Archive for November 7, 2020

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted: November 7, 2020 by CatholicJules in Sunday Reflections
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Members of the Wedding: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings:
Wisdom 6:12–16
Psalm 63:2–8
1 Thessalonians 4:13–17
Matthew 25:1–13

According to marriage customs of Jesus’ day, a bride was first “betrothed” to her husband but continued for a time to live with her family. Then, at the appointed hour, some months later, the groom would come to claim her, leading her family and bridal party to the wedding feast that would celebrate and inaugurate their new life together.

This is the background to the parable of the last judgment we hear in today’s Gospel.
In the parable’s symbolism, Jesus is the Bridegroom (see Mark 2:19). In this, He fulfills God’s ancient promise to join himself forever to His chosen people as a husband cleaves to his bride (see Hosea 2:16–20). The virgins of the bridal party represent us, the members of the Church.
We were “betrothed” to Jesus in Baptism (see 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25–27) and are called to lives of holiness and devotion until He comes again to lead us to the heavenly wedding feast at the end of time (see Revelation 19:7–9; 21:1–4).

As St. Paul warns in today’s Epistle, Jesus is coming again, though we know not the day nor the hour.
We need to keep vigil throughout the dark night of this time in which our Bridegroom seems long delayed. We need to keep our souls’ lamps filled with the oil of perseverance and desire for God–virtues that are extolled in today’s First Reading and Psalm.

We are to seek Him in love, meditating upon His kindness, calling upon His name, striving to be ever more worthy of Him, to be found without spot or blemish when He comes.
If we do this, we will be counted as wise and the oil for our lamps will not run dry (see 1 Kings 17:16). We will perceive the Bridegroom, the Wisdom of God (see Proverbs 8:22–31, 35; 9:1–5), hastening toward us, beckoning us to the table He has prepared, the rich banquet which will satisfy our souls.

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: November 7, 2020 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Money in itself is neither good or evil. That being said, due to our fallen nature it can become a powerful temptation in which we might be stripped of our virtues and Holiness. This often happens when greed, lust and love for money creeps in. What should be used for good becomes twisted and for one’s personal gain.

It we could discipline ourselves to use it for our basic necessities, sustenance and the bulk of it to glorify the Lord our God we will do wonders for ourselves, our families and our brethren. Have we not come to the realisation that even the money we have is through God’s providence? How are we managing it as His stewards? Holy mother does not run on air but likewise through God’s providence, how many souls then are saved as a result of it being put to use to build His Kingdom! Lord thy kingdom come, thy will be done!

Lord Jesus my saviour, in good times and in bad for better or for worse let me be one with You. Now and forever. Amen

First reading
Philippians 4:10-19 ·
With the help of the One who gives me strength, there is nothing I cannot master

It is a great joy to me, in the Lord, that at last you have shown some concern for me again; though of course you were concerned before, and only lacked an opportunity. I am not talking about shortage of money: I have learnt to manage on whatever I have, I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In the early days of the Good News, as you people of Philippi well know, when I left Macedonia, no other church helped me with gifts of money. You were the only ones; and twice since my stay in Thessalonika you have sent me what I needed. It is not your gift that I value; what is valuable to me is the interest that is mounting up in your account. Now for the time being I have everything that I need and more: I am fully provided now that I have received from Epaphroditus the offering that you sent, a sweet fragrance – the sacrifice that God accepts and finds pleasing. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.


Gospel
Luke 16:9-15
Use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
    ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
    The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’