We were sanctified at our Baptism, set apart to live in Holiness. To be Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy. St Paul in today’s reading is reminding us to ask ourselves, how have we grown in Holiness? How have we strived in this endeavor? Not something we can achieve on our own but through our love and relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By being led by the Holy Spirit and obedient to His soft promptings. Not simply by avoiding sexual impurity which is a given, but all things of the flesh, the ways of the world. It is not simply about personal sanctification but Holiness which draws others to Holiness. What was the duty of the ten bridesmaids in today’s Gospel again? It was to usher their Lord from one home to the next, lighting his way and the way of the wedding party. So how prepared are we to light our Lord’s way on this long journey home? How many will we lead into the light of His Glory?
There is great comfort in the assurance of the Word of God found further in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (which was cut short from today’s first reading for practical reasons) We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them; to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. Amen!
St Monica pray for us…..
First reading
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ·
What God wants is for you all to be holy
Brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.
What God wants is for you all to be holy. He wants you to keep away from fornication, and each one of you to know how to use the body that belongs to him in a way that is holy and honourable, not giving way to selfish lust like the pagans who do not know God. He wants nobody at all ever to sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; the Lord always punishes sins of that sort, as we told you before and assured you. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral; in other words, anyone who objects is not objecting to a human authority, but to God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Gospel
Matthew 25:1-13
The wise and foolish virgins
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
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