Today we celebrate the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time and thus what is known as the liturgical year is quickly coming to its conclusion. The liturgical year ends in two weeks with our celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King. Thus these readings bring about the urgency that exists with the end of time. In other words, there will come a time of our death and at that time we will be judged. Also, there will come a time when Christ comes again and then the dead will rise with Him in Heavenly glory.
With the conclusion of the liturgical year springs forth the arrival of a new cycle. Thus we begin the season of Advent. Advent derived from the Latin word Adventus which means “the coming.” In other words we are preparing for the coming of the Messiah. He is the one who is to come. There is urgency in our life to prepare for this arrival and to be found prepared like the virgins in our Gospel. To encounter Christ at Christmas is a big deal, but we so often forget about the importance of Advent leading the way towards this coming in order that our heart and soul may be prepared to greet Him.
In our Gospel we encountered ten virgins who lie in wait of the bridegroom. The bridegroom who can arrive at any moment. It was a custom for an elaborate ceremony to take place to transfer the betrothed from the home of her parents to the home of her spouse. Her close friends would greet her on her way and they would join with her in this procession. It was upon arriving at the home of the spouse that the wedding ceremony would finally take place and the festivities would begin. Upon this beginning the gate would be locked and nobody would be able to enter.
Therefore these ten virgins had to be prepared. If they were not prepared they would miss the arrival of the bridegroom and then the gate would be locked and there would be no hope for them to enter into the Wedding Feast. Now let us realize that Christ is the bridegroom and we are the ten virgins who lie in wait. We must set our sight upon the arrival of Christ and thus be prepared to meet Him.
We do not want to arrive at the Wedding Feast and find that the door has been locked. Rather, we want to greet Christ and process with Him into Heavenly glory. If this be true of us and our desires then we must work at remaining attentive to His arrival. We do this through prayer and entering into the Sacramental life of the Church. Go to confession and allow your heart to be made clean. Receive the Eucharist in the state of grace and thus be given food for the journey of life which leads towards Heaven. Fast in order that the longings of our heart may be joined to our Lord’s coming. Truly we do not want to find the doors of Heaven locked to us because of the pride of believing this to be an impossibility.
Christ is the bridegroom who is coming; are we prepared to meet Him?
