Where are you? TRIMMING/RUNNING AROUND

First Reading: Wis 6:12-16
Second Reading: 1 Thes 4:13-18
Gospel: Mt 25:1-13

This week every nook and corner of our country ‘India’ is filled with lights and noise of crackers to celebrate Diwali, the festival of light. As our Hindu brethren hope for prosperity and seek light in the darkened world through the celebration of this light festival, the readings of this Sunday are about Christ, the true light of the Eternal life. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the light that shined in the person of Risen Jesus over the darkened power of death. ‘Anyone who comes to this light – Jesus Christ – will have light of life’, is the promise made by Jesus in Jn 8:12. In adhering to this call, we have come to the path of light through our Baptism. At the reception of Baptism we are given a light symbolizing Christ the light which we need to safeguard from burning out or running out of oil till we encounter Christ in His fullness in Heaven. In the Gospel, we have some people who run short of the oil for their lamps, leading to darkness and eventually miss the encounter with the Lord. Yes, dear friends, the parable of 10 bridesmaids in the Gospel is about our Baptismal light. As Christians we have duty to keep that light burning until the end of time.

For a lamp to burn light, it needs an energy. In our context, we need constant supply of electricity for a lamp to keep burning. In Jesus’ time lamps were lit with the oil. No matter whether it’s an electricity or oil or any other energy, the basic truth is that the lamp needs something outside of it to keep the light alive. A lamp that is kept without lighting is useless. So do bridesmaids whose lamps were without light. In this parable, both the wise and the unwise fall asleep due to the delay in the arrival of the bridegroom. Upon the hearing of the arrival of the bridegroom in the middle of the night, the wise virgins get up and TRIM their lamps. On the contrary, the foolish virgins start RUNNING AROUND for the oil to keep their lamps alight. In this month of November as we commemorate the departed souls, this parable is very fitting for further reflection on death and elicit more understanding about the life after this present age. In the second reading, St. Paul says to the Thessalonians that at the time of Judgment, the dead will be raised first and then the rest who are alive at that time in this space and time. At the time of Judgment, the people who TRIM their baptismal light are people who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection to eternal life. Whereas, the people who RUN AROUND at the time of Judgment are those who have failed to keep the baptismal life in their life. These days we intensify our prayers for souls in purgatory. Those souls are now running around for some faithful who can offer them necessary prayer and penance for their rest in heaven. St. Peter has already warned us sufficiently in his letter to be watchful about our enemy, the devil who is ROAMING AROUND like a lion, looking for someone to eat (1 Pet 5:8). Whoever becomes a prey to this ferocious lion will have to ROAM AROUND at the end of time for the salvation. The wise virgins are those who carry extra oil with them in case of emergency. They foresee what could happen in the course of their life. Their asleep symbolizes their falling at the latter stage of their life. They begin to TRIM their oil at the sound of the arrival of the bridegroom, meaning to say; they rise quickly from their fall. Because they have sufficient oil or energy to get back to their previous stage of readiness. This getting back or TRIMMING happens at the sacrament of confession. The wise grab this sacrament as soon as they realize their pitiful state. Their ability to approach this sacrament so quickly, comes from their energy (oil) that they have stored from the time of their Baptism. The foolish failed to have recourse to this sacrament of healing as they have no enough oil. And so, they end up in RUNNING AROUND looking for help from someone else to lift them up just like foolish virgins in the parable.

The first reading very clearly states, “One who rises early to seek her [wisdom] will have no difficulty, for she [wisdom] will be found sitting at the gate.” (Wis 6:14). For “She [wisdom] hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.” (Wis 6:13). Yes dear friends, this Wisdom is referred to Jesus, the light of the world (Jn 8:12). If we have this light – Jesus Christ – for our path, then we need not worry about the oil for our lamp. Any lamp that is connected to Christ the light will keep burning. All that we need to do at times is TRIMMING. Falling at times is ok, because we are all humans. But do we have necessary oil in store to alight the lamp that is going out? The act of falling asleep of wise virgins as the bridegroom delays his arrival is about our struggle in perseverance in Christian life. We may fall at times due to an irresistible temptations to commit particular sin. But do we have enough oil in store to TRIM our lamps once we realize our fallen state? If not, we may have to RUN AROUND. Where are we? Where are you? Where am I? (Gen 3:9). Let this phrase of God to the first man in the bible reverberate in our hearts this day to make us aware of our state; TRIMMING/RUNNING AROUND?

May God bless you all!

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