Sunday 08 November 2020 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25, 1-13 - Watch, be ready: it is at the hour when you do not think of it that the Son of Man will come.

Dear Christians! As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Word of God also turns us towards the end times or the end of the world. Jesus uses a parable to prepare us for this; so that we are ready to meet the Lord on the day of his return. This teaching on the carefree virgins and the farsighted virgins speaks of the end of the world when the Lord will return. Jesus has two purposes in this parable: firstly, it gives us hope that the Lord will return even if the time is not known; secondly, it tells us what to do: the attitude and preparation to undertake while waiting for his coming. Indeed, we often forget what to do during this period of waiting and neglect our responsibilities as Christians and our mission as baptised people, we procrastinate without worrying about the end. Let us not forget that there is an end to everything. The important thing is therefore to always be ready.

The question of foresight or recklessness here is not the same as in everyday life. The carefree people Jesus refers to here are those who are unprepared, those who take their time and those who do not see the end. The farsighted are like those whom Jesus compared to the wise man who built his house on a rock. In other words, those who build their lives on the Word of God, those who conform their lives to the teachings of the Church, those who live the sacraments they have received: this is the oil of waiting. Christ's words make it clear that the day is unknown, so let us always be ready. Let us remain firm in our faith, for it is the oil that keeps our lamps burning until the Lord returns.