KEEP YOUR LAMPS BURNING

Homily for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Wisdom 6:12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13.

One of the greatest mistakes we can make in life is to assume that there will always be another opportunity to do what we ought to do today. We postpone important decisions, neglect relationships and sometimes take our spiritual lives for granted, as though we have unlimited time. Today’s Gospel challenges this attitude by reminding us that readiness for the Lord’s coming cannot be postponed.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells the parable of ten bridesmaids who take their lamps and go out to meet the bridegroom. Five are wise and take extra oil, while the other five are foolish and bring no reserve. When the bridegroom is delayed, they all become drowsy and fall asleep. At midnight, the announcement comes that he is approaching. The wise bridesmaids are prepared, but the foolish ones discover that their lamps are going out (Mt 25:1-13).

An important detail in this parable is that all ten bridesmaids fall asleep. The difference between them is not that some remain awake while others sleep, but that some are prepared for the bridegroom’s arrival while others are not. Jesus is therefore not condemning ordinary human weakness or the need for rest. He is warning against spiritual carelessness. The delay of the bridegroom tests their preparedness, just as the passage of time tests the depth and consistency of our faith.

The oil in the lamps points to the personal responsibility each of us has for our relationship with God. Faith cannot be borrowed from another person. Our parents may be deeply religious, our friends may be committed Christians, and we may belong to a vibrant Christian community, but nobody can live our relationship with God on our behalf. We must cultivate our own life of prayer, obedience, charity and perseverance. These are not things we can suddenly acquire when the moment of encounter comes.

The first reading offers us a way of understanding this preparedness. The Book of Wisdom tells us that wisdom is readily found by those who seek her and makes herself known to those who earnestly desire her (Wis 6:12-16). Readiness, therefore, begins with a heart that continually seeks God. We cannot wait until the last moment to develop a relationship with the one we hope to meet.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to examine how we are living. Are our lamps burning? Are we nurturing our relationship with God, or merely assuming that there will always be more time? The best way to prepare for the Lord’s coming is to live faithfully in his presence and the best time to do that is now. May we never allow the oil of faith, hope and love to run dry.