Expectation and Vigilance

The people of Thessalonica were eagerly expecting the second coming of Jesus and it was their hope that Jesus would meet all of them alive so that He would carry them to Heaven. They were worried and confused that some members of the community were dying before the second coming of Jesus. They feared that those who died before the second coming would be left behind at the second coming.

The Apostle Paul had to write and clarify things, telling them that at the second coming of Christ, those who are still alive have no advantage over those who had fallen asleep, as

“The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
~ 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Before the beginning of the new millennium 2000, there were speculations from preachers of different religious organizations that the world will come to an end in the year 2000. There were many people who asked me during personal conversations over dinner or who came to the parish office asking whether it was true that the world was coming to an end in 2000.

My common answer to them was: I honestly do not know whether the year 2000 is the end of the world or not; however, there is one thing that I was certain about, which is the fact that Jesus did not mention any particular year in which the world will come to an end. All that Jesus said was:

“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
~ Matthew 25:13

When Jesus told His listeners to stay awake, He meant they should be prepared at all times. Naturally, every phase of life needs preparation, and we spend our whole lives preparing for one thing or the other.

The parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins is about the importance of preparation. The wise virgins were well prepared to welcome the bridegroom with enough oil in their lamps; the foolish virgins were ill-prepared and did not make adequate preparation to welcome the bridegroom.

What is the significance of the lamps and oil which Jesus speaks about? A famous old song says: ‘Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, keep me burning till the break of day.’ The lamp reminds us there are three categories of Christians:

i) Whose Lights Shine Brightly: These are Christians who have their lamps shining very brightly and everyone can see that light. Those whose lights are shining brightly are those who are constantly aware that they are in the world but not of the world; these Christians are very focused in their love of God and neighbor, and are willing to use all that they have for the promotion of God’s kingdom in the world. In addition, they see each day as God’s special gift, and as possibly the last day which they have on earth.

ii) Whose Lights Are Dim: There are people whose lamps are very dim. The light is burning, but the light is so weak that it is difficult to tell whether it is extinguished or still burning. These Christians are baptized, made their First Holy Communion, were confirmed and married in the Church, but they do not practice their faith actively, and so their lives are dominated by material things. There is very little faith in this set of Christians, who come to God only when they are in trouble. Their love for the material world is much stronger than their love for spiritual growth. Such people sometimes wait for the eleventh hour before they begin making preparations for Heaven. However, not all of them are lucky enough to reach the 11th hour, as some would breathe their last beforehand. This is the reason why Jesus says, stay awake for you do not know the day or the hour.

iii) Those Without Oil: Finally, there are people whose lamps have no oil and whose lights are completely extinguished. They are people who were once Christians, but now they do not believe in anything outside the material world and to make matters worse, some of them have turned out to be anti-Christians — challenging the message of Jesus and supporting anti-Christian ideologies and all forms of occultism. For these set of people, the parable of being ready and prepared for life after death makes no sense, and the challenge of keeping their lamps burning is meaningless. It was Mother Teresa who said:

‘To keep a lamp burning, we must continue to put oil in it.’

This is to say that our faith can continue to be alive and thrive only when we add the oil of love in it. When we pray to the Holy Spirit, we ask Him to enkindle the fire of divine love in our hearts.

The wise virgins in the parable appear very mean and uncharitable, as they did not share their oil with the foolish ones. The point that Jesus wishes to make here is there are things in life which we cannot borrow, and those things are virtue and integrity. We cannot borrow the goodness of our parents, brothers, and sisters to gain entry into Heaven; rather it is our level of preparation here on earth that prepares us for the life hereafter.

___

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A / Wisdom 6:12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
Photo: Rahul Pandit, Pexels / PD-US

Fr. Gerald Musa

Fr. Gerald Musa

Father Gerald Musa teaches at the Catholic Institute of West Africa, based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

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