This Week Letter – November 12, 2017
Dear Parishioners and Friends.
In the month of November, the Church particularly wants to remind and encourage us to make sure that we do not forget to prepare ourselves for the final meeting with the Lord amidst the confusion of daily duties and responsibilities. Very few people want to talk about the last hour, because it’s not nice, it can be quite sad. Yet, in eternal life, joy awaits us. Though to understand and accept this, we must walk the journey here on Earth.
The readings we hear at Holy Mass show us how to benefit from the blessings described in the Word of God. First, we need “Wisdom”, which is described in the first reading before the last Sunday before Advent. The reading is perfect at this time of preparation for Advent. Wisdom is for those who seek it. As a divine gift, it serves by teaching us the truths and mysteries that await us and lead us to their delights. For, “Resplendent and unfading is Wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her; one who watches for her at dawn will not be disappointed, for she will be found sitting at the gate.” (Wis 6:12-14).
By seeking Wisdom, and filling our minds with it, we receive the joy of knowing the Word of God, and the gap in the circle is closed. Through Wisdom we know the Word of God; we gain hope without which there is no joy of knowing the faith and life in Jesus Christ. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with Him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thess 4:14). Do not worry about death, because here we are only learning to live. Our main task is to gain eternal life, where life begins, and it is in this style of living that we increase our faith.
The transition to eternal life requires preparation, and this is the purpose of our life here and now. In the Gospel message, we discover what is important in the time of preparation and expectation. If we listen well, we will understand how to be prudent, watchful, persistent, ang ready to go out to meet Christ. A well– lived “today” will prepare us for our “tomorrow”. The lamp is lit by human life, which draws power from the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ. The heart of man is enlightened by faith and hope and burns with the love that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts, like the oil of which the Gospel speaks. Sanctifying grace is exemplified by the burning lamp as the condition of the human soul, and the indication of eternal life. Let us be wise by our faith. Let’s face life, with our head held high, because our lamps can brighten not only our own lives, but also the lives of other people. The call of Christ in the last sentence of the Gospel is relevant to people of all ages: “Watch, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” (Lk 21: 17)
God Bless!