32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wisdom 6:12-16 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13
A wise old Monk once told a story of three devils who were planning a strategy to confuse people and lead them astray. The first devil said ‘Tell them there is no such thing as Hell, and that there is no need to be afraid’. The second devil disagreed; ‘No, tell them there is no Heaven. Take away all hope from their lives’. The third devil spoke up; ‘Forget about this heaven and hell tactic – that’s too unreal for them. Just tell them there is no hurry!’ Interpreting Jesus’ parable of the ‘wise virgins’ and the ‘foolish virgins’, we might well wonder had these people been listening to the three crafty devils! The wise virgins could be seen to have no hurry or panic - they were all prepared, like the farmer who had his barns full – sit back and relax and enjoy the moment! The foolish virgins saw no need for hurry either – they were relaxed, chilled, taking one day at a time. No fear, no panic!, At the end of his parable the Lord’s message is “Stay awake”! Does this mean that we are to be constantly looking for signs of the end of time, of our time, of our lives? That could be a morbid activity and make for a very insecure and uneasy existence. What sort of relationship with the Lord would we have? And then we remember the words of the Lord before he left the disciples “Know that I am with you, yes, to the end of time.” This promise and the teaching of the parable reminds us of the importance of contemplating the constant presence of the Lord. God is in the Present Moment and with God there is no Past or Future.
When we are aware of that constant presence of the Lord, we can grow into an assurance that all is well and that God is in charge. The difficulty for all of us is that the distractions of the world, the preoccupations of our own lives, the intrusions of pleasures and temptations blur our basic faith in God’s omnipresence. God IS always present. The difficulty for us is that we are unaware or unable to recognise that constant presence. A holy Carmelite brother in the 17th century, Brother Lawrence wrote a little book called ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’. It was regarded as a spiritual classic and in it Brother Lawrence described how, over 40 years, he was able to be aware of God’s presence in the ordinary and mundane things of everyday life. It suggests that, while God is always present, we have to ‘practice’ being aware of and recognising God all around us.
The first Reading of today’s Mass speaks of God, portrayed as Wisdom. This Wisdom is real ‘Wisdom is Bright’ –easily seen! ‘Wisdom is quick to make herself known to those who desire her’ – helps us in a time of searching! ‘Watch out for Wisdom and you will have no trouble!’ ‘Even thinking about her will give you full understanding’. ‘Be alert for her and anxiety will quickly leave you.’
It really does take practice on our part; hearing God’s Word, contemplating its truth, letting it penetrate our very being. God is present. If we can practice the Presence of God everything within us and around us falls into place. We will always be ready. There will be no need for the cry at midnight because our lives will be filled with Readiness and Harmony and Peace.