“Those who are called to the table of the Lord, must glow with the brightness that comes from the good example of a praiseworthy and blameless life. Their upright lives must make them like the salt of the earth for themselves, and for the rest of human kind.“
— St. John of Capistrano
We should rejoice this weekend for the extra hour of sleep as we “fall back,” marking the end of Daylight Savings Time. Thus there will be less daylight hours and more darkness. As the Church calendar nears its end in November, we are reminded to be prepared, be alert, be awake and be vigilant upon the return of the Master. On this 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear the parable about the ten virgins teaching us the simple lesson of the value of preparation.
There are only 42 shopping days until Christmas, and only 18 days until Thanksgiving, and both of these holidays require much time and extensive preparation. One can’t whip up a Thanksgiving meal instantaneously, just as one can’t adequately prepare for the feast of Christmas in a haphazard manner. In the ancient world, banquets and weddings were apt symbols for describing the joy of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. This metaphor affirms the necessity of being ready to greet the Lord when He appears to inaugurate His reign. One must not be ill-equipped and ill-prepared, but one must prepare every day for the Bridegroom’s return.
Matthew 15: 1-13 tells of the story of the ten virgins or brides-to-be. Five were wise with oil in their flasks, eagerly awaiting the Bridegroom’s return, while the five foolish ones allowed their oil to run out. This story illustrates the precariousness and preciousness of time, the importance of constantly living in the loving presence of God and allowing the grace of our Baptism to burn brightly each new day. One must let his or her light shine no matter what the circumstances. It only takes a single light to pierce the darkness and bring hope, warmth, comfort, serenity and holiness. Many a time, I just like to go into St. Joseph church and pray in the darkness and look at the vigil lights in the sanctuary and the candles burning on the saints’ altars.
Last weekend I traveled to St. Mary of the Mount in Mt. Washington to baptize Jacob Dylan Shehab, son of Elizabeth and Scott Shehab. I had previously baptized his sister, Erin (4) and brother, Ryan (2). While in the seminary at St. Paul’s, I taught Elizabeth, their mother, fourth grade CCD at Our Lady of Grace in Scott Township. At the end of the Baptism, Elizabeth embraced me and said, “Father, thank you for sharing the gift of faith from the time you taught me CCD to the time of my three children’s Baptisms. You have given your life for the most important thing of all, Jesus. And I am forever grateful for your witness and presence with me. You were there at the darkest moment of my dad’s death and at the brightest hours of my children’s births.”
I noticed there were huge glass receptacles in the ambry for the sacred oils and I said to the young woman’s mother, “I think these oils could be used for the whole city of Pittsburgh!” It is always wonderful to see the light of faith being passed through every generation.
Pope Benedict wrote in #48 of Spes Salvi (Saved by Hope): Our lives are involved with one another; through innumerable interactions, they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better or for worse.
So every act of darkness or sin, no matter how private, clandestine or victimless it may appear, damages the Church. And every act of love, no matter how small, remote or hidden, builds Her up. The spiritual life is essentially looking at these two sides of our journey: our virtues and our vices, our sins and our graces, our blessings and our curses, our strengths and weaknesses, our plusses and minuses. No one is exempt from being untainted, unharmed, unaffected by darkness that can derail our spiritual walk.
Sin weakens the will, blinds the intellect, confuses the conscience and inflames the passions. This creates insanity. God created us in an extraordinary way so that our mind, will, heart, conscience and passions would be clear and work in harmony. One must be ever vigilant to tend to the flame of our Baptism in order to bear the Light of Christ for the world. Just as the street lights offer direction in the dark, so our inner light must be the compass that navigates us to distinguish what makes us wise in God’s sight by forsaking the foolishness of sin. Solomon reminds us that wise people have a reverent, discerning and God-fearing posture, while foolish people act impulsively, irresponsibly and without thought of consequence.
We have all done selfish, foolish, stupid things in our lives for which we feel sorry -- whether nursing hurts, reliving past traumas or rehearsing regrets. However, the Lord wants us to move forward into hopefulness, truthfulness, grace and light. His light shines in us through the gift of faith in believing that Jesus is the Light of the world. And through our belief and convictions we are called to share that light with others.
For a Light in the Darkness
Father, grant that I may be a bearer
of Christ Jesus, Your Son.
Allow me to warm the often cold,
impersonal scene of modern life with your burning love.
Strengthen me, by Your Holy Spirit to carry out
my mission of changing the world
or some definite part of it, for the better.
Despite my lamentable failures,
bring home to me that my advantages are Your blessings to be shared with others.
Make me more energetic in setting to rights
what I find wrong with the world
instead of complaining about it or myself.
Nourish in me a practical desire
to build up rather than tear down,
to reconcile more than polarize,
to go out on a limb rather than crave security.
Never let me forget that it is far better
to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
And to join my light, one day, with yours. Amen.
