Memorial of Saint AugustineMatthew 25:1-13
Today's gospel is the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish. The five wise ones are prepared and await the return of the Bridegroom whereas the five foolish suffer the consequences of not being prepared.
My relationship with God is not something to just think about each Sunday. I need to strive to live my life so that at any hour or any day, I am ready.
I need to get better at looking for, and seeing God in all things. My vigilance can be one of joy, of wonder in the sense of discovery of the good in others and in me. Can I carry that off every hour of every day? I’d like to say yes, but I know that I will fall short. I will procrastinate, be rude, be unmindful of others, be impatient and cranky. I will not do the right thing all the time.
While I was listening to Father Corapi on the radio today, he told a story of a visit he had with Mother Teresa just before she died. She was in a wheelchair and very frail. She was weak. She was tired. And yet she was happy. Why? Because she was able to see Jesus in EVERYONE she met! The love she had for Him and her zeal to imitate His mercy is what drove her to help the millions of the “poorest of the poor” among us for so many years.
Christ urges us to strive towards holiness. He has given us many means to reach this goal—the Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Sacraments. We also have the Word among us in scripture whereby we can come to know and understand Christ. We can choose friends who have similar goals, who might assist us when we get off course. The choices are up to us. Life is not always easy even when we try to follow the themes of simplicity and directedness that Christ teaches us, but at least we have the assurance that we are doing our best. Christ never said it would be easy, but discipleship is worth it.
I’d like to ask you all to pray for me for help in waking up to my shortcomings, to wake up to the joy and wonder of God in all things—and to pray that I have enough “oil” in my “lamp” when the Master comes for me.
Today's gospel is the parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish. The five wise ones are prepared and await the return of the Bridegroom whereas the five foolish suffer the consequences of not being prepared.
My relationship with God is not something to just think about each Sunday. I need to strive to live my life so that at any hour or any day, I am ready.
I need to get better at looking for, and seeing God in all things. My vigilance can be one of joy, of wonder in the sense of discovery of the good in others and in me. Can I carry that off every hour of every day? I’d like to say yes, but I know that I will fall short. I will procrastinate, be rude, be unmindful of others, be impatient and cranky. I will not do the right thing all the time.
While I was listening to Father Corapi on the radio today, he told a story of a visit he had with Mother Teresa just before she died. She was in a wheelchair and very frail. She was weak. She was tired. And yet she was happy. Why? Because she was able to see Jesus in EVERYONE she met! The love she had for Him and her zeal to imitate His mercy is what drove her to help the millions of the “poorest of the poor” among us for so many years.
Christ urges us to strive towards holiness. He has given us many means to reach this goal—the Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Sacraments. We also have the Word among us in scripture whereby we can come to know and understand Christ. We can choose friends who have similar goals, who might assist us when we get off course. The choices are up to us. Life is not always easy even when we try to follow the themes of simplicity and directedness that Christ teaches us, but at least we have the assurance that we are doing our best. Christ never said it would be easy, but discipleship is worth it.
I’d like to ask you all to pray for me for help in waking up to my shortcomings, to wake up to the joy and wonder of God in all things—and to pray that I have enough “oil” in my “lamp” when the Master comes for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment