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November 11, 2023Reflection for 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: November 12, 2023
Wisdom 6:12-16: Reading this passage, let’s be open to accepting and believing that the Holy Spirit of Wisdom earnestly wants to come to us and envelope us! When we pray, with sincerity for Wisdom to accompany us, God isn’t going to refuse. Ponder and reflect that we’re told that “Wisdom is readily perceived by those who love her.” Isn’t that a suggestion from God? God is telling us that we need to pray to have more love for God… so that we can “know and recognize” Wisdom better, and “see” God more easily. When we pray to “find” or “be filled” with Wisdom, let’s be confident that God is already answering our prayers… before we even ask! After all, even the desire in us for Wisdom is a gift from God, showing us that God has already visited us, to put that desire into our souls!
Psalm 63: “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.” As we’ve just pondered, God puts a “longing” within every soul that only God can fill. If we pray to be filled with wisdom and love, we’ll be able to “hear,” “see” and “perceive God’s Presence more readily and clearly. After seeing and knowing God more fully, we’ll truly see God’s kindness, power and glory more clearly and meaningfully, as this psalm describes. Then, we can’t help but be inspired to worship, adore and glorify God more intensely.
The further we grow in Wisdom (knowledge and experience of God), the more we’re inspired to offer God adoration and praise. We also then become more able and compelled to love and serve God’s people, as we see the image of God within them. This “yearning for God within us” is such a beautiful gift from God, to us!
1 Thess 4:13-18: In this month, dedicated to the remembrance of souls who have gone before us, St. Paul encourages us to allow our faith in God’s mercy and love to comfort us, as we grieve for our departed loved ones. Paul echoes Jesus’ own promise; that Jesus will resurrect all who believe in Him. As we’ve been told… we’re not to fear! We’re instead, invited to rejoice in the hope and confidence we have in Jesus’ Sacrifice of Himself to win our eternal Salvation. Our grief for departed loved ones is then transformed from total hopelessness and sense of loss, to an outlook of hope, serenity, and abiding trust in our Lord, to keep His promises. Our God reigns… over life, but over death, as well!
Let’s allow ourselves to embrace with gratitude the peace and hope that God is offering us; right at this very moment!
Matt 25:1-13: Getting to know the Lord through growth in wisdom, as we’ve already reflected, prepares us for a life of faith. We then learn the ways of God and can see and understand God’s Presence in the people and events of our lives. We now relate this reflection to today’s Gospel.
“Wisdom” is the oil we need for the lamps, in today’s Gospel. The wise virgins had lived lives of prayer and had therefore grown in wisdom. Their lamps were full of oil (wisdom), so they were consequently prepared for both life and death. The foolish virgins had no oil (wisdom). With no wisdom, they couldn’t “know” God, so… in their “darkness,” they couldn’t meet the Lord, in time for the “wedding feast,” (death). This is yet another call for us to make urgent efforts to get to know God. Don’t hesitate.
Be ready!
Deacon Matt
