As we proceed in the month of November, we continue to remember our departed brothers and sisters. We commend them all to the Lord’s mercy with prayerful love. At the same time, let us not forget that we, too, on a day
that is known to the Lord alone, will meet the Lord face to face and account for the way we have loved. That will be the most important moment in our existence because our eternal happiness or unhappiness will depend on it.
Most often, we Christians behave like the unwise bridesmaids of today’s Gospel parable. We know that the Messiah has come and believed that he is Jesus of Nazareth. We love him as our Saviour, but we also believe that he will come again to fulfil all our hopes in the eternal happiness of heaven he has prepared for us. Hence, we cannot afford to while away our lifetime like those who have no hope and no faith. We just cannot behave like those who get drowned in their daily activities, as if work, profit, and pleasure were the most important things in life. We should characterize ourselves as “expectant people” – people who have something very important to look forward to our “final encounter” with Jesus Christ, the Judge of all. He made the very important promise that he will come back to take us with him at a time we least expect, that where he is we also may be. We have to wait for him with lamps filled with the oil of faith and good deeds. These are two conditions that we all should treasure. Our waiting for the Lord has got to be eager, wise, fully alert and ready to welcome him. The more he seems to delay his coming, the more we should strive to be worthy of him, by behaving as “children of light,” that is, doing as much good as we can. If such is our disposition, we will not mind waiting, just as we will not mind leaving everything aside to go with him when he comes. Both “waiting for” and “going with” are two necessary stages that prepare us for the final one: being with Jesus forever in the eternal wedding banquet of heaven. In this Eucharistic Sacrifice let us ask for the grace to be always alert and prepared to welcome Him with the lighted torches of a life spent in faithful service to Him.
HOLY SPIRIT: INSPIRE US
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