November 8, 2020
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
When doing student report cards, there was a comment the teacher could choose that read: inattentive and easily distracted. Could that comment describe your spiritual life? We can become so consumed with myriad distractions and preoccupations and lose our connection to what is really significant and important. We can become dull. This happens in our human relationships, too. We can easily take the love of others for granted, whether it be a parent, spouse, friend, or a child. We assume and presume that their love will always be there and do very little to cultivate, rejuvenate, and deepen it. Presumption can become a great sin.
We do the same thing with God and our spiritual lives. We presume that God will be merciful. Because we believe that in the end God is going to forgive us anyway, then why put a lot of effort into things now? What’s the point? It’s far easier to find a comfortable spot, curl up and take a nap! There is no immediate urgency to staying awake and attentive, so we think, and we simply fly by the seat of our pants. Assuming and presuming too much about our relationships, especially our relationship with God, can lead to neglect and abuse. It can even lead to a sense of entitlement, where we actually believe that something is due us without much effort on our part.
Folks who are distracted and preoccupied can find their relationships, especially the primary ones, drifting away. You can actually be married to someone for many years and wake up one morning realizing that you really do not know them or truly recognize them. We have to desire God in order to recognize God. We have to open our hearts, minds, and souls to His Presence so that we can be rejuvenated and refreshed. But we cannot do this if we are distracted or napping. We have to be awake and alert! As a young child eagerly watches for and anticipates that arrival of their parent home, so too we must watch for God’s presence. If the anticipation of God’s arrival does not excite us and rouse us, then we need to ask why. The wise person keeps vigilant watch, knowing that in the end they will not be disappointed.
©LPi
MEDITACIÓN EVANGÉLICO
8 de noviembre de 2020
32º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario
El punto principal de esta parábola de las diez jóvenes contiene episodios de ansiedad entre ellas, porque unas estaban preparadas y otras no. Además, la parábola cuenta, al mismo tiempo, con imágenes de gran simbolismo. Se habla de luz de tiempo de espera, de adormecimiento, de la llegada del novio, de preparar las lámparas, de boda y de fiesta y al fin, salir al encuentro del novio. “A media noche se oyó un grito: ¡Viene el novio, salgan a su encuentro! Todas las jóvenes se despertaron y prepararon sus lámparas”. (Mateo 25:6-7). Ahora, si estamos listos, veremos que las imágenes nos preparan a la segunda venida de Cristo, donde vivimos tiempo de oscuridad y tiempo de luz.
Aquí la pregunta clave es. ¿Cómo gastamos el tiempo de la espera? ¿Tiene aceite nuestra lámpara? Aunque estemos dormidos hay que estar preparados. Dios nos da oportunidades todos los días para escoger los valores del Evangelio. Basta con abrir el corazón y la mente para atender las necesidades de los demás. Es tan bonito estar preparados para todo y en el momento preciso. Aprendamos de las personas que nos rodean. Por ejemplo: doctores, doctoras, enfermeros, enfermeras, todas las personas que trabajan fuera para que los que estamos en casa tengamos lo necesario. Al final de la parábola, el Señor Jesús advierte. “Por tanto, estén despiertos, porque no saben el día ni la hora”. (Mateo 25:13). Admirar, querer, rezar y acompañar de alguna manera a todas las personas que gastan su vida por otros es un deber, y un compromiso. ¡Es estar preparados!
©LPi