It is fair to say that the general consensus on this parable is ‘be prepared stay awake’ but we all slumber because we are all vessels (Lamp holders) made of clay.
All those who have heard the inviolate Word/Will/Truth of God and acknowledged it within the heart have had the divine spark ignited within them, as the essence of this spark is Truth. When this happens our pure (virgin) journey commences as we now have the light (Lamp) to follow His Light/Way/Path of spiritual transformation.
As an analogy we could say that the oil is His redeeming grace and the container that holds that grace is a humble heart as only humility can draw upon the oil because only humility can continually trim (Reignite) the smouldering wick.
Midnight relates to that moment in the journey through life when we enter into a new day (reality) via death. It is fair to say that we all have slumbered, but the prudent in their purity of intent own their negligence before Him and continually trim/renew the wick and when death comes they will always be ready to greet the bridegroom.
Sadly the imprudent whose lamps presumably had long smouldered, now at this crucial moment in time realise that their lamps have gone out. They never bought into the on-going reality of the need of creating a contrite heart (Container) of humility, the only vessel that can continually contain His Divine Mercy.
When we look at the good thief upon the cross we can see/deduce that he was already aware of the goodness of God “this man has done nothing wrong” the divine spark within him had been ignited at some time before the crucifixion and held in a heart of humility that is one of self-awareness of his state before God, as he now publicly acknowledges in truth the reality of his own heart (Trims the wick) and embraces before us the ‘Truth’ the essence of Love, as Divine Mercy (Grace) was then given to him unreservedly.
No man truly knows the full reality of another’s heart before God and when midnight comes we can only hope and pray that all have created an on-going container/heart of humility.
Wisdom!
Take one minute to list as many people you can think of in our world today who you consider to be wise, in any sphere of life.
Now take one minute to list as many people as you can think of who you do not consider to be wise.
Which list is longer?
Wisdom in the Bible could be a kind of philosophical wisdom as for instance in the Book of Ecclesiastes. But it also includes very practical wisdom. Think Solomon making his decision of how to deal with the two mothers fighting over whose child had died, and whose child is still living. There’s wisdom in knowing when to sow the seed, and when to harvest.
There’s a lot of “wisdom” coming at us as we approach Christmas: “This is what Christmas is all about, and this is what you need to really celebrate Christmas!” A great deal of discretion is called for. But there’s also true wisdom. You may have seen ads on TV about not approaching live electricity cables: “Are you sure it’s safe?” Or a mobile phone while driving: “Would it kill you to put it away?” Get the flu vaccine. Be wise in what you eat. “Drink sensibly.” There’s so much, maybe we switch off sometimes.
So where do our reading this Sunday fit in? The wisdom of God is a gift. Do we put as much heart into seeking the true wisdom of God as we might to into other areas of life? “The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” (No, that’s not in today’s gospel; it’s in Luke 16:8.) Think of all the ingenuity that went into the schemes reported in the “Paradise Papers” about financial institutions and “high net-worth individuals” – perhaps the “accepted wisdom”, “best practice”?
Andrew Fastow was Chief Financial Officer of Enron. In 2000 he was awarded a trophy as “CFO of the year.” In 2001 Enron went bankrupt, and Andrew Fastow went to prison. He holds up the trophy and his prison ID card. “I got both of these for doing the same deals. How do you become CFO of the year and commit the biggest fraud in American corporate history by doing the same deals? Something doesn’t make sense,” said Fastow. “You can follow all the rules and still commit fraud at the same time. That’s what I did at Enron in a nutshell. I followed the rules and committed fraud. I didn’t set out to commit fraud. I didn’t set out to hurt anybody.” (Irish Times, 6 January 2016)
Can we learn some wisdom from this, one of the signs of the times? It’s not enough to say, “Everything I did was legal.”
Not that laws are bad in themselves, but they are not on their own sufficient for wise and just living. As individuals we need a deeper wisdom. Our institutions need a deeper wisdom. Our governments need a deeper wisdom. How do we arrive at a State with so many homeless? With two million breath tests that never happened? A world with so many migrants and refugees? A world with looming famine in Yemen? With weapons of mass destruction? With a church where, 20 years from now, we may not have celebration of Mass each Sunday in each parish, although we have seen for years what is coming? A world where more that 56 million unborn children are destroyed every year? A world where how we treat the environment today will yield disaster for the children born today? This “Remembrance Sunday” of the war to end all wars, which is still to come true? The prayer of Jesus that “they may be one”, still to come true?
We need wisdom today as much as, or more than, we ever did. We need hope. And we need to keep our sense of humour!
Have we oil in our lamps? Are we ready for the wedding feast?
The rabbi’s disciples came to him one day and asked him, “Rabbi, when is the best time to repent?” He looked at them for a few moments, and he said, “The best time to repent is the day before you die.” The disciples were very pleased with this. But then some of them thought for a moment, and said, “But, Rabbi, we could die tomorrow!” “Yes,” said the Rabbi.
If you were to draw up a list of three or four essential pieces of wisdom for today, whether on a grand scale or a small scale, for your parish and for Ireland and for the world, what would they be?
Come, Holy Spirit.
Wisdom 6:12 Wisdom is radiant and unfading
and is easily discerned by those who love her
and found by those who seek her;
13 she anticipates those who set their desire on her
to make herself known in advance.
14 Those who rise early for her will not have to labour,
for they will find her sitting at their gates.
15 For to fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding,
and those who lie awake on her account will quickly be free from care,
16 because she goes about seeking those worthy of her
and graciously appears to them in their paths
and meets them in every thought.
(Net Bible translation)
“If you were to draw up a list of three or four essential pieces of wisdom for today, whether on a grand scale or a small scale, for your parish and for Ireland and for the world, what would they be?…….
“(1)“It is a time of purging and purification,(2) a time of repentance and forgiveness, (3) a time of pruning for new growth”………….
Yes I agree, the blossom of Christianity bears fruit where it will, and I have often seen, as I am sure many reading this post will have seen also, the action/manifestation of the Holy Spirit working in individuals (In a ‘spiritual community’) while often suffering in ‘freedom’ as they opened they hearts to serve the will of The Holy Spirit (Truth) and in doing so gave glory to our Father in heaven.
Truth is the essence Love and the serving of the Truth often involves suffering as its light exposes evil within oneself, the Church, and the World.
Taken from today’s Mass readings Greeting Paul’s co-workers, and praise of God’s unfolding plan
Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me;…
It is fair to say that the general consensus on this parable is ‘be prepared stay awake’ but we all slumber because we are all vessels (Lamp holders) made of clay.
All those who have heard the inviolate Word/Will/Truth of God and acknowledged it within the heart have had the divine spark ignited within them, as the essence of this spark is Truth. When this happens our pure (virgin) journey commences as we now have the light (Lamp) to follow His Light/Way/Path of spiritual transformation.
As an analogy we could say that the oil is His redeeming grace and the container that holds that grace is a humble heart as only humility can draw upon the oil because only humility can continually trim (Reignite) the smouldering wick.
Midnight relates to that moment in the journey through life when we enter into a new day (reality) via death. It is fair to say that we all have slumbered, but the prudent in their purity of intent own their negligence before Him and continually trim/renew the wick and when death comes they will always be ready to greet the bridegroom.
Sadly the imprudent whose lamps presumably had long smouldered, now at this crucial moment in time realise that their lamps have gone out. They never bought into the on-going reality of the need of creating a contrite heart (Container) of humility, the only vessel that can continually contain His Divine Mercy.
When we look at the good thief upon the cross we can see/deduce that he was already aware of the goodness of God “this man has done nothing wrong” the divine spark within him had been ignited at some time before the crucifixion and held in a heart of humility that is one of self-awareness of his state before God, as he now publicly acknowledges in truth the reality of his own heart (Trims the wick) and embraces before us the ‘Truth’ the essence of Love, as Divine Mercy (Grace) was then given to him unreservedly.
No man truly knows the full reality of another’s heart before God and when midnight comes we can only hope and pray that all have created an on-going container/heart of humility.
kevin your brother
In Christ
Wisdom!
Take one minute to list as many people you can think of in our world today who you consider to be wise, in any sphere of life.
Now take one minute to list as many people as you can think of who you do not consider to be wise.
Which list is longer?
Wisdom in the Bible could be a kind of philosophical wisdom as for instance in the Book of Ecclesiastes. But it also includes very practical wisdom. Think Solomon making his decision of how to deal with the two mothers fighting over whose child had died, and whose child is still living. There’s wisdom in knowing when to sow the seed, and when to harvest.
There’s a lot of “wisdom” coming at us as we approach Christmas: “This is what Christmas is all about, and this is what you need to really celebrate Christmas!” A great deal of discretion is called for. But there’s also true wisdom. You may have seen ads on TV about not approaching live electricity cables: “Are you sure it’s safe?” Or a mobile phone while driving: “Would it kill you to put it away?” Get the flu vaccine. Be wise in what you eat. “Drink sensibly.” There’s so much, maybe we switch off sometimes.
So where do our reading this Sunday fit in? The wisdom of God is a gift. Do we put as much heart into seeking the true wisdom of God as we might to into other areas of life? “The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” (No, that’s not in today’s gospel; it’s in Luke 16:8.) Think of all the ingenuity that went into the schemes reported in the “Paradise Papers” about financial institutions and “high net-worth individuals” – perhaps the “accepted wisdom”, “best practice”?
Andrew Fastow was Chief Financial Officer of Enron. In 2000 he was awarded a trophy as “CFO of the year.” In 2001 Enron went bankrupt, and Andrew Fastow went to prison. He holds up the trophy and his prison ID card. “I got both of these for doing the same deals. How do you become CFO of the year and commit the biggest fraud in American corporate history by doing the same deals? Something doesn’t make sense,” said Fastow. “You can follow all the rules and still commit fraud at the same time. That’s what I did at Enron in a nutshell. I followed the rules and committed fraud. I didn’t set out to commit fraud. I didn’t set out to hurt anybody.” (Irish Times, 6 January 2016)
Can we learn some wisdom from this, one of the signs of the times? It’s not enough to say, “Everything I did was legal.”
Not that laws are bad in themselves, but they are not on their own sufficient for wise and just living. As individuals we need a deeper wisdom. Our institutions need a deeper wisdom. Our governments need a deeper wisdom. How do we arrive at a State with so many homeless? With two million breath tests that never happened? A world with so many migrants and refugees? A world with looming famine in Yemen? With weapons of mass destruction? With a church where, 20 years from now, we may not have celebration of Mass each Sunday in each parish, although we have seen for years what is coming? A world where more that 56 million unborn children are destroyed every year? A world where how we treat the environment today will yield disaster for the children born today? This “Remembrance Sunday” of the war to end all wars, which is still to come true? The prayer of Jesus that “they may be one”, still to come true?
We need wisdom today as much as, or more than, we ever did. We need hope. And we need to keep our sense of humour!
Have we oil in our lamps? Are we ready for the wedding feast?
The rabbi’s disciples came to him one day and asked him, “Rabbi, when is the best time to repent?” He looked at them for a few moments, and he said, “The best time to repent is the day before you die.” The disciples were very pleased with this. But then some of them thought for a moment, and said, “But, Rabbi, we could die tomorrow!” “Yes,” said the Rabbi.
If you were to draw up a list of three or four essential pieces of wisdom for today, whether on a grand scale or a small scale, for your parish and for Ireland and for the world, what would they be?
Come, Holy Spirit.
Wisdom 6:12 Wisdom is radiant and unfading
and is easily discerned by those who love her
and found by those who seek her;
13 she anticipates those who set their desire on her
to make herself known in advance.
14 Those who rise early for her will not have to labour,
for they will find her sitting at their gates.
15 For to fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding,
and those who lie awake on her account will quickly be free from care,
16 because she goes about seeking those worthy of her
and graciously appears to them in their paths
and meets them in every thought.
(Net Bible translation)
“If you were to draw up a list of three or four essential pieces of wisdom for today, whether on a grand scale or a small scale, for your parish and for Ireland and for the world, what would they be?…….
From an article by Aidan Hart on
https://acireland.ie/church-travail-aidan-hart/
Three pieces of wisdom that will give new life to Parishes, Ireland and the World.
“(1)“It is a time of purging and purification,(2) a time of repentance and forgiveness, (3) a time of pruning for new growth”………….
Yes I agree, the blossom of Christianity bears fruit where it will, and I have often seen, as I am sure many reading this post will have seen also, the action/manifestation of the Holy Spirit working in individuals (In a ‘spiritual community’) while often suffering in ‘freedom’ as they opened they hearts to serve the will of The Holy Spirit (Truth) and in doing so gave glory to our Father in heaven.
Truth is the essence Love and the serving of the Truth often involves suffering as its light exposes evil within oneself, the Church, and the World.
Taken from today’s Mass readings Greeting Paul’s co-workers, and praise of God’s unfolding plan
Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me;…
kevin your brother
In Christ