Homily For The 32rd Sunday In Ordinary Time Year A.

 

Wisdom 6:12-16; Psalm 63:2-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13.

“KEEP YOUR LAMP BURNING!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the 32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. Gradually the church is coming to the end of a liturgical year while preparing to begin a new year. As it is characteristic of the last days, the church demands of us to always be prepared and in making such preparations we must be wise and alert.

·      The readings of today are not left out in calling us to order, to make the necessary preparation for the end of the age even though scripture tells us that no one knows the day and the hour the Lord will come calling, therefore the wise thing to do is to always be prepared.

·      The first reading (Wisdom 6:12-16) is popularly referred to as the personification of wisdom. Wisdom is being given a human attribute. Beyond these attributes, the wisdom talked about is God.

·      This wisdom is bright and never grows dim. Those who love her readily see her and she is found by those who look for her. This simply means that God’s grace is always available to us when we seek it, but we must let that grace of God which is wisdom itself translate into concrete life experience.

·      We as Christians who journey through these last days surely need this wisdom of God to scale through. We need the wisdom of God to keep alive the light of faith that has been enkindled in us. It is that wisdom that we need to keep our lamps still burning brightly.

·      St. Paul on the other hand in the second reading (1Thesselonians 4:13-18), teaches that when we imbibe this wisdom which is God, even when we die or those close to us die, we must not grieve about them like unbelievers because of our hope in the resurrection of the dead on the last day.

·      Since we are in the last days and resurrection is guaranteed for only those who die in Christ Jesus. We all must then struggle to be at peace with God and our neighbors so that if the end comes now, we will be rewarded with a place of light and life.

·      In the gospel reading (Matthew 25:1-13), Jesus uses the parable of the ten bridesmaids to teach us an eternal lesson about our race to salvation. In this journey of salvation, it must be forward ever and backward never. No wonder Scripture says that “No one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is worthy of the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). We must therefore be ready and prepared at all times.

·      Jesus likens Christians of today to these ten bridesmaids, while some are wise and focus on their target as Christians which is a place at the wedding feast of heaven, others are distracted by the things of this world and miss the call to be saved.

·      Dear friends in Christ, we must pray for and learn wisdom. We must allow the wisdom of God talked about in the first reading to guide our actions. It is wise for us to know that even if the Lord is delaying, he will surely come and only those who are adequately prepared will be admitted into God’s kingdom.

·      Since the Lord is delaying to come, we must “think of the Lord’s patience as our opportunity to be saved” (2 Peter 3:15). Hence, the oil needed for our lamps are good virtues of holiness, love, peace, genuine concern for our neighbor, patience, tolerance, understanding, etc. these are the things that keep our lamps till the last day when the bridegroom will come.

·      We must then ask ourselves this fundamental question, do I have enough oil in my lamp to keep me burning till the end? If our answer is yes, we must continue to protect that lamp from the poison of sin and continue burning brightly. If our answer is in the negative, we must make amends and make efforts to begin to fill our lamps for that eventful day known to God alone.

·      Friends in Christ, Christianity is a daily struggle between good and evil, and only those who fight to the end will get the crown of unfading glory. We must then stay awake and wait for the bridegroom, lest we sleep away in sin only to return when it is too late and be told “I do not know you” (Matt. 25:13).

·      A good Christian is a wise Christian, and a wise Christian will always be prepared. That is why the gospel reading concludes by saying “Stay awake because you do not know either the day or the hour” (Matt. 25:13). To stay awake means to constantly be aware of God’s presence which means like the Psalmist we must say daily “for you my soul is thirsting, O God, my God” (Ps. 63:2).

·      May God give us the grace (wisdom) to stay awake and stand ready because we do not know the hour when the son of man is coming so that we can be admitted into the eternal banquet of God which is the reward of all those who love him through Christ Our Lord, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!

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