What would you do if you were told by your doctor that you have a day left to live? I guess, prepare yourself to go to heaven! Today’s gospel reading reminds us of the need to be constantly prepared for the coming of our Lord or the judgement day by doing God’s will that is expected of us. In the gospel reading from the gospel of Saint Matthew 25:1-13, we hear of the parable of the ten virgins, five of them were wise, and the remaining five were foolish. The wise virgins prepared themselves for the arrival of the bridegroom by coming with extra oil for their lamps. But the foolish virgins were not prepared. According to some biblical scholars, the wedding feast represents the kingdom of heaven. The bridegroom is Christ and the bride is the Church. The bridesmaids or virgins represent the faithful members of the Church. The light in the lamps represent the light of faith in us Christians. The oil for the lamps represents everything that helps us preserve the sanctifying grace we have received, hence, as long as the lamp is burning, our souls are alive in God. But when the lamp goes out, our souls are darkened with sin. So as disciples of Christ, we are called to preserve the sanctifying grace of God in us. What is this sanctifying grace all about? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, and to act by his love. So do you let the lamp of faith you carry with you daily burn and shine for the world to see God in you? Do you utilize the graces, mercies and blessings you have received from God in deepening your faith every day? Do you even know that you have the sanctifying grace of God in you that will help, guide and assist you to live with God and to act by his love? My dear friends in Christ, how do we prepare ourselves for his coming or the judgment day? Firstly, we prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord or judgement day by doing God’s will that is expected of us. Doing the will of God entails - Sincerely answering our call to discipleship and by Devoutly living out the gospel of Love. Have you really answered your call to discipleship? If ‘no’ is your answer, then what are you waiting for and what are you doing to correct it? What efforts are you making to change your spiritual life? What efforts are you making to love God better. Secondly, we can prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord or judgement day by truthfully answering God’s call to Love, that is, living out the gospel of Christ with Love and firmness of faith in him.

My brothers and sisters, let us deepen our faith in God by sincerely answering our call to discipleship and by devoutly living out the gospel of Christ with Love. Let us pay heed to Pope Francis’s words to us today in his homily that ‘Faith working through love is the shining lamp with which we can pass through the night beyond death and reach the great feast of life.’ Amen!

RevFICO
RevFICO

Editor & Spiritual Director