Jesus continues on the theme of preparation as we enter Matthew 25 (vv. 1-13).  The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids tells the tale of these virgins who await the bridegroom.  Five bring extra oil for their lamps, five do not.  When the long delayed man arrives late into the night, the latter girls are just about out of oil.  They ask the former for some oil but they are unwilling to give them any in case they too might run out.  While those in desperate straits go off to buy oil, the bridegroom arrives, all present enter the feast, and the door is locked.  When the others return, the exchange at top occurs.  Jesus concludes by telling His listeners to stay awake since they do not know when the Lord will return.  Of course, Jesus is speaking of Himself as the bridegroom.  It should be a horrifying thought to us that we could possibly put ourselves in a position in which Jesus would utter those words to us when we meet Him at the moment of death.  A superficial relationship with the Lord in this life will not cut it.  Remember when Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 7:21)?  Our actions must follow our words, as the remainder of that verse tells us, “…but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”  Why were some virgins unprepared?  Laziness, lack of concern, carelessness, other priorities?  Scripture doesn’t tell us.  But it does say they were foolish.  We must examine our lives regularly to avoid any of these sins and distractions or any other thing that creates distance — or cuts us off entirely — from God.  Being fools for Christ is good (1 Cor 4:10); being fools to Christ may lead to our eternal separation from Him.

As we come back to Matthew (24:42-51) and continue on, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the return of the Lord.  He begins with the words at top, repeating them in essence twice more.  He elaborates by telling them a parable which contrasts two servants put in charge: a good servant who obeys his master’s commands while he is away to a bad servant who is a drunkard and beats his fellow servants.  When the master returns unexpectedly the former is blessed, the latter severely punished.  We tend to think of Jesus here speaking of the end times.  Well, that’s okay.  But it is important to remember another thing Jesus said about His return: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mk 13:32).  It is no concern of ours when Jesus returns in glory.  What we do know is that we will face Jesus one day, as we go the way of all persons.  As “Breaker” Morant once said: “Live every day as if it were going to be your last; for one day you’re sure to be right.”  How would we behave if we knew we were to die today.  It is worth being mindful of this.  Are we right with God?  Are we right with family?  Are we right with all whom we have encountered?  If we keep our eye on the prize and pray for the Lord’s help we can avoid the pitfalls that separate us from God and others.  May we never live with regrets but rather sincerely pour out our sins to the Lord with contrite hearts, a desire for penance, and a firm purpose of amendment.  Visit your nearest confessional soon, and often thereafter.  Our chance is now before the book closes on our lives.

Yesterday we celebrated the Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist which gives us another chance to review the story of John’s death (Mk 6:17-29).  The now familiar story tells us of John’s imprisonment by Herod, the birthday party in which Salome’s dance gives Herodias the chance to exact revenge on John, Herod’s capitulation to Salome’s/Herodias’s request, and the removal and burial of John’s body by his disciples.  Herod’s promise to Salome (at top) contrasts in an interesting way with a similar promise from Jesus: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (Jn 16:23).  Herod, as tetrarch, had substantial power, but did not know how to use it.  He did not ask for or seek divine guidance in the course of his rule, and certainly did not do so in this instance of boastfulness.  Pride, a capital sin, took over for Herod so that instead of doing the right thing, he did the thing that he thought would save his reputation.  Now he goes down in perpetual infamy as the man who killed the one of whom Jesus said: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” (Mt 11:11).  Conversely, our Father in Heaven promises to grant only those things asked in Jesus’ name.  Nothing asked of God in such a manner can ever be legitimately done if it does not comport to Jesus’ teaching.  We should always be mindful of this in prayers of petition.  A helpful preface to any such supplication is: “If it is your will, Lord, grant me…”  Thus we always seek to conform to what God wants of us.  Herod, on his own authority, dealt death.  God, on His own authority, gives life.

The Pharisees and scribes in yesterday’s gospel passage (Mt 23:23-26) continue to get heat from Jesus.  Meticulous about tithing, they have no concern for right judgment, mercy, and fidelity; they should neglect none of these.  Jesus closes by saying that their outward appearances do not match the state of their souls.  The final line (at top) urges them to change their dispositions so that their exteriors match their interiors.  Keeping on a theme, we must also look hard at the state of our souls.  It is not enough to do certain things that we might consider just sufficient to avoid hell.  Going to Mass weekly, saying certain prayers robotically, or not committing the most atrocious sins, is no guarantee we will be saved.  What we must do is constantly work to “clean” ourselves interiorly.  Even minor sins or “safe” vices have no place in our lives.  We should adopt the same horror of offending God as He has of iniquity itself, as manifested in the stripes — and worse — that Jesus received.  By repenting, believing in the gospel, and living it, the person we present ourselves as will be the person we are to the core — it will make others better for knowing us and give the Lord the chance to stir in the hearts of all involved the desire to grow closer to Him.

The reading from Monday (Mt 23:13-22) has Jesus continuing to tear into the Pharisees and scribes.  He calls them hypocrites and blind guides, blocking the Kingdom for themselves and others, leading converts astray, and swearing by things and not by that which makes them sacred.  We can certainly appreciate the beauty of created things, but we must never value created things over the Creator.  We certainly can and should honor God with beauty in art, architecture, singing, and all the other trappings of worship.  These things should serve to inspire us to desire to love, honor, and obey God all the more.  When they don’t, and our hearts are far from Him, or when we think the ritual actions are enough when the heart is not in it, we are gravely mistaken.  The Lord, the hound of Heaven, pursues us relentlessly, wanting each one of us to give ourselves completely to Him as He has done for us.  Let us never deny this grace but always pray and work to be open to it and receive it all the more, and gratefully so.  And one more thing.  Jesus can be found in the most beautiful — and empty — churches in the world.  But He longs for us.  Pay Him a visit out of the blue soon.  Keep Him company and He will make your day.

The gospel reading from Sunday (Jn 6:60-69) is the resulting questioning of the climax of the Bread of Life discourse.  Not comprehending Jesus’ strong emphasis on the necessity of eating His flesh and blood, many disciples murmur the words at top.  Jesus, knowing their hearts, speaks of His ascension, the power of the Spirit, and the power of His words.  Nevertheless, many disciples leave Him to return to their former way of life.  When Jesus asks the Twelve if they will be following the others, Peter speaks for all of them saying that they will stay because Jesus has the words of everlasting life and they believe Him to be from God.  Certainly many Christians, including Catholics, find Jesus’ words in this discourse hard to accept.  The doctrine of the Real Presence, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, in a small wafer and a few drops of liquid is preposterous or even blasphemous to those who do not believe in transubstantiation.  Yet Jesus is willing to lose even His closest followers (who are His friends also — cf. Jn 15:15) over this because it is so very important.  Jesus reaffirms this teaching and manifests it at the Last Supper (Mt 26:26-28).  A hard saying?  It can be (“Faith for all defects supplying, where the feeble senses fail” — Tantum Ergo).  Can we accept it?  We must.  To whom else can we go?  Jesus, in Word and Sacrament, are necessary for eternal life.

Saturday’s reading (Mt 23:1-12) has Jesus once again berating the scribes and Pharisees.  He acknowledges their authority to teach but urges His listeners not to imitate their behavior (not helping others, seeking honor and accolades, and the like).  Jesus then tells the crowd that they should not seek honor for themselves as they have one teacher, father, and master.  He concludes by speaking of the merits of servanthood and humility.  It is certainly easier to preach than to practice what we preach.  It is a start, though, if at least we are conveying truth.  Aligning our actions with what we know to be true is a constant struggle, though.  Temptation to sin is always waiting to strike.  Thus prayer and confession are so important in conforming ourselves to Christ.  They are the antidote to begin diminishing and ultimately eliminating even the most stubborn sins.  It is a lifelong battle to try to heed the call to “be perfect,  just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).  Yet we must be staunch in our efforts to do so.  Our example as a Christian is incredibly important, so much so that others may base their own spiritual journeys on how well (or how poorly — see Mt 18:6, Mk 9:42, and Lk 17:2 for the dire consequences if we fail) we live our lives in conformity to what we profess to believe.  We must be vigilant against sin, Satan, and death for our sakes and for all the “little ones” we influence knowingly or unknowingly.

For today’s Feast of St. Bartholomew (Nathanael), Apostle we take a detour to his calling in John (1:45-51).  The scene opens with Philip finding Nathanael so that he could tell him about the One foretold by Moses.  Finding out that this man, Jesus, was from Nazareth, he utters the infamous line at top.  Philip just beckons him to see for himself.  On approaching Jesus, Nathanael is called non-duplicitous by Him.  Wondering how Jesus knows him, Jesus responds that He saw him under the fig tree.  This elicits Nathanael’s response that Jesus is Son of God and King of Israel.  Jesus says that if his belief comes from His words about the fig tree that he will see greater things including the angels ascending and descending on Him.  Nathanael’s initial response to hearing of Jesus, unfortunately, seems to be the response of many today.  It’s not so hard to understand when it comes from non-believers, but it’s very sad when it comes from so-called believers or those who have fallen away.  Jesus provides an enormous challenge to every generation: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt 16:24).  Forgetting oneself, enduring trials with love, and following all of His teachings is a tall order.  No doubt there are many who wished Jesus would have stayed in Nazareth to avoid having to live up to His standards.  Others simply continue to agree with Nathanael’s initial statement, because what is “good” to them doesn’t comport to the Good.  May it never be with us that we wished Jesus would have not fulfilled the will of the Father because we don’t want to deal with the challenges of living our lives for Him.  Doing what He did, Jesus found the way of the cross and accomplished the possibility of salvation for us.  What would we not do to embrace this gift from this moment until we meet the Lord at the close of this life?

Jesus directs another parable to the chief priests and elders, The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Mt 22:1-14).  This is the story of the king who gave a marriage feast for his son.  Some of those invited ignored the invitation while others killed the servants who called on the invitees to join the feast.  The king, hearing of this, sends his troops to kill the villains and burn their cities.  After this the king invites the bad and good from the streets to come in.  The banquet hall then was full, but one man was not wearing a wedding garment and would not explain why this was so.  The king has him bound and tossed out.  Jesus concludes with the words in the headline.  Every person is invited to the Lord’s banquet.  We normally think of heaven when we speak like this, but heaven starts here on earth.  The Mass, as “heaven on earth,” is where God meets us in a special way.  The graces available in the Sacrament are infinite — they prepare us for heaven.  But our dispositions to receive those graces can fall far short due to sin and worldly pursuits.  We are cut off entirely if in the state of mortal sin and add to our fault by receiving the Lord in Communion in this state.  To be in the chosen contingent we must rid ourselves of all those things that serve to distance us from God or place a complete barrier to the life of grace.  Fortunately, another sacrament, this one of healing, Confession, when participated in with openness and a firm amendment to reform, brings us back into right relationship with the Lord.  Regular Communion serves to strengthen that bond.  The King of the wedding feast wishes to clothe us with the wedding garment so that we can join the feast.  Only we, like the unfortunate man in the parable, can refuse it.  Even if we have spurned the invitation or treated it lightly in the past, let not another day go by that we do not prepare for the banquet and join it each Sunday so that we may be part of it forever when the Lord calls us.

Today’s gospel drives home the point of yesterday’s reading by giving us Jesus’ parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Mt 20:1-16).  The story goes that a landowner goes out to hire men to tend his vineyards.  He finds more and more throughout the day and even in the final hour of the day.  When he pays them all the same amount (the usual daily wage) those that worked the longest complain.  He tells them that he is free to do with his money what he will and closes with the question above.  Jesus then reiterates the last line of yesterday’s reading: “Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last” (v. 16).  As usual, the question Jesus asks of His listeners through the landowner is directed to listeners of all times.  Do we ever become envious because someone who, because of the life they led, “doesn’t deserve” special graces, help, or good fortune gets them?  Or what about the scoundrel who has lived a horribly immoral and even criminal life who has a late conversion?  Why should he get a “free pass” to heaven?  “Worse yet,” what about the deathbed confession of faith of the worst of the worst?  Hey, we have tried to live an upright life and follow the Lord and all we seem to find are hardships.  Yet these others get off “scot-free.”  Jesus tells us today the wrongness of this attitude.  First, remember: God “wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).  Second, none of us “deserve” heaven.  We are all sinners to a greater or lesser degree.  Yet, grace is freely given by our generous God.  Yet, eternal life is not come by cheaply.  Christ died so that it would be available to us.  And we are called to cooperate in it.  If, by God’s grace, we know Him early in life and maintain our relationship, we should consider ourselves blessed.  If others go astray — for whatever reason — they are always welcome back in this life.  Mother Teresa said: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”  Judgment will come at the moment of death and will be meted out by Jesus.  In the meantime, we must take the attitude of Christ who died for all out of love for all.  We should want to meet everyone in heaven and should pray and work toward this goal.