OMELIE / Omelie EN

12 nov 2023

12/11/2023 - 32nd Sunday in O.T. - year A

12/11/2023 - 32^nd Sunday in O.T. - year A

Reading 1 WIS 6,12-16 Psalm 63 Reading 2 1THES 4,13-18 Gospel MT 25,1-13

Saint Paul takes the time to console the believers: they thought that the faithful departed would not be able to be present on the day of the glorious return of Jesus; in fact, they believed the Lord was going to come shortly! The apostle reassures them that the Lord will not discriminate: when He will come, He will call also His faithful already dead. He enjoys our and their presence in the same way. We are still not able to imagine the omnipotence of God’s love, so we are struggling to think of the resurrection. The Lord wants us with Himself!

He wants us with Himself like the wise and prudent virgins He has talked about by telling the parable. All ten virgins know that the bridegroom, who they have to accompany happily to the wedding, is about to come.

They know He could come during the day, but also that He could be late and He could arrive in the dead of night. The ones who are really eager to celebrate Him are ready and have also ready extra oil for their lamps.

Some of them instead have not thought about bringing extra: what does this mean? This means that their love for the bridegroom, who has to be celebrated, is completely absent, or fake, a delusion. When the calling comes, the ready and decisive love of the prudent and wise girls is not useful for helping the lazy and insincere ones. They are recognised as such, and their place is the one in which they find themselves already, a place without light, warmth, without the joy of love.

Jesus has told this parable to help us to be vigilant, always ready to meet Him in a way we can please Him.

He cannot and does not want to do anything against or independently from our will. If we do not want to be saved, He cannot save us. Our salvation is welcoming the Savior who comes towards us, Jesus, the groom who gives Himself to everyone and welcomes everybody’s love to make them part of the full and eternal joy. He Himself would hate having to tell us: “I do not know you!”.

To the girls called ‘foolish’ He needs to say: “I do not know you!”, you are not part of my life, you are not interested in my kingdom, in living and sharing my wisdom and my love. “I do not know you!” and I cannot do anything: I cannot tell you “You will be with me in heaven”, since you only come because it is convenient for you and you fancy it. You will not be pleased in heaven either, since you lack selfless love in your heart, you lack communion with me.

If we lost interest in Him, He would not be able to give anything but this answer to our pleading to be allowed in at the last minute. He is opening the door for us eagerly, if He finds us wanting Him.

This is the true wisdom: looking for Him lovingly, looking for Him first thing in the morning, like the first reading says, looking for Him with determination and commitment. He lets Himself to be found by those who look for Him. They who do not look for Him are left with a void in their heart and sadness in their eyes, because they cannot see and cannot even know the meaning of their living and their dying.

We will then repeat: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord! Your love is more valuable than my life, my mouth shall praise you.

We will repeat this prayer trying in every moment to live in the way we know Jesus likes, the groom who wants us with Him to fill us with joy and peace.