Open Forum Message 0088 (Reading: Sharon)
November 6, 2020National Crusade of Prayer Book of Truth Message Sharing
November 7, 2020
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wisdom 6:12-16
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
Matthew 25:1-13
Text/Context
- The parable of the 10 virgins is only peculiar to Matthew. It is not found in any other gospels
- The parable is about the 10 wise and foolish virgins waiting for the groom to arrive
- In the Jewish culture, a virgin means a young woman or a teenager. That is why the Blessed Virgin Mary is described as a young maiden when she bears her Son Jesus
- The parable of the 10 virgins tells us a part of a wedding ceremony in the Jewish culture
- This is the portion wherein the 10 teenagers will wait for the groom to fetch his wife and bring her to their new home where they will begin a new life as a husband and wife together
- The 10 virgins or young women actually are the relatives of the groom. They are actually the groom’s maids, contrary to the bride’s maids that we have in our own wedding ceremony
- And the parable teaches us about the Kingdom of Heaven which will come after the Parousia or the Last Judgment
- 5 of the 10 virgins are wise and they are prepared for the arrival of the groom bringing with them extra oil for their lamps
- The other 5 are foolish. When the arrival of the groom was long delayed, the light in their lamps flickered because they have no oil anymore to replenish what was consumed
- Those who will be prepared for the final judgment are like the wise virgins, and those who are not prepared are like the foolish virgins whose lamps ran out of oil when the groom arrives
- And as if to add more injury to the victim, for those unprepared, the door of heaven is closed to them forever where they will knock but they will never be recognized
- Jesus uses this very simple parable to make us understand what the Parousia or the last judgment is all about
- It gives us a very strong message that we must always be prepared in the event when that designated time will soon come
Human Situation
- And how do we apply the message of this parable in our daily life as Christians?
- If we think of the sudden arrival of our Lord it will be terrifying
- But if we have reflected and meditated about it for a long time already, there is really nothing to worry and to be anxious about it
- We focus ourselves with the spiritual preparation everyday. What kind of preparation for example?
- If you hurt your neighbor we need to exert efforts reconcile immediately
- Ask forgiveness for the wrong you did and grant forgiveness for the wrong done
- The hindrance to asking forgiveness and granting forgiveness is really pride and the sense of self worth
- In fact the sin of pride is the reason why humanity has fallen from grace
- In a worst scenario, many years have already passed and still we have not asked for forgiveness for the wrongs we did
- Now you are old and grey, paralyzed because of a debilitating disease and you can no longer talk
- On one hand, we can no longer ask for forgiveness to the ones whom we have wronged
- On the other hand, we also can no longer grant forgiveness to the one who asked for it because we are already disabled. Such time is already very late
- Of course for sure, God knows that you are already repentant, or that you are already prepared to forgive. There is no problem with God
- The problem is the healing and the reconciliation so the good relationship will be restored
- Both the offender and the offended can no longer appreciate forgiveness because the offended cannot hear anymore the sweet words of articulation just how sorry you are for what you did
- And the offender can no longer hear how soothing is the words of forgiveness to his ears
- In that case, we are not really prepared for the coming of heaven
Challenge
- My brothers and sisters, the message of the gospel today is for us to be always prepared all the time
- So that in the event that the final judgment will come, in the event that death will be at our doorstep, or in the event that a horrible and debilitating disease will strike us that will render as invalid we will all be prepared
- The 1st reading teaches us about the virtue of wisdom. Forgiveness is wisdom
- By asking forgiveness and by granting forgiveness we share the wisdom of God. We become wise if we forgive one another because we prepare ourselves
- In the 2nd reading St. Paul comforts those who mourn for their dead with the hope of the resurrection. Forgiving one another will also allow us to experience a form of renewal and rebirth in our life we suddenly become free from guilt
- There is pain in asking forgiveness because we humble ourselves before God
- There is pain in granting forgiveness because we recall the pains inflicted in us
- But there is greater joy when in the last judgment we all share the glory of God because we have forgiven one another
- If we already have a forgiving heart, then we continue with that, God is pleased
- If not yet, we have to start at this very moment before it’s too late
Matthew 25 verse 1-13
Matthew 25 verse 1-13