Today’s gospel parable uses imagery and titles from the time when Christ spoke to the people of the ancient world. For some today, it may seem outdated and therefore dismissed as not applicable. However, if we view it with eyes of faith and an open mind, we can come to understand its power for our lives in 2023.
Perhaps the main theme is this: if God knows me by words and deeds of my life, what will He think of me? Do I live out His Commands:
“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" John 13:34-35.
To live in love means to have care for another. In addition, while there are different distinctions in love (C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves), love always has a common denominator, the search for the excellence of the other.
Therefore, do I care/love for the hungry, the homeless, the forgotten, the lost, the sick, the ignorant? Alternatively, am I one who is simply indifferent, therefore lukewarm in the practice of love/care/faith? Could it be that I just do not care/love/have faith?
Indeed, God shall know us by the lived experiences of our lives. Remember the old song, “They will know you are Christian by your love,” and the “they” includes God Himself.
So again we can ask: Do I care for the needy, do I proclaim and promote my faith, either in a conversation when untruth is being promoted, or by the way people see me act when I come into contact with a sister or brother in need? Do I call people to the Truth? How often do I pray to God, and of what does my prayer life consist? Or shall God know me by my selfishness, anger, lack of hope and charity?
The choice is certainly mine alone. For that is the gift of Free Will.
In our second reading this weekend St Paul says, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” It is our faith that the promise of Christ is to raise us up like Himself and welcome us into the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact in the Gospel of John, Christ tells us of the Will of the Father saying, “This is the will of the One who sent me, says the Lord, that I should not lose any of what He gave me, but that I shall raise it on the Last Day.” (Jn) If we believe this, then it would be wise of us to be prepared, like the wise virgins, for the final coming of the Bridegroom. So to be prepared we must know what our Faith teaches, and not just the “thou shall nots of our faith,” but of equal import to know what it truly means to live-out the commands of Christ, to love one another in the caring of and search for the excellence of the others—our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Therefore, this weekend’s ancient parable is about four things:
1. That God will know us by our words and deeds, how we act, in life.
2. That we are free to choose how we will live our lives out, by virtue of God’s gift of Free Will. That is how pure His Love is.
3. The Choices we make, like all choices in life, must be well formed in knowledge, Wisdom and Truth.
4. In addition, it would be wise to be well prepared for the Bridegroom’s second coming. Not to wait to the last minutes of life to come to God, hoping on a “wing and a prayer” that we will have time enough to go out and buy “enough oil to light our lamps” when He knocks.
Where to start? For sure to avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to check out our coming Parish Calendar for upcoming seminars, retreats, and guest speakers on Knowing the Catholic Faith. Link soon to be found on our website. Future bulletins will have update notices