Thirty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, November 8, 2020
(EPISODE: 260)
FIRST READING: Wisdom 6:12-16
Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God"
SECOND READING: 1 Thess 4:13-18 or 4:13-14
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Matthew 24:42a+44). Alleluia, alleluia! Be watchful and ready. You know not when the Son of Man is coming.
GOSPEL: Matthew 25:1-13
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed ID: 95252647. Parable about the ten bridesmaids at the wedding feast colour. By askib
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Thirty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, November 8, 2020 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-32a-episode-260
(EPISODE: 260)
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* PROLOGUE: (Fr Paul) - [Gospel values included in the readings: humility, preparation, alertness, wisdom, and trusting in God's promises whilst not taking them for granted]
The only thing that seems excessive Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, (five who are wise and five who are foolish), is, okay, so they were not prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom!!... They messed up!! So?........... Surely it is a happy occasion when everyone is celebrating and in a good mood? The bridegroom is also surely a nice guy. Why lock out the bridesmaids because they were a bit disorganised and unprepared????
But this parable is designed to shock and surprise people out of their complacency.
And also…. On a wider level….. the parable has at least two universal warnings. (i) It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be obtained at the last minute. It is far too late for a student to start preparing for a major exam when the day of the examination has arrived. It is much too late for a person to acquire a skill, or a personal quality or character if they do not already possess it when the need arises for that quality to be put into action.
It is like a medical expert telling a patient who is suffering a major medical episode, "come back later, I haven't become good enough at treating THAT particular illness yet. I was going to go to a training course to perfect this next week. Come back then! Or, couldn't you have come to me with something else that I WAS actually prepared for!" No such chance!
Similarly, it is easy to leave things so late that we can no longer prepare ourselves to respond. And likewise, one can leave things too late to prepare to meet with God.
In 1660, Mary, the Princess Royal, lay dying from smallpox. She had a visit from her chaplain who, seeing her on her deathbed, sought to speak to her urgently about the ways of salvation. Her answer was delightful:
"I have not left such a matter to this hour."
Well said! To be too late is always a tragedy. And if it is too late, it does not reflect on the goodness of the one who has already closed the door and turned the key with finality. (ii)
This parable warns us that there are certain things which cannot be borrowed.
The foolish bridesmaids found it impossible to borrow oil when they discovered they needed it.
Neither can a person borrow a relationship with God; They must possess it for themselves.
A person cannot borrow a character; they must be clothed with it, wear it like a second skin.
We cannot always rely on the spiritual "capital" which others have been nurturing. There are certain things we must gain or acquire for ourselves, for we cannot borrow anything and everything from others.
Two words that are just dripping with regret and dismay are these two horrifying words: - "too late!"
We know that God is patient and compassionate and gives us so many opportunities and new starts…. But this parable is warning us not to take this for granted, because eventually, the time will come for the door to close and so we must be ever-humble, diligent and prepared.
It takes most people a lifetime for God to enrich us and develop our character into those qualities consistent with the Gospel of Jesus. It requires, on our part, a sincere openness of heart, a humility and a willingness to change and be transformed by God - And also a true state of readiness, that simply cannot be left to the eleventh hour!.
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(Fr Peter)
While wisdom and rejoicing are the two clear themes of today's first reading and Gospel, tucked in between them is a more sobering reference to emotion of grief in Paul's letter the Thessalonians. All three themes are part of every life and are therefore connected. Just as one day we might be full of joy at a family celebration, we could also be confronted by deep loss and sorrow at the news of a family tragedy or illness.
No one escapes the valleys and mountains of life experiences and rather than try to hide or ignore them we should be clear and prepared for what they may ask of us. In as much as we know they apply to all of us at some time, we are still ambivalent about how we should deal with loss and will God understand how much we may be hurting. Are we being unfaithful to God if we grieve and feel unsure about how we will recover?
The early Christians believed that Jesus would return soon and take them all to heaven. At least that is the way they interpreted his inference that in a little while he would return to take them with him. This made it difficult to accept the death of some of their members before Jesus returned in glory. However in the second reading Paul assures the listener that as surely as God raised Jesus from the dead, he will also raise those who have died, and will present them to God when the Kingdom come to fulfilment.
As consoling as this thought might be, the question still remains, what should they do with their grief. Paul, did not tell the Thessalonians that they should not grieve, but rather that "they should not grieve as those people who have no hope." Unfortunately many people feel as though it is wrong to mourn the death of a loved one, because they think it is not acknowledging the promise of resurrection.
Grief follows the loss of a loved one as surely as night follows day. It is just one of the realities of life. If you love someone, you will fell sadness when they are no longer physically with us. It is one of the strongest and most necessary of emotions as it draws together the end of a physical presence with a flood of memories and a recalculation of how to fill the space of the contribution of that loved one to our life which may well be dealing with the shock of the loss.
To live fruitfully after the death of a loved one, people need to go through a period of mourning. The are no rules around the length of time or the depth of that mourning, but what is clear is that it should not be avoided. Not to supress it or pretend it isn't there but to show a courage and honesty allows us to face it. Of course we would rather not have to experience the pain that comes from death, but to deny or supress it can result in serious emotional problems.
This is not just sound psychology, but it is realistic theology. Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, and surely needed to have some time to process this loss, even though he was teaching his followers that death has no power over them. Faith should not be used as a barrier against grief. Faith does not dispense us from grieving, but it can enable us to grieve with hope.
When people cry at funerals, they often apologise to me and others attending as though they are showing a lack of faith in God's ability to heal them. We mustn't be afraid to cry and sometimes let ourselves go. It's all part of the healing process. We can have tears in our eyes as well as have hope in our hearts. The tears are for the sadness we feel and the hope is for the joy to come. Both have a place in the process of loss.
There is no time limit on how long this grieving may take, nor are there any rules about how we should go about it. Grieving is as unique and individual as the person who is experiencing it, but holding on the knowledge that it will one day evolve into something less intense and demanding is the hope that Paul is referring to. When tempered with wisdom and allowing the joy of fond memories to come back into our lives along with the belief that as Christ rose for the dead and it will be the same for those who have died in Christ. . . With these thoughts we should comfort one another.
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References:
Homily by Fr Peter Dillon:
Prologue: Fr Paul W. Kelly
THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF Matthew (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY.
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed ID: 95252647. Parable about the ten bridesmaids in the wedding feast color. By askib
Thirty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time. Year A (Sunday, November 8, 2020) (EPISODE: 260 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May God's Spirit of Knoweldge and reverence}}
As one family in Christ, let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries by calling to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to draw all people to yourself: Lord, have mercy//You shouldered the cross, to bear our suffering and sinfulness: Christ, have mercy// You open for your people the way from death into life: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary II
Euch prayer two
Communion side. pwk: RH
(theme variation: 2 )
(pre+post variation: 4)
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{Bless you all and May God's grace guide you each and every day.}
Go in peace.(glorifying the Lord by your life)
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
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Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
[ Production - KER - 2020]
May God bless and keep you.
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