8 November, Sunday — How Committed Are We?

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 6:12-16
1 Ths 4:13-18
Mt 25:1-13

Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall

I remember one of the priests in my parish describing a little anecdote about social responsibility. He would always pick up the rubbish he sees on the church grounds, but would always find himself being stopped by parishioners when he is in the midst of doing so. The concerned parishioners would tell him that he does not need to dirty his hands as the cleaner would pick up the trash. Their remarks did not make much sense to the priest.

In the gospel reading, the ten bridesmaids had all committed themselves to the wedding, and part of that commitment involves ensuring that they had sufficient oil in their lamps to last the night. The five foolish bridesmaids did nothing to honour that commitment, and even hoped to cut corners by getting the oil from the five wise ones. At the end, they found themselves completely shut out from the wedding, left out in the dark.

All our life, we have to deal with commitments. A lot of times we find ourselves making them, and sometimes, we break them. As illustrated by the gospel, making a commitment is not passive lip service –- it requires continued, sustained action to keep fulfilling that promise. It means making that extra effort, going that additional mile, and occasionally getting our hands dirty (with reference to the litter example in my first paragraph).

We can identify the many roles that we play in our lives –- a son or daughter, a parent, a friend, a neighbour. Ultimately, we are living out our commitment as Christians, followers of Christ. So we have to keep active in the faith, for “She herself walks about looking for those who are worthy of her and graciously shows herself to them as they go, in every thought of theirs coming to meet them” (Wisdom 6:16).

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)

Prayer: We pray for the grace to meet Christ everyday in our words, thoughts and actions.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the people who have shown their commitment to us in our lives.