PREPARATION OF ONESELF: 11/12/23 (Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time)

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 25:1-13

Jesus 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:

A blessed Sunday to all of us! We are coming near the end of our liturgical calendar. Two weeks from now, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. Every time the liturgical year in our Church is coming to its end, we are always reminded that the world will end, and the Lord will come at the end of times. We will face judgment. One is immediately after our death and the other one is at the end of the world. How are we preparing for it?

The concept of preparation is lost when there are other things more important for us than God. Any thing that becomes the center of our lives, except God, can be detrimental to our faith. If we are becoming farther away from God and if we no longer see the value of life in Him, then it's the time to think deeper. Our life comes from God and the fullness of life is found only in Him.

The lamp in the Gospel could be a symbol of our union with God in our thoughts, words and deeds. If we have a lamp and extra oil, it will be enough for us to go to Heaven. If what we do is what people think is just enough, it might not be sufficient for us to get there. The people's way of life today mainly revolves around attachment to material things, popularity in social media and many other things that are focused only on themselves. What God is looking at is our obedience to His Word and charity with love. Are we doing this or are we becoming busy with worldly things?

Is preparation for heaven part of our lives? If we want to prepare, let's go to Mass at least every Sunday and holy days of obligation, go to confession and turn away from mortal sins. We should know this as Catholics.

If we have the time to read about the lives of celebrities, why not about the sacrament of confession and how to do it? If we can buy a lot of food that is more than enough for us, what is hindering us from buying for just one hungry person? It's difficult to help if we do not have love but if we love, it will be easy. Let's just remember that doing good and doing God's will is the way to heaven, not simply enjoying life here on earth.

Source:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111223.cfm

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth