Reflection, November 12, 2023
From The Pastor
The goal of the Christian life is union with God. Ultimately, that goal is fulfilled in the glory of heaven. However, to attain this fulfillment of Divine glory, our union with God begins here and now. In the humility of our human existence due to the consequences of sin and human disorder, the glory of God and the evidence of God for many is hard to see. St. Paul makes the point that even for the nonbeliever, the wonder and beauty of creation itself is powerful evidence of the existence and glory of God as Creator.
How do we realize and open ourselves to the presence of the living God in meaningful and personal ways? Love is the answer. Those who know love and seek to actively live in love will come know the presence and action of God in their lives. The love of God has a thousand faces. It is personal in relationships. It is evident in creation. It is felt in human compassion, empathy, gratitude, and any Christian virtues that bond the human family as one.
As we come closer to the end of the Liturgical Year, we are blest with readings from the Book of Wisdom and gospel stories about end times. Both of today’s readings open the mind and alert the heart to the work of God revealing Himself to us.
‘Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her and found by those who seek her.’ This opening line from the first reading makes it clear that God is not trying to hide or be unknown. Wisdom is the feminine personification of God. Wisdom is Divine love perceived through our longings for God as we seek personal wholeness in love this side of heaven.
Wisdom draws us to itself with the enticement and yearning to mature as human beings in the image of our Creator. We do not think of it this way, but the human heart pines for the acceptance and belonging that only love can give. Only in love can we feel and realize our value and dignity as human persons in relationship with God through loving relationships with others.
Love is the wisdom of God that reveals and awakens the human heart to something more, something larger than itself. It calls a person to live for something larger than self alone. To feel or awaken to this love is the evidence, or proof that God is already present and active in a person. It is a beautiful thing that gives meaning, motivation, and animation to a human life. It gives each of us a deep sense of an interior identity beyond the countless distractions and tensions of the world.
Wisdom does not appear to be a popular or very active grace these days. Why is that? Wisdom seems lost today in the social change the world is undergoing. Social, political, economic, and family structures today leave many ill at ease and uncertain of where to find firm footing for a sense of security. Many turn to heightened efforts for a sense of power, control over others to find security. Such anxieties create fear which is expressed in selfishness, lack of concern or basic empathy for others, if not active incivility.
In this social scenario, which we have all experienced, the fruit of wisdom is left by the wayside. This evidence is seen in today’s parable of the ten virgins. It serves as an important reminder that God is ever-present. To live by faith is not determined by any circumstance, either positive or negative. We miss the evidence of God’s presence when we are lost in selfish concerns or entitled efforts to depend on others for responsibilities that must be our own.
People complain that the ten with oil ought to share with those who are without. That is not the point of the story. The context is a wedding feast waiting for the Bridegroom to arrive. It is an image of the heavenly wedding banquet to which we are all invited. When the Bridegroom comes, we must be prepared to receive him. This preparation is personal. No one else can do it for you. You must use the oil of your own faith in active relationships of love to perceive the Lord when he comes.
The ten without oil were ill prepared when the Bridegroom arrived. Seeking to use the faith and good works of others will not serve as an entrance into the Kingdom. Your own love for the Lord, your own good works, your own virtues are needed to meet the Lord face to face. Blaming others for your lack will not suffice for an ill-prepared heart closed to the wisdom of love.
The first work is to surrender to the love of God in Christ and do your best to make that your deepest identity. Live by that love for the sake of your soul. Share that love in wisdom for the sake of others. The wisdom of this love will calm the fear and need for increased personal control in these changing times. God is unchanging and unconditional love. Challenging as times may be, that will never change.
Father John Esper
Recent Sermons
Homily, Ascension of the Lord Jesus
May 13, 2024
Homily, May 5, 2024
May 02, 2024
Homily, April 28, 2024
April 23, 2024