09/11/2008 - 32nd. Sunday Ordinary
Time - Year A
1st. Reading 1Kg 8,22-23.27-30 Psalm 94 2nd. 1Pt 2,4-9 Gospel Jn 4, 9-24
"I believe the Church, holy". Another attribute of the Church is
that same one of God, the only one who is holy! We have already seen the meaning
of this word when we spoke of the Holy Spirit. The Church, born of the Spirit
of God, enjoy of this qualification and the call to witness to all the holiness
of God. The Church is holy because Jesus, the Son of God, is present in her
midst, and because she is guided by the Holy Spirit. She is holy because through
her many receive the Holy Spirit, who gives consolation, joy, power and shares
goodness! She is holy, even though, she gathers in unity and obedience to God,
sinners. Their presence in the Church wont bring low his holiness, on the contrary,
it give her the occasion to show it by welcoming them, love them, forgive them,
and helping them to grow slowly into the image of the Son of God! Who looks
only at the people of the Church may come to the conclusion that the Church
is only a sinner, but who sees God's presence and the hand of God in her, is
to feel proud and thank him for having brought him into the same Church. No
one can accuse the Church of sin, because this is of her members. And because
I am a sinner and shall be a sinner, I cannot pride over no other member of
the Church, nor pretend that they are to be without sin, but can pray for them
and for myself that we may be forgiven. The Church, like heaven, gathers a multitude
of forgiven sinners, forgiven and loved by God! We are not to be moved by those
who keep on criticizing the Church because of her priests and bishops. We accept
this critique because there am also me in the Church, I who am a sinner, but
we are to continue to love her, because it's through her, and only through her
that we can be forgiven! The main actions of the Church are the Sacraments.
They put in touch man with the holiness and the power of God. When Jesus feed
the five thousand with the five loaves and the four thousand with the seven
loaves did not offered directly to anyone of those who were seated before him.
He gave to the apostles the pieces of bread so that they could share them with
all. The bread of Jesus was in the hands of Peter and of John, of James and
of Barthelme's, of Thomas and Judas. It was not different then and not even
today: no one can say: "yes to Jesus, no to the Church". Jesus Christ
is the head of the Church, that why the Church is holy! He is not to be found
no where else!
St. Paul is trying to console the believers: they believed that the faithful
departed were not going to be there for the glorious return of Jesus; they thought
that the Lord was about to come soon! The apostle assures them that the Lord
will not do any preferences: when he comes he will call also the ones that were
already dead! He wants to enjoy their and our presence at the same time. We
are not able to imagine the omnipotent love of God, that's why it's hard for
us to think of the resurrection! The Lord wants us to be with him!
He wants with him the wise and prudent virgins, of whom he speaks in the parable.
All ten virgins know that the bridegroom whom they have to accompany for the
wedding feast is to arrive. They know that he might come during the day, but
that he could also be late and might even arrive in the middle of the night.
Those who are willingly to rejoice in him keep themselves ready and keep in
reserve oil for their lamps. Others, instead, seem not to have given it a thought:
what does it mean? It means that their love for the bridegroom, that is to be
joyful, is completely absent, or wrong, outward appearance that decisive. Upon
arriving he calls, and the love and readiness of the wise and prudent virgins
won't help the foolish and lazy ones. They are recognized as such, and their
place remains the same one in which they were, a place without light, cold,
without joy and love!
By this parable Jesus is trying to help us be vigilant, always ready to meet
him in a worthy way. He cannot and doesn't want to do anything or independently
of our will. If we don't want to be save, he cannot save us. Our salvation is
to welcome the Savior who is coming to meet us, Jesus, the bridegroom who gives
himself to all and welcomes the love of everyone to make him share of the fullness
of joy. He himself would suffer to have to tell us: "I don't know you!"
If we are not interested, he cannot do anything to accept our prayer then. He
willing opens the door for us if he sees that we are willing to welcome him.
This is the true wisdom: to search for him with love, early morning, as we read
in the First Reading, with insistence and perseverance. He lets himself to be
found by those who search for him. If one doesn't search for him remain empty
at heart and sad at face, because he wont see not even the meaning of his living
and dying.
Therefore we repeat: My soul thirsts for you, Lord! Let us repeat this prayer,
and let's try to live every moment as it pleases Jesus, the bridegroom who wants
us to be with him to fill us with joy and peace.