Homily

Saturday, November 5, 2005, Sweetest Heart of Mary,

and Sunday, November 6, 2006, St. Joseph and St. Josaphat, 32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Wisdom of Preparing for Death by both Faith and Good Deeds

[Introduction, many didn’t meet me due to the St. Joseph anniversary Mass last week.]

            The readings of the Sacred Liturgy during the month of November bring us every year to consider the eternal truths, such as life and death, sin and grace, heaven and hell, merit and judgment, time and eternity. This is so because it is a windup for the last Sunday before Advent, and on that last Sunday, we meditate on Jesus Christ the King of all things in heaven and on earth. It is appropriate that November begins with the feast of all saints, then the rememberance of all poor souls on the next day, Nov. 2^nd. We should all remember that visiting a cemetery, during Nov. 1-8, wins a plenary indulgence for ourselves or for a poor soul in purgatory – never for another living person, and one plenary indulgence maximum per day – with all the regular conditions.

            Considering the content of the readings today, and their immense value for the salvation of our souls and our relationship with our Merciful Creator and Redeemer, today we will consider three things. First, what will happen at the end of time. Second, when we die, how will we get to heaven. Third, what must we do now to live a life of wisdom.

            At the end of time, St. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians,[1] there are realities that we know from our faith. Those who do not believe these things, St. Paul teaches, can only grieve and spend their lives without hope. He states that his teachings on the end time have been revealed, and are not his own word, but “the word of the Lord.” He says that the Lord will come, and give a “word of command.” This will have the sound of the voice of an Archangel and the trumpet of God – all of which reminds us of the tremendous apparition of God when he called Moses up the mountain to give him the ten commandments. Next, all of the dead will rise. The dead who have done evil will be condemned, not only in the soul but also in the flesh,[2] and the good rewarded with eternal happiness. Next, after that, all those who are still alive, not only in the flesh but also spiritually by being in a state of grace, will be raised up to heaven, and the last generation at the end of time will not experience death. And finally, all the righteous will be forever with the Lord. Nothing could bring the heart greater joy.

            But before all that happens, it is possible that we might be some of the vast majority who will experience death before Christ comes, and so the question we need to ask ourselves is, how will I be ready? To answer this question, let us turn to the parable we read in the Gospel of Matthew, about the ten virgins, five of whom were foolish, as they did not bring oil for their lamps, as the others did. The bridegroom, and let us say it frankly: the Lord, surprised them by putting them to judgment when they least expected it. After all, who would expect a groom to show up at his own wedding party at midnight?

            The fact that Jesus uses “oil,” which burns in a lamp to give light, has supreme significance. I wish to recall to memory the passage of Mt 5, where the Lord says, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”[3]

The five foolish maidens lacked oil. Therefore, what the five maidens lacked were good deeds. They had none. And this is why the good could not share with the wicked. For when we die and stand before the judgment throne of God, each will have to stand on his or her own. The wise maidens “kept vigil” as Wisdom says (Wis 6:15), for they had oil, that is, they did good deeds. And the good deeds of their charity, which was the oil, burned brightly, with the flame of faith. Therefore they had hope. And so the perfect life is one of faith, hope and charity.

            The fact that the foolish maidens lacked oil reminds us also of the passage from Job, where Bildad says, “The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning… Fire resides [a] in his tent; burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling…,” obviously referring to the pains of conscience in this life, and the true fire which will punish even the senses in hell. “He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world. Men of the west are appalled at his fate; men of the east are seized with horror. Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God.”[4]

            So we are posed with a very clear alternative. We must completely resist the illogical and permissive philosophy of relativism, which infests American society like rats in a barn, a philosophy which claims all there is no black and white. Did you ever realize that when someone says it, the very teaching that “there is not black and white” is extremely black and white. At least one thing is clear: that nothing is clear; and if nothing is clear, now how can it be clear that nothing is clear?

            Jesus cuts through all this nonsense: there are five maidens that are wise, and five that are fools, period. It isn’t four and four with two in between. We either enjoy the consolation St. Paul talks about with the saints and the Trinity in heaven, or the punishment of being cast into the darkness and burning sulfur forever.

            Therefore in this life we must strive to be wise, and to live wise lives. The book of wisdom invites us today to meditate on wisdom. Wisdom will “make herself known in anticipation,” that is, the wise are not only those who have attained great knowledge of the last things and live accordingly. Rather wisdom is attained by trying to meditate on it, it is attained by looking for it, it is attained by wanting it. It is the way and the goal, proper to the intellect and will, indeed, the Spirit of Wisdom is the Spirit of Christ, who is eventually the Holy Spirit himself.

            Therefore, let us heed the words of St. Augustine, “Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch with love, watch with charity, watch with good works […]; make ready the lamps, make sure they do not go out […], renew them with the inner oil of an upright conscience; then shall the Bridegroom enfold you in the embrace of his love and bring you into his banquet room, where your lamp can never be extinguished.”[5] For what is at steak is your greatest good, the eternal salvation of your soul.