| 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time-A On Being Prepared |
| In this world, where good and evil can occupy the same space, we must be wise and vigilant. In this world where stately roses and disruptive weeds can share the same garden, we must be wise and vigilant. In this world where the foolish and the wise can sit together at the same table, we must be the wise and prudent ones. The question is: how often are we prepared to be the wise one? The idea of being unprepared is almost strange to me, because I was a Boy Scout — who was trained to always be prepared. Growing up, my grandmother would tell us stories to explain why it was not right to tell a lie, or why it was wrong to steal, and so on. I used to hear her stories and say to myself, “why can’t “Nanny” just say what she means? Why does she have to tell us these stories?” As I got older, it occurred to me that not only did she just enjoy using stories to convey life lessons, but the life lessons made more sense once digested, and became nourishment for my soul. Today’s Gospel reminds me of my grandmother’s stories — a little esoteric, thought-provoking, with moments that make you want to ask a question, but hold back, and in a way, open to interpretation. Like any parable, the reader is invited to do more than just read it. The reader is invited to chew slowly, let the words digest, and relish the total mind and soul effect at the moment when we realize that we have been enriched, and awakened by the words; by the parable; by the story. This Gospel prompts us to stay spiritually awake, and to be prepared to bring light to the darkness. How do we do that? As Christians, we are always waiting for Jesus to reveal himself to us; we tell ourselves that we will see him at the end of our lives. It also seems that in our anticipation to be part of the Kingdom of God, we forget what is necessary; we forget that we need the light of Christ. The Light of Christ is already with us, sometimes it just becomes a litter dimmer, especially when we are thinking and acting only for ourselves rather than others. Personal Prayer keeps our light burning bright. The Sacraments, especially Reconciliation keeps our light burning bright. The Eucharist keeps our light burning bright. That is one reason why I am bewildered, and don’t understand when someone tells me that they “haven’t been to church in years” and then tell me that their life is in shambles or they can’t seem to “pull it together.” To me it is simple: The Spiritual light has gone out in their life. I always ask, what are you doing to keep Christs’ Light burning in your life? If we don’t feed the soul, the light becomes dimmer and dimmer, and then we don’t see a need for the Light of Christ in our life at all. We need the light that we get when we are baptized, the light that we get when we are compassionate, the light that exudes from us when we live out the Gospel. The light that is fueled by our faith, perseverance, and good works. The light that burns bright when we have confessed our sins and received the Eucharist. This light illuminates our path to see and experience the Kingdom of God. We do not need to wait for the end of our lives to prepare ourselves, the Kingdom of God is with us every day, but we need the light. The light that shows the way, and lights the path for a stranger, for a friend, or those on the fringes of society. The light that is also a guiding compass for those seeking mercy, understanding, forgiveness and unconditional love. Brothers and sisters, let us stay spiritually awake and be prepared with our light. Let us not forget what is necessary to fully experience the Kingdom of God. God bless us, and all who live in simplicity of heart. Wisdom 6:12-16 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13 |