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Dear Friends,
“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.” Matthew 25:1-4
My friends,
Jesus tells this parable to the disciples for a simple reason. They expected that He would bring about the Kingdom of God in their lifetime.
But not in the way they expected. It would not be by military force and political strength, but through His cross and resurrection. It would not come into its fullness until the end of the world when Jesus comes in glory.
Knowing the wait would be long, Jesus worried for His followers. He knew how easily we get distracted. He knew that the cares of this world can make us spiritually drowsy, or worse, cause us to doubt His return entirely.
Isn’t that where we find ourselves today? Built-in comforts and secure lives can easily numb our spiritual hunger. The danger isn’t just forgetting extra oil for our lamps—it is that our lamps may have run dry without us even noticing.
Let us wake from our slumber, trim our lamps, and ask Jesus to refill us daily through prayer, Scripture, and the Sacraments. When we live with joyful expectancy, our lives naturally reflect God’s light to a world in need.
A couple of questions to reflect on this week:
- In what areas of my life has modern comfort made me spiritually drowsy or complacent?
- What practical steps can I take today to “refill my lamp” and deepen my personal relationship with Christ?
Our parish community extends our warmest congratulations and blessings to the forty- seven young people of our parish who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this coming Saturday, November 7 at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford. We are incredibly proud of their commitment to their faith. Please keep these young men and women in your prayers as they continue their spiritual journey, that they may boldly live out the Gospel and use their gifts to serve Christ and our community.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Shawn
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