12 November 2023 – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

by Fr Francis Anthony

Dear friends, I would like to situate the Readings in today’s Sunday, this 32nd Sunday, the second last Sunday you will see green vestments. Coming Sunday is the 33rd, the last. The following, 34th, would be the Feast of Christ the King. And it is so appropriate that in our opening antiphon, we had a hymn, but if we read it, it is:
My prayer come into your presence. Incline your ear to my cry.

Yes, my prayer, just not what we are doing today. From the last celebration of Advent, we had been praying and we are asking God: Let this come or hear for us.

And in the prayer that we had: Graciously keep us from all adversity. We had been journeying. Our Christian life is not kneeling down here and there and saying prayers. It is living our faith in the society, among the people with whom we live. And let me be unhindered in mind and body.

I want to make, through this prayer, to be present in society, through me. Yes. That is the role of each one of us. It is not as I said so often: I went and prayed and finished. No. How I live my prayer life.

The Lord’s Prayer, we say it so often. Have I paused to reflect “Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come“? It is not that kingdom be in Middle East so there is no war. No. “Thy will be done” in me, that I will stand up to the realities of life. “Your kingdom come” in me so that I will be able to bring you to others. And this is what is reflected in the First Reading, in the book of Wisdom.

Wisdom is bright, does not grow dim. Am I wanting? The wisdom here is I must get triple Phds. The way I live, the way I react, the way I struggle with all my human weakness to be one with God. And here it says: Watch and save me from all troubles. That is wisdom. And you will find her sitting at the gates. And I am searching.

And very appropriately, our Gospel text is the story of these ten bridesmaid, five wise, five foolish. The wise ones, they took the lamps and the oil. They were ready for any eventualities. They did not take things for granted. And what does it mean to me? I had been praying from last Advent: Come Lord Jesus. Lord, you saved me. Lord, you gave me your spirit. How am I, with all that blessings that God has given me, have brought Christ present in the world? That is the challenge that I have.

And in the Second Reading, Jesus said that He is coming back and Saint Paul writing to the Thessalonians, to the Greeks, the educated people (they were very famous for rationalizing, thinking. Their philosophy and their principles of mathematics even today we are using it). And to them, they started to rationalize. And Jesus said: I am coming back. And they got excited. What about all our ancestors who have died? They would not be there to receive Him. And He is coming to the fundamental reality of Christian life – Christ died and rose. And His action is for us to know that we likewise we will die and that is not going to be the end. We will come again. And when Christ comes, both the living and the dead will rise and will meet the Lord. That is this waiting.

So let us ask God, like the wise virgins, to be ever prepared for any eventualities. I have to live in this society. We are the minorities in this Malaysian society as Christians. But we have the challenge and the great challenge that Christ has told us in the Sermon of the Mount: You be the salt and the light of the world.

To be the light of the world is not just to walk around with lighted candles like what we did on the last day of October. That my words, my actions, my attitude brings peace, brings wisdom to others to be wanting to change the lives for better.

Very appropriate readings we are having also. For what the Hindu brothers and sisters are celebrating Deepavali like they are celebrating the Festival of Goodness, they are celebrating the Festival of Brightness. Let us thank God that they in their own way are bringing the light of Christ to others.

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