Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 12, 2020
I
–Wisdom is found by those who seek her.
R
–My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
II
– God, through Jesus, will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
A
– Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
G –Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!
+ Our central thought today comes from the responsorial refrain: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. There is a deep sense of longing and yearning in each and every human soul for God. There is an incompleteness that can only be completed by God. There is restlessness that can only be satisfied by God. This is so because God has made the human soul in this way, and for a reason: he loves us intensely and he wants to spend forever with us, but he respects our freedom too much to force us to want to be with him, however, he did at least tip the scales by putting in us this elemental desire to unite with the one Being from whom we came, who alone can be our fulfillment!
The knowledge of this mystery comes from a tremendous gift that God gives to “any who seek her.” Wisdom, Divine Light, is given to those who truly seek her – the Book of Wisdom tells us today. “She is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate – she meets them with all solicitude.” This is amazing! This is a reality for those who “thirst for God.”
Of course, the second reading today tells us of the transition that must be made by all of us to attain our goal – the passageway of death! Death comes to us all; but for those of us who live in hope both in life and in death, we know that what happened to Jesus will also happen to us: our hope tells us that just as he died and rose to newness of life, by his unparalleled gift, the same will happen to us!
Therefore, our gospel passage tells us to be watching and waiting, our lamps filled with the oil of our good works and our fervent prayers for the fulfillment of salvation – our eyes focused on Jesus Christ, and him Crucified – and we shall be saved – at whatever day or hour the bridegroom comes. We are all invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb, he is the Bridegroom of the Church – may our longing and yearning and restlessness lead us always to the Person who is the fulfillment of it all: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the King – who is so looking forward to spending eternal life with us!
Stay
awake and be ready!
For
you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
