Pastor's Letter 20231112 - 12 November 2023 - Growing in Wisdom; Preparing for Death

[Father Michael]

November 12^th, 2023

32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Behold the Bridegroom; Prepare to come and meet Him.”

A Message from Father ^†Michael

Today’s Theme:  “Growing in Wisdom;  Preparing for Death”

Reflections on Today’s Scripture

(Wisdom 6:12-16)  Isaiah eulogizes Wisdom, which can be found by all those who seek It.  True Wisdom may elude the intelligent, but never the faithful!  We can recognize Her in the wonder and order of God’s creation; and in one another.

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(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)  ^†Paul expects the Second Coming of Christ to happen soon, and he consoles his converts at Thessalonica, who are worried about the fate of their loved ones who have died, before the return of the Lord.  For our part, we must hold ourselves in readiness, and live in joyous anticipation of our wonderful reunion with God.

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(Matthew 25:1-13)  We read a story that urges us to say awake because we do not know the day nor the hour of the Lord’s coming.  Matthew accepted that the Lord’s Second Coming would be delayed.  To be prepared means to be a “doer,” rather than a mere “hearer” of the ‘word.  Time, space and the experience of the seasons of our life are the gifts of a gracious God, that allow us to prepare for the unexpectedness of His appearance.

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Waiting for the Lord

Imagine, if you will, walking towards the gates of Heaven.  Along the way, you might see some figures in the dark, crying, and you might ask them: “Why are you crying?”  To which they may respond: “We’re crying because the Lord refused entry into the Kingdom.  He said He didn’t know us.”  

When you come to the gate, you probably find it locked, and you might “ring the bell,” hoping it might be opened.  You would expect the Lord, Himself, would answer.

If this were to happen, might we also wonder, “Will He know me?  Will He recognize me as His disciple?  Those questions would too late to change anything about our lives, by that time.  The dread we might feel, being cast aside, as an outsider, would become truly palpable.  

This is played out in real life, in the example of people who plan, and wait in long lines for tickets to some important event.  Others, with a more lackadaisical attitude, might believe they can simply walk up to the window, at the last minute to be admitted, only to go away frustrated, when they are told all the seats are “sold out!”  

For what will the Lord be looking, as we arrive for final judgment?  From today’s Gospel, we might think, “If I have kept my ‘lamp’ burning brightly, that may assure me of entry.”  But what if our “lamp” has gone out?  

Our daydream may be enough to give us a warning, that the Lord, in His goodness, has given us an opportunity to “wake up,” and to be “shaken” from a state of laziness and carelessness.  Wouldn’t it be terrible to arrive at Heaven’s door, to knock, and have the Lord appear and say, “I do not know you?”  We’d be left in the darkness, alone, while all inside is light, joy, community and celebration

The “lamp” of our musing, here, is “love.”  In order to be genuine, love doesn’t have to be extraordinary; it simply needs to be purposeful, without cynicism or fatigue.  

A lamp burns through a continuous input of small drops of oil.  If the drops should cease, the lamp will be extinguished.  In our lamps, the drops of oil are the “small things” from our daily lives—faithfulness, punctuality, words of kindness, loving thoughts for others; subtle ways of being silent; and listening, looking, speaking, or acting.  Such are the drops of love that keep our religious lives “burning with a lively flame!”

Jesus was truly human, and He shared our life, our loneliness, our anguish and our death.  He is not far away from us, as the once-popular song put it: “Watching us—from a distance.”  Rather, He is very close, so much so, that we can touch, serve and love Him every day of our lives—through our interactions with others, and in moments of silent meditation.  With the “oil of prayer” and good works, we can keep our lamp of faith burning, so He will recognize us.  We won’t be judged for a momentary lapse, but on our lives as a whole. 

Since we do not know the day, nor the hour of the Lord’s coming—our moment of death—we must be prepared, so that when He comes, we can enter His Kingdom.  To be prepared means we must be “doers” rather than mere “hearers” of His Word.  (This has particular significance for me, when I believed I was near death, having experienced an aortic aneurism, some years ago.  In planning for my final moment, I concentrated my thoughts and prayers on “getting my spiritual house” in order.  Surviving that, I adopted an attitude of constant “readiness,” in which I believe I am prepared, at any time, should I be called to meet our Blessed Lord.) 

All that Jesus meant for us to hear, in today’s Gospel parable, is a warning.  It is a sign of His love for us, that tells us every moment of our life should be beautiful.  Our soul should always be ready for the coming of the “Bridegroom”—always waiting, expectedly, for the “arrival of the Beloved.”  

May God Richly Bless You!

Light of Peace.docx

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Edited November 12, 2023 by Father Michael