Keep the Lamp Burning

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time   12 November 2017

First reading

Wisdom 6:12-16

Wisdom is bright, and does not grow dim.
By those who love her she is readily seen,
and found by those who look for her.
Quick to anticipate those who desire her, she makes herself known to them.
Watch for her early and you will have no trouble;
you will find her sitting at your gates.
Even to think about her is understanding fully grown;
be on the alert for her and anxiety will quickly leave you.
She herself walks about looking for those who are worthy of her
and graciously shows herself to them as they go,
in every thought of theirs coming to meet them.

                

Second reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them; to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

Reflection

by Art B. Reyes

Were you at one time had a low battery power in your mobile phone? There is no worst situation than having a dead phone in the middle of something. If you are like the majority of people, that low battery warning will leave you feeling panicked and hunting for a spare charger. One major mobile company in the US describes this condition as 'Low Battery Anxiety' and says that nearly 9 out of 10 people suffer from the fear of losing power on their phone.

Our Gospel for today talks about the parable of the ten bridesmaids. It is one of the well known parables of Jesus. According to the Gospel, the five bridesmaids who are prepared for the bridegroom's arrival are rewarded, while the five who are not prepared are disowned.

The story is a big warning to be prepared for God whenever our “time” has finally come. We must ensure that our ‘lamps’ would not run out of gas – and are kept alive with the light of God’s Word. Being always ready is not about just preparing and doing more. We make ourselves ready by recognizing the grace of God. The Lord tells us to stay focused on Him so that we won’t get adrift. 

The distress of daily life can also take away our focus on the Lord. Our never ending concern for power and wealth distracts us from welcoming God in our life. Life is a short journey, let us live it right. We might struggle from time to time, veer away from the way the Lord wants us to take; but God is merciful. We can always rise up and steer back to the right direction if we ask for His forgiveness. 

Prayer

Lord, our God, grant that we may be ready to receive Christ when He comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven, where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.