REFLECTION
THIRTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
A - MT 25.1-13
A MAN BRINGS HIS CAR INTO A GARAGE. “SOMETHING’S WRONG,” HE TELLS THE MECHANIC. “IT’S NOT DRIVING AS IT SHOULD.” SO THE MECHANIC POPS OPEN THE HOOD AND THEN CHECKS UNDER THE CAR. “YEH, I SEE YOUR PROBLEM,” HE TELLS THE MAN. “HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST?” THE MAN NERVOUSLY ASKS. THE MECHANIC SAYS, “TODAY, $200. TOMORROW, $2000.” THE MAN BECAME FURIOUS AND SAID, “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” THE MECHANIC SAID, “YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR BRAKES REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY AS THEY’RE ABOUT TO GO ANYTIME NOW. TODAY THAT’S $200. IF YOU WAIT TILL TOMORROW, AND THEY FAIL AND YOU HIT SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU COULDN’T STOP, IT’S GOING TO COST AT LEAST TWO GRAND TO FIX YOUR FRONT END.”
WE LIVE OUR LIVES UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A “TOMORROW” TO DO THE THINGS WE WANT TO OR SHOULD DO TODAY. WE TOO OFTEN WORK OURSELEVS TO EXHAUSTION AND IN ISOLATION, FOOLISHLY THINKING THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE ENOUGH, OR HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE LATER. WE NEVER LOOK DEEPER UNDER THE HOOD OR UNDER THE CHASSIS OF THINGS TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVES. JESUS REMINDS US THAT ALL THINGS IN THIS LIFE ARE TEMPORARY, THAT LIFE CAN ABRUPTLY CHANGE FOREVER, AND THAT IT COULD END IN JUST AN INSTANT. TIME IS A GIFT FOR US TO DISCOVER THE TRULY IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE, THE THINGS OF GOD WHO IS OUR JUDGE, AND THE THINGS OF THE HEART WHICH MAKE LIVING LIFE WORTHWHILE. THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS CALLS US TO SEE OUR LIVES AS PRECIOUSLY SHORT AND FRAGILE, A TIME TO SEEK JUSTICE AND COMPASSION FOR OURSELVES AND THOSE WHOSE LIVES WE TOUCH. THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH REMINDS US THAT “THE FORM OF THIS WORLD, DISTORTED BY SIN, IS PASSING AWAY, AND WE ARE TAUGHT THAT GOD IS PREPARING A NEW DWELLING AND A NEW EARTH IN WHICH RIGHTEOUSNESS DWELLS, IN WHICH HAPPINESS WILL FILL AND SURPASS ALL THE DESIRES OF PEACE ARISING IN THE HEARTS OF MEN” (#1048).
SOME MAY THINK THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE LEARNED AND CLEVER, AND HAVE GREATER INTELLIGENCE, OR ARE MORE GIFTED THAN OTHERS, THEY UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THE DEEP SECRETS OF LIFE AND FAITH BETTER THAN MOST OTHER PEOPLE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH LEARNING, GIFTEDNESS, AND INTELLIGENCE. THE TROUBLE IS NOT THESE GIFTS, BUT WHAT THEY CAN INADVERTENTLY DO TO US. INTELLIGENCE, LEARNING, AND GIFTEDNESS TOO OFTEN HAVE THE EFFECT OF UNDERMINING WHAT IS CHILDLIKE IN US, TO MAKE US SUBCONSCIOUSLY CLAIM A SUPERIORITY THAT HAS US BELIEVE WE HAVE THE RIGHT AND NEED TO SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM OTHERS IN WAYS THAT THE NATURAL NEEDINESS OF CHILDREN DOES NOT PERMIT THEM TO DO. CHILDREN ARE NOT SELF-SUFFICIENT, EVEN IF THEY MAY TRY TO BE. THEY KNOW THE TRUTH OF THEIR NEED FOR OTHERS. THAT IS WHY THEY REACH OUT TO TAKE SOMEONE’S HAND. WHEN WE ARE TOO LEARNED AND TOO CLEVER, WE FORGET THIS TRUTH AND DENY OUR NEED FOR OTHERS, AND ARE NOT WILLING TO TAKE ANOTHER’S HAND. WE THEN THINK OURSELVES AS SUPERIOR TO OTHERS AND HIDE IN THE FALSE SENSE OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY THAT UNTIMATELY RESULTS IN ARROGANT LONELINESSS, DISDAIN FOR OTHERS, BOREDOM, AND CYNICISM. WE THUS LOSE SIGHT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH OF ALL HUMANITY, THE TRUELY IMPORTANT THING ABOUT US ALL: OUR NEED FOR GOD AND THE THINGS OF GOD, AND OUR NEED FOR EACH OTHER. THAT IS WHY JESUS SAYS ELSEWHERE IN THE GOSPEL THAT THE DEEP SECRETS OF LIFE AND FAITH ARE HIDDEN FROM THE LEARNED AND THE CLEVER, AND THAT WE MUST BECOME LIKE CHILDREN IF WE ARE TO ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. LET’S FACE IT! WHAT ALL HUMANS DESIRE MOST IS GOD AND WHAT ONLY GOD CAN GIVE US: HIMSELF, AND OUR VERY SELVES BACK AGAIN ONCE THIS LIFE IS OVER, AND ALL THOSE WHOM WE LOVE AND ARE LOVED BY. ONLY GOD CAN DO THAT, AND WE WILL NEVER BE FULLY SATISFIED UNTIL WE RECEIVE ALL OF THAT. AND WE CANNOT OBTAIN ANY OF IT UNLESS WE LIVE IN THE TRUTH. HUMILTY IS THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH IS THAT WE NEED GOD AND WE NEED EACH OTHER. SIMPLY PUT, IT IS HONESTY BEFORE GOD AND OTHERS, ADMITTING OUR NEED FOR GOD AND EACH OTHER.
AND SO THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS ILLUSTRATES THE PRECARIOUSNESS AND PRECIOSNESS OF THE TIME WE ARE GIVEN TO LIVE LIVES THAT TRULY MATTER. WE MUST MAKE AN EFFORT TIME AND TIME AGAIN NOT TO LET THE MANY DEMANDS ON OUR TIME AND ENERGY DERAIL US FROM LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS: A LIFE CENTERED ON THE TRUTH OF OUR NEED FOR GOD AND OTHERS; A LIFE CENTERED IN LOVE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS; A LIFE LIVED IN THE CONSTANT AWARENESS OF GOD’S LOVING PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES; A LIFE THAT FINDS ITS TRUE FULFILLMENT IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE GREATER GOOD OF OTHERS; A LIFE THAT KNOWS TIME IS PRECIOUS AND DOES NOT WAIT FOR TOMORROW TO DO THE IMPORTANT THINGS TODAY, EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AS WE ENTER INTO THE SABBATH REST TODAY, LET US ASK THE LORD JESUS TO GIVE US THE GIFT OF HUMILITY AND WISDOM, THE GIFT OF HONESTY BEFORE GOD AND OTHERS THAT WE STAND IN NEED OF HIM AND EACH OTHER, AND THE GIFT TO HELP US LIVE LIVES THAT TRULY MATTER IN HIS SIGHT EACH DAY. THEN WE WILL BE WORTHY OF THE REWARDS OF LIVING A LIFE WORTHY OF A DISCIPLE OF THE LORD IN THIS LIFE, AND WORTHY TO RECEIVE THE PROMISE OF EVERLASTING LIFE WITH GOD AND OUR LOVED ONES IN THE LIFE OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH TO COME. MAY GOD GRANT US THIS. AMEN.