THANKFULNESS, THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY!!!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Weekday

by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Luke 4: 38 - 44
38	And he arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they besought him for her.
39	And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them.
40	Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
41	And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
42	And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them;
43	but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."
44	And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED WEDNESDAY TO ALL!!!

GRATITUDE or THANKFULNESS is always regarded as a positive attitude because it manifests a person’s capacity to acknowledge the goodwill or good act, like a favor or help, one has received from someone. For us Filipinos, being ungrateful to someone after having received some favor from him/her, or after being helped to be freed from some difficulties, is always taken as impoliteness or discourtesy, if not to be taken as rudeness or bad manners. Thankfulness has the positive energy or power that will lead us to replicate the “good” that we received from others.

The Gospel today continues to present and portray to us the power or authority of Jesus' word. Jesus rebukes the fever of the mother-in-law of Peter. Jesus once again rebukes evil spirits to depart from the persons they torment. Also a multitude of sick people come to Jesus to receive the gift of healing from him. Because of the “good” things Jesus has done to these people, Jesus will find a hard time to be alone by himself. People sought him. And people would even keep Jesus from leaving. All they want is Jesus to be with them always to answer their troubles and problems.

Are these people thankful to Jesus after receiving the “goods” they want from him? Or are they just like the nine of the ten lepers that Jesus healed and went on their way without being thankful? They sought Jesus. I can just ask, for what? Is it because they acknowledge who Jesus really is, just like how the demons recognize him as the Son of God? Are these people drawing closer and near Jesus, not even wanting him to leave them, because they recognize the presence of the Kingdom of God in their midst by having among them the Son of God? It would appear that most of them just sought what they can get from Jesus, and not because they have Jesus with them. They are not after Jesus after all but of what Jesus can give them. That is why time will come when these people will sought him and condemn him to be crucified.

What about us? Why do we choose to be Christians? I just hope, in the first place, that we are Christians by choice and not by the accident of the “nakagisnan lang” scenario. We sought Jesus, and so choose to be Christians, not because for what we can ask and get from Jesus. We choose to be Christians because of what we ALREADY RECEIVE from him! We choose to be Christians because Jesus has given us our SALVATION! He did it on the Cross—by his DEATH, and in his Tomb—by his RESURRECTION--once and for all. We then SOUGHT Jesus not of what we want to get from him but instead we follow and commit ourselves to him out of THANKSGIVING of what he has already GIVEN us. THANKSGIVING is the HEART of CHRISTIANITY.

Being thankful to Jesus is to PASS FORWARD the “goods” we received from him. The Gospel today demonstrates to us an example of PAYING FORWARD to OTHERS after receiving a favor, help, or blessing from God. After the mother-in-law of Simon Peter was healed, she IMMEDIATELY ROSE and SERVE them. This is a picture of what Christianity is all about. Certainly Simon’s mother-in-law must have been full of gratitude and thankfulness for her healing that she pays forward the “good” she receive from Jesus by immediately rising to serve them. Do we also count our “blessings” each day so that we can always be with thankful hearts and can immediately rise from our private concerns to be of service to others?




For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com

Daily Talk to Walk On: THANKFULNESS, THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY!!!

Daily Talk to Walk On: THANKFULNESS, THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY!!!: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 Weekday by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.
Luke 4: 38 - 44
38 And he arose and left the synagogue...

FREEING OURSELVES FROM OUR INNER DEMONS!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Weekday

by Lorenz  S. Centino, Jr.

Luke 4: 31 - 37
31	And he went down to Caper'na-um, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath;
32	and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.
33	And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice,
34	"Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."
35	But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
36	And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."
37	And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED TUESDAY TO ALL!!!

Words, figuratively, are comparable to a double edged sword that can kill and protect thus have both favorable and unfavorable consequences. In the Bible we can list many quotations that exhort us to be watchful with our WORDS or TONGUE for it can cut and destroy like a sword. And so we find in Proverbs 21:23, for example, the urgency of being watchful as it forewarns us that “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” And so what St. Paul urges the Ephesians (4:29) to do also forewarns us how we should use our tongue when he said, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

In the Gospel today, people are amazed by Jesus’ WORD for it has AUTHORITY and POWER. They witness how authoritative Jesus’ word is when he expelled out a demon out of a man by the authoritative command of his word. Jesus just rebukes the demon, “Be silent, and come out of him!” Here we can see how Jesus’ word saves or builds up and destroys at the same time. Jesus’ authoritative word liberates the man tormented by the demon and destroys the demon’s control over the man. People are really astonished by the words of Jesus as his teachings give grace to those who hears him. People who are amazed by Jesus words and teachings were transformed into becoming ambassadors of the power and blessings of his words and teachings. Reports have been spread out about what they have HEARD about Jesus’ TEACHINGS and what they have SEEN about what the word of Jesus has powerfully accomplished. Jesus would claim in some instances that by expelling out evil spirits from those who are possessed manifest that the Kingdom of God is here among us.

The Gospel today challenges us to examine the kind of RESPONSE we have when we HEAR or READ the word of God. As St. Paul said “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12), do we hear and take the word of God with passion and interest or with indifference, or just inflamed with pure curiosity without any commitment and obedience? The word of God is alive and active if we allow it to pierce into our thoughts and soul to judge our plans, interests, motivations and purposes. If we only allow the word of God to pierce our spirit and soul can we only be freed from our INNER DEMONS that held us captive from doing God’s plans, interests, and purpose. Let us then allow God’s word to pierce our spirit and soul to expel out the inner demons within us so that our words too will become a bridge for building up and a channel of grace unto others.


For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com

Daily Talk to Walk On: FREEING OURSELVES FROM OUR INNER DEMONS!

Daily Talk to Walk On: FREEING OURSELVES FROM OUR INNER DEMONS!: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 Weekday by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.
Luke 4: 31 - 37
31 And he went down to Caper'na-um, a ci...

HERODIAN SENSE OF SHAME AND EMBARASSMENT!!!

Monday, August 29, 2011

The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist (Memorial)

by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Mark 6: 17 - 29

17        For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.

18        For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

19        And Hero'di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not,

20        for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly.

21        But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee.

22        For when Hero'di-as' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "

24        And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer."

25        And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

26        And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.

27        And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison,

28        and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

29        When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED MONDAY IN COMMEMORATION OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST!!!

Embarrassment is one of the “emotional states” that we avoid or prevent from happening to us. It is an emotional state wherein we have the awareness of our shortcoming or impropriety as a result of doing or saying something that is not socially or publicly acceptable. Embarrassment can either lead us not to do something we want to do or do something we do not want to do just to avoid public denunciation or criticism and therefore to maintain the feeling of being socially/publicly accepted.

The sad thing about the reason of the death of John the Baptist could be attributed to somebody’s feeling of being embarrassed. John was beheaded because Herod did not want to be embarrassed in front of his guests by not standing by his word to the daughter of his wife Herodias. Herod had made a vow and promised to Herodias’ daughter, after being delighted by her dance performance, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it… Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." After being told by her mother, the girl asked for the head of John on a platter. Such demand was made out of the embarrassment of Herodias whose relationship with Herod is denounced by John to be unlawful. Herod felt sorry for doing such a thing for John for he knew John is righteous and a holy man. But his respect and esteem for John was clouded by his avoidance of being embarrassed publicly. This clearly shows the lack of moral grounding and ethical stand in Herod. He was influenced by external pressures than by strong internal conviction.

The Gospel today reminds and challenges us to possess the real sense of embarrassment or shame that provides us a wholesome moral compass in our decision making. Many of us are victims of what I may call HERODIAN SENSE OF SHAME or EMBARRASSMENT that hiders us to do what is moral and ethical. It is the kind of shame or embarrassment that works under pressure before OTHERS rather than before GOD. Instead of evaluating our action or any plan of action to undertake, if it would be in conformity to God’s will, we rather consider whether someone might catch us or find us. We rather mull over or deliberate our decision on the basis whether we will be caught, therefore will be embarrassed, or not. If we are certain that we will not be put into some embarrassing situation, that is being caught by others, we carry out with what we intend to do even if we know that it is against God’s will or breaks any moral standards. We do not consider that God is always watching us. FEAR of the LORD is indeed the begining of WISDOM.

We are challenged today to be clear with the norm or basis of our decisions. There are a lot of voices influencing, or even pressuring us, what to do. We have the post-modernists mentality that offers to us the “anything goes” attitude of doing anything for as long as it is beneficial, useful, and helpful. Jesus does not lead us to do anything that is just beneficial, useful and helpful. Jesus leads us to do what is RIGHT! John the Baptist is a holy man not because he did what people expected from him. He, on the contrary, demanded people to reform their lives from their old ways of doing things. He preach to them conversion. John the Baptist was a holy man not because he did what is beneficial, useful, and helpful but because he is RIGHTEOUS! He was martyred or killed because he demanded what is RIGHT! John the Baptist taught us to have fear of the Lord. Because FEAR of the LORD is the beginning of WISDOM.

For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com

Daily Talk to Walk On: HERODIAN SENSE OF SHAME AND EMBARASSMENT!!!

Daily Talk to Walk On: HERODIAN SENSE OF SHAME AND EMBARASSMENT!!!: Monday, August 29, 2011 The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist (Memorial) by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr. Mark 6: 17 - 29 17 For Herod ha...

GET BEHIND ME SATAN!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Matthew 16: 21 - 27
21	From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22	And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you."
23	But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men."
24	Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25	For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26	For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?
27	For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED SUNDAY TO ALL!!!

People will recognize us as to who we are to them, either with praise or condemnation, not so much by what we say about ourselves nor by the claim we make about what we want to do or intend to accomplish but by what we have DONE and ACCOMPLISHED. As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words. Thus, we can also say, our hands reveal more eloquently who we are than what our mouth can articulate.

However, in the Gospel today, Jesus rebukes and condemns Peter by what he has SAID. Jesus is very angry and severe in his censure of Peter’s disapproval of what he intends to DO. Jesus even calls Peter Satan. This shows the strong contempt Jesus must have about what Peter has said to him. What I can make out of this denunciation of Jesus, calling Peter Satan, reveals the fact that Satan can use anybody just to hinder Jesus’ work for our salvation. Jesus’ disapproval made clear to Peter that what he said is “revealed” to him by Satan. Jesus was exorcising Satan to get behind him, and therefore to get behind Peter too. This clearly stands in contrast to the occasion that Peter made a confession about Jesus that draws praise and commendation from Jesus. We can recall how Peter, in one of the previous Gospel readings, made a profession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:15-19). In praise, Jesus told him that what he has said was made possible by the revelation of the Father in heaven to him. With such profession, Jesus addressed Peter as the “ROCK” upon which his church will be built on.

Satan is always at work to destroy what Jesus laid upon the Apostles and his Church. The Gospel today challenges us to be on guard not to become an instrument of Satan to sway anyone or the Church away from advancing the salvific and liberating work of Jesus. Jesus also describes the hindrance that Satan would make to obstruct and interfere with the advancement of the work of God for the fullness of our lives by pointing out the treachery and deceit Satan will make. Satan will always present something to appear beneficial for mankind, just as Peter was protesting against what Jesus intends to do, which is the work God the Father wants Jesus to do. Peter uses the name of God that what Jesus shows to them as to what will happen to him in Jerusalem will not come true. Peter said, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you." Peter must have cared Jesus very much that he was blinded to see something greater than what is “personally good” for Jesus but not “great” and “good”, therefore in opposition, to God. Used by Satan, Peter was claiming something from the side of men and not from God.

The Gospel then challenges us today to examine WHO RULES our lives. Let us then be careful that even how good our intention might be to be of service of our neighbor we can be working or doing something that will not be for God’s glory but for men only. Let us then be on the watch always and careful to assess what is being proposed to us in the guise of being good and beneficial to society but neglect and disregard the promotion of God’s norm. Let us not just take the easy road and avoid what seem to be hard, like Peter who doesn’t want the Lord Jesus to face his suffering and death in Jerusalem at the hands of the leaders- the elders, chief priest and scribes. Let us then be critical too about what our leaders will offer to us in the name of easing the hardships of our lives, but runs contrary to God’s will. Let us keep our Christian stand all the time: be on the side of God at all times! Let us have always the courage to say “GET BEHIND ME SATAN” so that what we will do will always be for the GLORY of GOD!


For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com

Daily Talk to Walk On: GET BEHIND ME SATAN!

Daily Talk to Walk On: GET BEHIND ME SATAN!: Sunday, August 28, 2011 Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.
Matthew 16: 21 - 27
21 From tha...

RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

St. Monica (Memorial)

by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Matthew 25: 14 - 30
14	"For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property;
15	to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16	He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.
17	So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18	But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
19	Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20	And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'
21	His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
22	And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.'
23	His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
24	He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow;
25	so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
26	But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?
27	Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
28	So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29	For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30	And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED SATURDAY TO ALL!!!

Every time Many Pacquiao climbs into the square ring, the whole nation stands still in expectant wonder how the Pacman will overpower his opponent. Recently, our national football team Azkals win the hearts of Filipinos to gain interest in football, and supported the national team literally rain or shine, win or lose. And more recently, the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation team row with national pride in their hearts capturing five gold medals and also capturing the nation’s attention as they compete without support and funding from our Philippine Sports Commission holding on only to their self-belief and self-confidence that they can get it through triumphantly. Indeed, they even become an inspiration to their competitors. These are just some of the magnificent display of TALENTS our fellow Filipinos have shown to make us be proud of ourselves as Filipinos.

At the surface, the Gospel today is using the language of business or economics in driving out its message. It relates to us how servants receive “talents” from their master who is going on a trip. In its monetary sense, a “talent” is a coin which can either be silver or gold the value of which will depend on what standard is to be used. Its exact value is not much of importance here than what it is meant to teach us. Three servants receive different “talents” from their master. One receives five, the other receives two, and the last receives one. The issue at hand here is not who receives more or less but what each of the three recipients do with what they received. In life, what matter is not WHAT kind of talents we receive form the Lord but HOW we use/invest them in preparation for his coming. 

The Gospel intends to show to us the value of being RESPONSIBLE with the GIFTS we receive from the Lord. Those who are given with five and two talents doubled what they received by trading. The one who receives a single talent gives back the same talent he received for he kept it by burying it down under the ground, as to protect and preserve it, instead of depositing it to a bank for an interest. The master is full of praise to the two servants who invested and doubled their “talents.” However, the master is full of indignation and resentment towards the unproductive and irresponsible servant. And so the irresponsible servant is stripped of everything that he has and is thrown out into the outer dark weeping and gnashing his teeth. 

Literally, God give us TALENTS or GIFTS that we can use to be and become what we can be. He equipped us with different abilities and skills to face the various challenges and concerns of life. He endowed us with physical and spiritual faculties to make ourselves become better each day and mature into the best person we can become. The challenge of the Gospel today is to become a RESPONSIBLE STEWARD of the “talents” God has given to us. To become one is to cultivate and use our talents into something productive for the good of everyone. Mediocrity as a result to being indifferent, unresponsive and unconcerned in using oneself for something beneficial, advantageous and rewarding to others is a disloyalty and betrayal to the gifts God has bestowed. God has trusted us so much that he entrusted to us gifts that we can use for the benefit of everyone. God does not want us to become his WORTHLESS servants.

We are meant to become responsible stewards of God’s gifts to us. It is only by being so that God can use us to become the ANSWER to someone’s prayer. We become a responsible steward only by being a servant who always responds to God’s bidding. God wants us to serve him using the talents, skills, abilities, all the gifts he gives us in serving others. In doing so, God will bless us abundantly. The more we invest our gifts in the service to others will also be the overflowing blessings from God will come upon us. The more generous we are in investing our TALENTS in the service of our neighbors, the more God will be full of praise for us. The stingy we are in utilizing our talents and gifts for the good of others, the empty handed we become. We would be empty with the real treasure that can secure us a place in heaven, and rather be weeping and gnashing our teeth in the outer darkness.


For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com

THE OIL FOR OUR LAMPS!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Weekday

by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Matthew 25: 1 - 13
1	"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
2	Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
3	For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;
4	but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
5	As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6	But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
7	Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.
8	And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
9	But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'
10	And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.
11	Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.'
12	But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
13	Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED FRIDAY TO ALL!!!

My QUIZZES are all announced! No surprise quizzes! The reason is very simple. I want all my students to be PREPARED by reviewing their lessons deligently and will not be caught off-guard unprepared. I want them to have ample time to ask help from their classmates when they find something not clear, or they can come to see me to clarify anything before the day of the quiz will come. Moreover, I announced the quizzes for the students to come to class on time and be able to take the quiz by not being late or absent. I just want all my students to be prepared and ready for them to pass and have an excellent performance. Getting prepared is very important in getting at anything one wants to succeed or in achieving something that requires skills, talents and competence. Being unprepared always bring us into some troubles and problems.

The Gospel today once again highlights the need to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. This kind of preparedness is very crucial and important than how my students prepare for their quizzes. My quizzes are announced, but the coming of the Lord is not. The Gospel yesterday highlighted the idea of being watchful, for the coming of the Lord is like that of a thief unannounced, by presenting to us a parable that compared two kinds of servants (wicked and wise/faithful) of a household. Today, the gospel presents to us a comparison of two kinds of maidens (foolish and wise) waiting for the coming of the bridegroom at night. In these two Gospel readings, the same thread run through each other as to tie them up into having one common theme: being always on the WATCH and being PREPARED to welcome the second coming of the Lord.

The ten maidens might all be equally excited, thrilled and eager to meet the bridegroom in the darkness of the night. They do not know when will be the exact time the bridegroom would come to fetch them. But they are there in the darkness of the night waiting. However, there were five of them who were so foolish that they fail to consider bringing extra oil for their lamps. And so when the arrival of the bridegroom was delayed their oils were all consumed. Instead of securing extra oil to refill their lamps for not being so sure when will the bridegroom would arrived, they rather succumbed to slumber and sleep. When the bridegroom has finally arrived, these five foolish maidens were left in total darkness of heart for they were not there to meet the bridegroom for they were out and too late to secure oil for their dying lamps. And so they were left behind by those who join in and celebrate the wedding feast.

Jesus is challenging us today to see the awful outcome for not being prepared. Marriage is the highest expression of the intimate and mutual self-giving of two persons to each other. It must be a painful and heartbreaking experience for the foolish maidens, after a long wait, being left out by those who will share the joy of the wedding feast. The Kingdom of God can be liken to a wedding feast wherein the mutual commitment and self-giving of persons to each other is celebrated and publicly sealed. By virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation, we celebrate and publicly sealed our commitment and self-giving to Jesus. Once baptized and confirmed, we can not just back out in the middle of the night to retreat and go to the “dealers of spiritual goods” to make concessions about what we need in meeting the Lord. We can not just totally depend unto others to secure “oil” for our “lamps” in welcoming the Lord’s coming. We must always equip ourselves and be prepared all the time by carrying always our “oil” and “lamps” to meet readily the Lord anywhere and anytime. Otherwise, the door will be shut off in front of us even if in a loud voice we cry out loud to the Lord. For the Lord said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Doing the will of the Father then is the oil that will ignite our lamps to keep on burning to eternity.

For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com