Will You Be Ready?

“Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Matthew 25:11-13

As we quickly approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church reminds us of our mortality. What is it that we seek in life? What is the first thought when we wake up? What is the last thought when our heads hit the pillow? Do we seek only to live this earthly life while neglecting the life that is prepared for us for eternity? When the Lord comes, will He find us ready for the Kingdom?

In the Parable of the Virgins, some were prepared with oil for their lamps while others were not. On the surface, some might ask why did those with the flasks of oil not share with those who had none? Wouldn’t that have been the charitable and Christ-like thing to do? The answer is “yes” if the moral of the story was about sharing, but the Lord was teaching about something deeper here. The Lord is talking about our salvation and the part we play in it. There are some things that we just can’t do in another’s place, and that is what the Lord is referring to in this parable.

Think about a parent or teacher who so wishes their children would understand right from wrong and see that their actions are only hurting themselves. Oftentimes perhaps when parents see their child struggling, they say “I wish I could take her/her place,” but they know they cannot, no matter how much they want to. This is the same for the spiritual life. No matter how much we may want our family member or friend to have a relationship with God or to see how their lives may or may not be a reflection of God’s love, we cannot do it for them. The “oil” for the lamps in this parable are just those things, the things that one must work on and towards themselves, the things which no one else can do for another or in another’s place.

We cannot want salvation for someone who does not want it. We cannot seek forgiveness and expect absolution for the sins of another who is not contrite (although we have faith in and pray for God’s boundless mercy to be extended towards them). We cannot believe in God for someone who rejects Him. We cannot encounter God for someone else. We cannot open the heart of someone who choose to keep it closed. Our faith is twofold, both communal and personal, and both are needed for the spiritual life. Yes, intercessory prayer is real and it works! The power of prayer is indeed real and effective. When we pray for others, God hears us, but even when God answers those prayers, if we are not willing to receive those graces, God will not force them upon us. It takes a personal assent and “yes.” At our baptism, parents and godparents said “yes” in place of the baby, but when that baby grows older he or she must choose to say “yes” on their own.

Where are we on our spiritual journey? Do we have flasks of oil ready for the night that is coming? As long as we are alive and breathing, we have time and we have the opportunity to visit those merchants (sacraments) to seek reconciliation and the graces that we so need in our lives. Do not delay and think we have plenty of time, for that is one of the greatest lies that the devil uses to tempt us — that we always have more time. So, will you be ready when the Lord comes and when the door behind Him closes? The time of salvation is now! May we today choose to say “yes” to God, to work to grow towards Him everyday, and to invite those around us to do the same.

Teacher of the Word

“And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.”

1 Thes 2:13

Have you ever heard a story that you feel you heard before but maybe in a slightly different context or fashion? Sometimes there are similar stories from different cultures. For example, the Great Flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Genesis account of Noah’s Ark and the flood. In modern time, perhaps we have seen people take old stories or old ideas and rebrand it as their own with a slight change. In fact, I have come to observe that many non-Christians would say things that really come from Scripture without even knowing it! Although there are many stories and books out there, there is only one that is inerrant and that can save, and that is the Bible, authored by God Himself.

For Christians, we believe that the Bible is the Word of God, the living Word of God. The Word that comes not from man, but from God Himself. This Word has the power to save us and this Word has taken flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the Word made flesh, and by His blood our sins have been washed away, and by His Paschal Mystery, we have the gift of eternal life. It is God who is the Author of the Bible, and it is Jesus Christ who is the Master Teacher. But there are many people in our world today who, though they may not do so explicitly, claim this title for themselves and teach with the authority that belongs to Christ alone.

In the Gospels, Jesus tells His disciples that they have but ONE teacher and that they are all brothers and sisters (Matthew 23:8). But, of course we know there are many teachers in the world, so what was Jesus saying? I believe that Jesus was trying to teach a lesson on humility. Jesus made specific references to the teachers of the day saying they teach but they do not practice what they teach. They lay heavy burdens on people but when push comes to shove, they do not lend a helping hand. They seek honor and glory for themselves and crave to be in the spotlight and to be seen by others. Those were the teachers of the Law at the time of Jesus. So, Jesus told the people to listen to what they had to say, but to not imitate their behaviors. This message is as relevant today as it was in the time of Jesus.

Of course Jesus did not mean there should not be other teachers when He said there is but one teacher. What He did mean is that these teachers should teach the Truth and practice the Truth, and that all truly good and effective teachers know that they are not all knowing and all powerful, but instead know that their knowledge and authority comes from above. In other words, teachers ought to be humble, teach only the Truth, and practice what they preach. When teachers deviate from this, they are becoming a teacher for themselves and not for others. Similarly, all Christians are called to share in the teaching office of Christ, but if we make it all about us, we have lost sight of our calling.

So, what is the story that we will tell? What is the message that we will pass on? Will it be the message that comes from God, or will it be the message that points to ourselves? Will our lives tell the story of the love and mercy of God and that leads others to Him or will our lives aim to bring ourselves fame and glory?

Chosen From Among the Unexpected

“For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.”

Isaiah 45:4

God always seems to do what we never expect would happen. He chose Abraham, a man who was advanced in years and without child to be the father of many nations, the father who would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. He chose Moses who had a speech impediment and who at times showed a great lack of confidence in God to be the leader to face the Pharaoh and to lead His People out of slavery in Egypt through the Red Sea. Later He allowed the People to have a king and chose Saul who would later consult other spirits and follow his own word instead of God’s. And the most unthinkable thing — He sent His only begotten Son into world to take on human flesh so that man might be saved from their sins. So far these examples have all been members of the “Chosen People,” but God has also chosen people from different backgrounds to carry out His will.

After the Israelites fell to the Babylonians and went into exile, the Prophet Isaiah prophesied and encouraged the people, assuring them that God will once again restore them and set them free, but they must believe and remain faithful. There was a surprise this time as the one God chose was not a Hebrew or a Israelite. It was not a prophet that He sent; rather, God chose a king, a foreign king — King Cyrus of Persia.

God called King Cyrus of Persia “His anointed,” which we know is reserved only for the kings and priests of Israel. Furthermore “anointed one” is also translated as “Christ” in Latin or “Messiah” in the Hebrew. So in a very real sense this Persian King is a “type” or foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. When King Cyrus captured Babylon, he did not make the Israelites his slaves, instead, he let them go home. They were once again able to go back to their own land to rebuild the Temple and worship God. God chose a “foreigner” to liberate His People, to carry out His will for the good of His People. We see this even more concretely when Jesus compared the strong faith of non-Jews with the weak faith of the Pharisees and Jews. Later, Jesus instructed His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations.” That is why we are here today.

Brothers and Sisters, God calls YOU today. We may not believe it and we may not want to accept it, but it is true. God has called us in our shortcomings and our weaknesses and our brokenness to carry out His will, to make His love and mercy known to all. Even when at times we choose to stray away from God and push Him aside, His call to us remains. Our chosenness in Christ is never revoked. We have been chosen for a purpose that only we can fulfill. Just as He called Abraham, Moses, Saul, and Cyrus, each with their flaws and weaknesses, so too does God call each one of us. Never underestimate the importance we play in the Kingdom. To us we and all what we do may just be a drop in the bucket, but to God, our little drop of water may be the one drop that is needed to make the seed germinate and sprout from the soil. You have been called and you are chosen!