DAILY HOMILIES #parable

In this parable, the foolish virgins took the one thing necessary: a bottle of oil for granted. They assumed the oil in their lamps would be enough. Sometimes, we behave like foolish virgins. We assume our parents’ spirituality is enough to get us into heaven. Some Christians assume the penny catechism classes they attended growing up are enough. Some have never read their bibles; they feel they are good to go since they were taught Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) in school.

We cannot all become ordained ministers, consecrated men and women, bishops, or cardinals in the church, but at the end of the day, not even the Pope will receive a greater reward than the newly baptised. Jesus says: “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” This means that there would be no last or first.

Leadership is not easy, but there is a secret to being successful at it: PRAYER. As a man, Moses was very weak; he lacked physical strength, having passed his young age. He was a meek person. He couldn’t speak coherently and confidently (hence the need for Aaron). The success of his leadership prowess came from his constant meetings with God.

In our Gospel passage, Jesus describes the kingdom of God as a mustard seed that appears to be the smallest of all seeds but eventually becomes the biggest of all shrubs. A good character begins with little habitual acts. To become the person of your dreams, you have to start with very few acts of goodness and holiness. Whatever good we do, this day is like a seed that eventually grows, shaping us into saints in the future.

Our Responsorial Psalm today sings: “The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye… They are more precious than gold than a heap of purest gold.”

God is patient, but we must not take His patience for granted. Jesus wasn’t speaking in parables when he spoke about the furnace of fire where men will weep and gnash their teeth. Jesus mentioned this “furnace of fire” while explaining the wheat and weeds parable. There comes a time when the reapers will enter the farm and gather the weeds; then, it will be too late. Repent now while it is possible.

Have I been praying for something for so long that I now fail to realize that God has already answered my prayer? What is it that I am looking down upon now that I ought to be grateful for?

Use your talents, opportunities, and life circumstances to spread the word of God. Whenever God so decides to call you, let it be that you can render an account of how you used your life, your gifts, and your talents to win souls for him

Faith is what will keep you going despite the failures you encounter along the way. Edison believed in his vision and even when he failed over and over again, he just wouldn’t stop. This is the kind of faith we need to have in God – a faith that continues to believe regardless of whatever failures or disappointments we encounter.

Consider a privilege each time you meet someone poor or in need of your help, and treat them with kindness even if they are not strong enough to ask for your help. If you have what you need, remember that whatever is extra doesn’t belong to you. You are blessed to bless others.

Jesus is teaching us first to think carefully like this steward of what shall become of us after our death (when we are relieved of our stewardship) and secondly, to use “what does not belong to us now” to be charitable to others so that like this steward, we would be welcomed into Paradise.

There are different hearts, the stony heart, the root-less heart, the distracted heart, and the rich heart. There are different ways people respond when they hear the word of God, but the beauty of it all is that the word of God is so powerful that in whatever heart it enters, it does not remain stale. Something must happen.