Wise and prepared

We know the darkest hour is only 60 minutes long, but how to be wise, prudent, and prepared to bring some light and hope into it is so important.

Our Gospel gives us the story of the five wise virgins bringing extra oil for their lamps so they will remain burning well into the night. The five foolish virgins have neglected to bring more oil. They carry lamps that flicker out. These women were the escorts of the bridegroom into the wedding chamber, and they had to be prepared for whenever the bridegroom appeared. Hence, the need for extra oil. The wisdom that the five foolish ones disregarded was available to all who desired it — to be prepared,

We are challenged daily, by prayer and action, to be prepared to be and to bring the light of Christ into the darkest hours of one another. It is hope that gives us the courage to stop what we are doing and pray and be wise. Thus, we first should acknowledge God. By first acknowledging God, and then love, we can bring the light of faith to others.

Our first reading from the Book of Wisdom wants us to rise before dawn and watch for wisdom’s appearance – the Sun – the Son! The gift of the Sun from the Son of God will light our way into a new day! It is not only to face each day’s darkest hour but to stay awake and be ready for the coming of the Lord that is our challenge. The end is God alone, and so we need His light actively in our minds, hearts, and lives to gain that eternal end. We must, like the wise virgins, be prepared for the end. For just as the beginning of our life was a gift to us, so our gift back to God at the end is being prepared to meet Him. Our sharing of His light in our actions might well lead the Lord to say, “Come, you have been wise and prepared for my coming.”

The early church believed that “the end time” was just around the corner, and that Jesus Christ and the second coming was imminent. An intervening 2,000 years has made us complacent! But, like a lucky number in the lottery, your end day is as likely to come tomorrow as any other day. Are you prepared?

Be wise, build each day on prayer and bringing the light of Christ to others. Remember, two-thirds of the word GOD are capital G and capital O! Go love your neighbors. Winston Churchill said it clearly when London had to be rebuilt after WWII: “We shape our buildings then our buildings shape our lives.”

Our church buildings are meant to shape our lives to love God and neighbor. We need to gather here to get the gifts and purpose of the building and the love of each other. Archbishop Leonard P. Blair has stated, “We cannot live as Christians without participating in the banquet of the Lord, and being a part of a church community.”

May we make the effort either for Sunday worship or a morning mass each week, even during this pandemic, to get the light of Christ and to be strengthened to share that light — and thus be wise and prepared for The Final Coming.