Homily Thirty-second Sunday Year A
Homily for
the Thirty-second Sunday Year A
Reading 1:
There is a difference between the natural gift of human wisdom and the spiritual
gift of wisdom. The first is something that can be developed on our own. The
second is a gift given to by God. This gift is given to us as one of the
spiritual gifts at baptism.
What is this
wisdom? It enables us to perceive things as God perceives them, through the
eyes of God, in a sense. What is God’s perspective? How often is this wisdom
part of our thinking? How often is it not?
We have
human wisdom, which deals with human affairs. But when we are dealing with
decisions that have eternity as a consequence, God doesn’t want us to depend on
human wisdom but gifts us with wisdom which from above.
What would
happen if besides being humanly wise about situations we pray for God’s wisdom?
God desires us to see things from his perspective, because then we will see the
truth, namely the situation as it really is.
The first
condition is to be aware of God’s love for us in this matter and to love God.
For it is his mind that we are seeking. Even
though we have been given the spiritual gift of wisdom, we need to pray for the
ability to exercise it and then act on it. Wisdom leads to right order and
right relationship according to God’s plan.
Gospel: The
Gospel portrays the difference between natural wisdom and spiritual
wisdom. In different ways Jesus has
spoken of the need to prepare for his coming either at the time of our death or
his second coming in glory.
Since we don’t
know the day nor the hour the Lord will return, we are called to remain
vigilant and prepared. The foolish virgins those who relied on human wisdom,
while the wise virgins are those who relied on the spiritual wisdom. Anticipating the potential delay of the
groom, the wise virgins had an extra supply of oil. The others did not
anticipate. One group entered the wedding feast, while the other remained
outside for their lack of preparation.
In calling
for us to be wise in the ways of God, Jesus was saying that many decisions we
make have more than a present moment consequence. They have eternal
effects. This is clear from the words of
Jesus to the unprepared virgins. He said: “I don’t know you.” They were not prepared for the most important
moment in their lives. Not to be known by God is tantamount to eternal
alienation from him. If we do not seek
the mind of God in small matters, how will we seek it in ultimate matters,
namely our eternal salvation?
Seeking God’s
mind then places us in a response relationship with God. We seek in order to
make right decisions. For our decisions will
impact our eternal life.
Reading 2: This
reading gives us one instant in which St. Paul came through the gift of wisdom
to know a mystery beyond his human understanding, namely the resurrection of
the dead.
People who
have no awareness of God would see death as the final moment of life. They
cannot see beyond the grace using human wisdom.
Our faith in
Jesus tells us that there is eternal life after Physical death. Just as Jesus
died and rose from the dead that if we die in Christ, we will both live in
Christ eternally and our physical body will be raised from the grave and be
united with our spirit. The key is that
we will be with the Lord eternally.
We profess
this in the Creed every Sunday, but may not often reflect on the reality of what
we profess. Our purpose for existence is not to gain material good and possessions
but to share life with Christ now and forever.
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