Sunday, November 6, 2011

Gospel Reflection



November 05, 2011
Saturday
Commemoration of All Deceased of the Seraphic Order (Memorial)
Anticipated Sunday Mass
by Rev. Fr. Stephen Mifsud (MSSP – Quezon City)
MSSP House / Mass for the poor

First Reading:               Wisdom 6:12-16
Psalm:                         Psalm 63:2-8
Second Reading:          1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 4:13-14
Gospel:                        Matthew 25:1-13

1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

HOMILY

Be Prepared.
What do you think happens if a fat priest like me goes to play basketball with the Atineo Eagles?   Fail!!

Why? Not because I am fat  but because I am not prepared!!  If in the last day before the match, I tell someone of the players, “pls give me some of your talent or energy!! Will he give me?  No!  he cannot.

This is what Jesus is teaching us today in the Parable.  We know that one day we have to die and hopefully we will be prepared to enter the kingdom of heaven.  The fact is that we do not know the day

We cannot say , I will do what I like now and leave it till later in life to repent and embrace the Gospel!  We have to be prepared, there is no age frame of death eg. Over 50 you will die.  All of us know someone who died in the “early years”   I am saying this not to make you afraid but to prepare well.  If you know the questions of the exam before the exam and prepare well, will you be afraid to go to that exam?  No.

Jesus compares the preparation with oil... need to have extra oil.  What is the oil?
It refers to inner qualities like honesty, fairness, integrity, charity.
We cannot borrow another person’s quality and preparation.   I cannot borrow the goodness of another.  I have to prepare for myself.

We must work up our way – I cannot say my parents are holy so I have a complementary ticket to heaven.
We have to give an account of how we lived

Be prepared 
When do you start preparing for Christmas? The day before?  No... many weeks b4.  Can u prepare wedding feast the day before? No... many months before!  Before Christmas we are going to do a party for you... what happens if we do not prepare... you will not eat, you will not have gift... is preparation important?  YES!!

If we prepare so many things for a celebration, how much have we to prepare for eternal life?

Let us make the best use of the time we have been given.  Let us learn how to live as God wants us through the reading of the Bible, let us live and love like Jesus, by praying, helping others, not harming others but forgiving them, bringing peace and joy.

Story:– to a group of young people who were playing football one asked: What would you do if I told you knew you are going to die in 2 hours. I’d go to the chapel, find a priest and confess, I go to pray. I’d run home and tell my sister I’m sorry, I go and visit my parents. Dominic Savio replied: I’d finish our soccer game.”

What would you do if you knew that in two hours you are going to die?
Are you prepared?