will I bless you while I live;lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.I will remember you upon my couch,and through the night-watches I will meditate on you:You are my help,and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. Reflection How do you seek the Lord? Seek him more this week.The Second Reading- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.Reflection - We hope in the resurrection of our bodies at the end of time, when our Lord comes again in glory. Saint Paul describes this second coming as an event of great solemnity in our reading today, an event accompanied by an angel’s call and the sound of a trumpet. The language Saint Paul uses to describe this event (called apocalyptic language) highlights the mystery and power of God. After the parousia (Greek for “appearance” or “showing”) will come the resurrection of the dead. Each body will be brought back to life by its own soul, and those who are still alive on that day will, together with their brethren who are dead and have risen, go to meet the Lord. However, the bodies of both will be glorified and therefore those who died before the parousia will have no advantage or disadvantage compared to those who are still living at this point. -Do you ever think of heaven?The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 25:1-13Jesus 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." Reflection Last week we heard Jesus take the scribes and Pharisees to task for not “fathering” the people; for not setting the proper example and treating them fairly. We now move to the parable of the wise and 5 foolish virgins; a parable peculiar to Matthew. There is little detailed information about wedding practices at the time of Christ, but there was a solemn procession from the home of the bride to the home of the bridegroom: the taking of the bride from her father’s house to his own by the bridegroom was the symbolic act of marriage. Since the bridesmaids went to welcome the groom, this indicates that they went to accompany him and his party to the house of the bride and from there, presumably to the house of the groom. It is from the wedding feast that the foolish virgins are excluded – and since it is the bridegroom who denies them, the feast must be at his house. We must keep our own lamps lit so we are ready for the Bridegroom when He arrives. Adults - How can you keep the light of the Lord burning in your life?Teens - How do you daily prepare your soul for the coming of Christ?Kids - What do you do when it is hard to do the right thing?LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - Providing themselves with oil was the obligation imposed on the bridesmaids in the parable. It was surely a trivial condition when compared with the reward offered them: a very special place at the marriage feast. The obligations imposed on us Christians are surely trivial too when compared with the reward offered us in return: an eternity of happiness in heaven. It seems incredible that there are many among us this very day who, like the foolish bridesmaids, doze and sleep contentedly holding empty lamps in their hands, while at any moment they may be awakened by: Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go forth to meet him. It will be too late then to do anything; even their best friends cannot help them. Each one must stand before the judge just as he is: there can be no borrowing of the oil of merit from others and there will be no time to buy any.Now is the time for all of us to say "Lord, Lord, open to us." open to us the doors of your mercy and kindness. Open to us the eyes of our understanding that we may see our defects and remedy them while there is yet time.It is up to us now to decide, aided by God's grace, where we shall be found on the last day—with the wise bridesmaids or with the foolish. -Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.