predication.net

This one is among the serious questions as winter or the end of the year approaches: How prepared are you? Editors often ask this question to road workers in charge of winter road maintenance.

Similarly, the Lord God asks us: How prepared are you? In the Gospel, these words were spoken. “The bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” (Mt 25:6).

These words of Jesus were spoken while Jesus was instructing the crowds in the silence of the mountain. Shortly before, He had pointed out the actions of two men. He called one of them foolish because he built his house on sand. The other he called wise because he chose to make his home on a rock. The crowds understood. The house on the rock withstood the rush of the waters and the force of the wind, while the house built on sand collapsed.
The wise are those who hear the Gospel and carry it out. Unwise are those who hear these words but do not act on them. Some bring oil with them, others only empty vessels. The oil is the Gospel lived in life. He who has no oil brings with him no work.

Jesus put the seriousness of these words into the pleasant atmosphere of the wedding feast. The wedding itself is enjoyable, and not only the family but all those invited prepare for it. Jesus points out that if we can look forward and rejoice at pleasant events that last only a moment, how much more should we be responsible for preparing for joys that will have no end?
We often judge a person who does not think. We pause over the actions of such people and often ask, “Man, where was your sense?!”
Likewise, the foolish virgins took the lamps but did not take the oil. They did not prepare themselves. Behold, what irresponsibility!

In the spirit of these words of Christ about the wise and foolish virgins, let us consider ourselves. If someone were to call us stupid and unreasonable, we would be able to judge and be angry with him, or at least we would beg to differ. But what if one day it came from the mouth of God Himself? Lest we hear the words of the bridegroom in the Gospel, “Truly I say to you: I do not know you” (Mt 25:12).
Let us notice those virgins whom Jesus praises. Indeed it cost them the trouble of taking and procuring enough oil for their vessels, but it paid off. The reward did not bypass them.

What does this mean for us? We all want to be the wise servants whom Christ praises, “Right, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over little, I will set you over much” (Matt. 25:23). Jesus has placed a precious gift in our hearts – the gift of faith. That lamp of ours, which is to be always ready, which is to shine, is our faith. The more we realize its greatness and beauty, the more its light grows. Only the thief seeks the darkness when stealing so that he may not be seen.
But Christ says: “You are the light of the world…” (Mt 5:14).
All must see our light of faith. He who does not always believe, who believes only when it benefits him, cannot be a wise virgin. Today’s unbelieving world looks critically at us Christians. If they do not see the works of our faith, they will never desire to join our ranks, to unite with us. Shining lamps in the hands of virgins, these are our days lived in union with God.
How much oil is in my supply, and what is the state of my soul? What is our attitude towards prayer, towards the sacraments, towards the Mass, towards our brothers and sisters?

A ready Christian is a happy Christian. Such a one does not worry about tomorrow. He is not afraid of reproach or ridicule. He does not hide his face from shame and spittle. He often surrenders his soul to the Father. Always again and again. Life without God, without faith, is nonsense, madness. A life full of faith is shown to us by sane virgins. Today’s century is permeated with unbelief and darkness, so I ask you: Who is to give back to the world the joy, the lost faith, if not us? We who beat our breasts that we are Christians! If we want to leave truly happy, let us make a serious decision. Be always ready! The bridegroom is not coming; I am healthy and young, and death is still far off, but “I am ready.”

You all probably know the writer Cronin. Do you know how he came to faith? Strangely and excitingly: As a young doctor, he worked in a mining village. One day, the gas exploded in the mine, and a group of 14 miners was left underground. While the rescue crews were doing their best, the whole settlement prayed feverishly and asked God for help. After five days, the rescuers reached the miners. They were all shocked to see no trace of despair on the faces of the miners, on the contrary. They came out singing: Lord, our help from the ages…
When the young doctor Cronin saw this, he didn’t even want to believe it. When asked who had given them so much courage, they replied: “Faith in God who loves us!” Then Cronin, believing neither in God nor the human soul, began to think, study and pray. After years of searching, he found God. He was baptized and became a Christian.

Behold, simple people, and they were able to light a lamp for a man who thought he no longer needed anyone.
We don’t abound with anything special, either. We boast of nothing else except in the crosses of Jesus Christ. Do we not also want to light, to give joy to others? But first, we must shine! Everyone must see that we are ready. We must be able to discern the values in our lives.

Those in charge often make excuses for others; road workers for contractors, superiors for subordinates, subordinates for seniors, just because they didn’t do everything they could to prepare. What about us Christians? Are we prepared? Is everything right with our faith?

The practice of life teaches us that every vital work must be carried out in conjunction with the virtue of watchfulness. The driver watches behind the wheel; the policeman watches to prevent burglary and theft; the doctor watches in the emergency room to protect human lives; parents watch in raising a child to prepare him for life… “Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Mt 24:42). These words of the Lord Jesus are so solemn that every person should realize their meaning, and all the more so by those who believe that life here on earth does not end with death. We have been contemplating the severe condemnation of the leaders of the Jewish nation when the Lord Jesus said to them: “Woe!” And this Gospel follows on from that, for by it, the Lord Jesus warns us of an impending but inevitable judgment, an encounter with him as God the Judge. No man knows when that moment will come, so we must adopt the virtue of watchfulness. He explains the meaning of watchfulness in three parables:

In the first of these, he speaks of preparedness. He describes a thief who has come to steal, but the owner-landlord is watchful and protects his property. So the Christian must also always be ready and watch because he does not know when he will have to stand before the face of his Judge. Perhaps it will be by day, perhaps by night… Therefore, we should be concerned about how we will stand before God.

The second parable shows us that we must prepare ourselves for this encounter by living a discerning life. It speaks of a faithful and wise servant who is conscientious in his duties, and when the owner comes and finds him acting this way, he will make his servant the steward of his property. For the believer, this means that he is not to fret over when the Lord comes but to be ever ready, knowing that his Lord will indeed come one day. Therefore, he pays attention to his work because he understands that this is the surest guarantee, the surest way to prepare for the coming of G-d the Judge. Such conduct gives him peace and joy.

In the third parable, the Lord Jesus points out the negative example of the evil servant who acts unwisely because on the very night when he is confident that his master will not come, the exact opposite happens. The master arrives and finds a mess, for which he rightly punishes the dishonest servant. This parable instructs us not to allow ourselves to say: I am young, I am healthy, I have many responsibilities ahead of me, I assume that it will not be too soon, I will have time to prepare so that I will enjoy some more. But the Lord will come, and this unreasonable behavior might not have a happy ending. The sudden arrival of the Lord Jesus may reveal wrongdoing. Worse, there will be nothing to correct, nothing to make excuses for, nothing to justify because one knows what is the duty of a “steward” here on earth. Nothing is here forever, but only for a time appointed by its owner-God.

As we ponder these parables, we realize the solemnity of the word bedel. It is fitting, for this is what the Lord Jesus wants to put in our hearts today. Be ready! Watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour! When we often remind ourselves of this, though we may feel fear at the same time, it is also a fear of this encounter, always for our benefit, for our use only, and therefore an open the door to a state of bliss. Therefore, let these words act powerfully upon our reason and feelings, and we shall be convinced of their correctness. In practice, however, these words can also bring us to our knees in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Holy Confession, as a gift from the Lord Jesus, is at the same time forgiveness of our previous misconduct as stewards, or it is an encouragement to us to persevere as good stewards when we have hitherto tried to fulfill what has been imposed upon us by the Owner-our God. We are convinced again and again that the teachings of the Lord Jesus want to empower the modern believer, enrich him, and give him a taste of a bit of heaven already here on earth in his life. Therefore, a little self-denial will only do us good and benefit us.

Just as various jobs require watchfulness, whether in a chauffeur, a security guard, a doctor, or a parent, how much more must we all realize this about the last things of our lives? 

Herod’s distrustful soul and bad conscience caused him to suspect Jesus John the Baptist, who, in his opinion, had risen from the dead after he had him executed. Such superstition was entirely possible at that time. In that case, Herod may have thought that the Baptist’s execution would have been unnecessary. The committed John did not do any miracles. John rose again and led the nation to even greater rebellion through his gifts. For Jesus, this means a new danger because, in addition to the Lord’s religious enemies within Judaism, there is political hostility from the state authorities, who see Jesus as a political danger. There are also different opinions about Jesus circulating among the people. They see in him not only the coming again of John the Baptist but also Elijah, or one of the prophets of old. From these judgments, we see that none of them point to Jesus as the promised Messiah. Jesus, in his poverty and humility, was not at all suited to the great and glorious idea the Jews had formed of a “Messiah.

Who is Jesus Christ to us? Who do we think he is? Is he not just some historical figure to us? The son of an ordinary carpenter who could do supernatural things and became famous? Don’t we perhaps understand him as some political leader, like the Jews, who were able to win the masses of people to their side during the Roman occupation? Or is he not for us a person who strove for goodness and love on earth – and that is why he founded a new religion?

If only we understood Jesus this way, we would be like those in today’s Gospel. Such a characterization of Jesus is undoubtedly accurate in some ways. But that is not the point. The Christian should first confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came to suffer on this earth to save us from eternal damnation and reopen the gates of heaven, which we have closed to ourselves by original sin.
Jesus came to this earth and became man so that we might become children of God. He did not hesitate to die for us. And He did it out of love to bring us back to our heavenly Father. Jesus is a model of love for us. Love can indeed do great things. Just take that human love of ours.

A boy who falls in love…how his behavior changes immediately – he can even make sacrifices for the one he loves.
And how great must have been the love of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who did not hesitate to die for us? Now He is waiting for us in heavenly glory to reciprocate that boundless love of His, even in a small measure, by fulfilling the commandments of God so that we may one day come to Him and see Him face to face.

The gravely ill man grasped the hand of his physician: ‘I am afraid of death, Doctor. Tell me, what awaits me after death? How will it be on the other side?” “I don’t know,” replies the doctor. “You don’t know?” whispered the dying man. Instead of answering, the doctor opened the door to the corridor. Here a dog came running up to him, jumping up on him and showing every sign of joy at seeing his master. The doctor turned to the sick man and said: “Have you noticed the dog’s behavior? He has never been in this room nor knows its people. But he knew that his master was on the other side of the door, so he excitedly ran in as soon as the door was opened. Look, even though I don’t know anything more about what awaits us after death, it is enough for me that my Lord and Master are on the other side. Therefore, when one day the door is opened, I will go to the other side with great joy.”

Let us try not to cause the worst confusion in our lives lest we mistake God, who is supposed to be first on our value ladder, for something else so that we do not cling to earthly things more than spiritual things. But that when the heavenly gate of eternity is opened to us, we may joyfully cross over to the other side – to our Lord and Master.

Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, but have neglected what is more important in the law-justice, mercy, and faithfulness! This ought to have been done, and that neglected not. Blind leaders! You strain out the gnat and swallow the camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you cleanse the cup and the platter without, but within they are full of robbery and uncleanness! Blind Pharisee, clean the bowl first on the inside, so it may also be clean on the outside!” Mt 23,23-26

We often admire the beauty of houses from the outside. Some have a style of their own; it’s both a unique feature of this region and the fact that people appreciate the outside. But the inside is typically quite the opposite.
We can liken this to the behavior of the Pharisees and scribes, whom the Lord Jesus pronounces twice in the Gospel: Woe!
The Lord Jesus pronounces twice, “Woe!” Why? Because of the discrepancy in the lives of the Pharisees and scribes between their inner and outer life.

The nation’s leaders had reached the point where outward behavior was paramount to their teaching. In other words: their spiritual life and relationship to the Law remained only on the surface. Therefore, Jesus’ “woe” belongs to their outward fulfillment of the commandments. We know that the Lord Jesus answered one of them with a question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Thou shalt love the Lord thy God… and your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:36-39).

They knew about both commandments, but this group of people, instead of paying attention to, for example, a social issue, only paid attention to what seemed to them to be the best. It happened that they knew to bring offerings and prescribed tithes of mint, cumin, and dill, but they forgot what their surroundings needed even more. They paid no attention to justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Yes, they brought the prescribed sacrifices, but their unwariness, which harbored a dislike for their neighbors and the needy, fell on deaf ears. It would have been more beautiful and better for them if they had shared with the poor and needy.
This attitude of the Lord Jesus tells us clearly that the inner mindset is more than ceremonial purity and that the law of love is higher than liturgical cultic regulations.

There is a great danger in every religion that, in time, the main principles become covered over, clogged with something unwholesome, their essence obscured. Therefore, we must be careful, and in time it is necessary to reflect on the body to discern rightly in life. There is a grave danger that even so-called good Christians may remain only on the surface of the spiritual life, and this will not only cease to satisfy them after a while, but sooner or later, they will fall away.

We are, after all, called to something beautiful, not only on the surface but also in-depth… That’s why we know that we fight against conventionality and tradition only externally because it doesn’t enrich us. The first trials will come, and shallowness will show itself. The spiritual life will then benefit and increase the believer when he can also make sacrifices for his faith. He knows how to take the time, how to renounce, and wants something more than what he must and ought.

That is why we mustn’t just put on an outward appearance – after all, I am praying! But what is your prayer? Is it regular? Focused? Is it, in your opinion, a real conversation? Wouldn’t you be ashamed to have such a conversation if you had it with someone next to you? What about dignity and poise? Or attending Mass – can I not only make time for it but also take in my surroundings before it begins? Can I control my thoughts and my posture during it? Can I realize that it is not just the outward gestures, the words, but something of that inner, extraordinary, hidden power? Am I not only doing a service to my neighbor so that he may one day give back to me? Can I see in helping another an expression of the love for Christ in every person?

The Lord Jesus warned the Pharisees and scribes that they were more concerned with outward appearance and not interested in the inward.
So let us pay attention to our inward appearance at least as much as we spend time on our outward appearance.
There are 24 hours a day. How many minutes of it can I find for God? Oh, if it were 24 minutes! During the one can pray one Rosary in the morning and the evening, the most basic prayers: the Our Father, the Hail, and the Glory. We must not understand this mathematically, but love has and must weigh more for us. This is the wish of Jesus Himself.

Do we also want the words to be valid, that it is all beautiful and friendly on the outside but not so lovely on the inside? No! On the contrary, it should be true of Christians that on the inside, their life is more beautiful because, on the outside, they are modest; they do not desire beauty, glory, and recognition because that is vanity; that is the flower that withers and fades.

Many centuries ago, it was said, there was once a glorious city. It stood in a fertile valley, and because of its industrious inhabitants, it increased. Many admired it from afar and were dazzled by the brightness of its marble and gilded bronze. In a word, it was a happy city, and its people lived peacefully. One day, the inhabitants decided to elect a king. The golden trumpets sounded, and everyone gathered in front of the town hall. However, they could not agree on how the election would take place. After much shouting among themselves, a man in a splendid suit came before the assembly. He was the wealthiest man in town. He raised his hand, studded with glittering rings, and exclaimed: “Citizens! We are wealthy, so our king must be a noble man.”

But the less rich cried out: “No! No! We don’t want a rich man! We want the strongest!” Others cried out: “The elder!” Others, “The young one!” “Not this one, but that one!” In general confusion, no one understood anything anymore. From all sides came shouts and the clatter of guns. The trumpets sounded again. A calm and sensible old man ascended to the highest place in the square and said: “Friends, let us not be foolish to divide ourselves for a king who does not yet exist. Since we adults cannot agree, let us call an innocent child and let him choose a king from among us.” So they chose a little girl who initially didn’t understand what was happening. The child looked at them, shyly rubbed her thumb, and said: “I don’t want a king. I want us to have a queen – my mother.”

We could figuratively say that God was thinking the same way when He decided a simple girl from Nazareth to be the mother of the Son of God. When we celebrate Mary the Queen, we come to her first and foremost as Mother. Her maternal intercession, the example of her holiness, and the grace of God with which she effectively cooperated assure us that God loves us and cares about our happiness in life and our salvation. For she is not far from us. She is the mediator of many graces. She helps us in our life’s pursuit of the good.

The foundation of the Catholic Church is monotheism, the belief in one true God. In the Old Testament period, this fundamental doctrine was revealed by God to His people, who proclaimed it everywhere (cf.
Dt 6:4-9), and Christ confirmed it (cf. Mk 12, 29 – 30). Many non-Christian groups, such as challenge the belief in the one faithful God Mormons and Hindus (religions that believe in the existence of many gods). At the same time, the doctrine forms the basis of the Church’s teaching on the Trinity, one God in three persons.
* “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words that I speak to you today shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt repeat them unto thy and tell them to your sons, whether you sit in your house or travel, whether you lie or thou shalt bind them as a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as an ornament between thine eyes, and thou shalt write.
“Thou shalt put them upon the doorposts of their house and gates.”
* Isaiah 41:4: “Who has done this? Who has done this? He that calleth the generations from the beginning. I, Yahweh, the first and the same
I am the same and the last.” Other quotes
Isaiah 40:25-28 1 Chronicles 17:20
/Z43 .10-1 3 Mk12,29
Isa 44:6-8 1 Cor 8:4- 6 J
GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE
Mormons believe that God the Father is an impermanent being, a “noble man” who was once mortal and lived on a planet with a god higher than him. After his death, he acquired esteem and was worthy of becoming a god of his part of the material universe. The Bible proves that this view is wrong. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
* Isaiah 40:28: “Do you not know, or have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God who created the ends of the earth; he will not faint nor grow weary; his wisdom cannot”.
Other quotes
Nm 23:19 Mal 3:6
Ž102, 27 – 28
Isa 43:10 – 12
Heb 13:8

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A GOD
Those who deny the deity of Christ usually deny the existence and divinity of the Spirit Holy Spirit. Religions such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Christ deny the Trinity while denying the Holy Spirit. These verses help prove that the Bible does not speak of the Holy Spirit as some inanimate, impersonal force (as the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe) but that He is God, the third person of the Holy Trinity. Combined with the verses below-which point out that there is only one God, that the Father is called God, and the Son is also called God – the following passages, together with these, will complete the basic biblical overview of the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity: of one God in three persons.
* Jn 14:15-17: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter to abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
for it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, for he abides with you and will be in you.
* Jn 14:25-26: “These things I have spoken to you, while I was still with you. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
Other quotations
Acts 5:3- 4
Sic 13, 2- 4
S/c15, 27-2 8
S/c21,9-1 1

When we look carefully around us, but especially in our own lives, we must admit that we talk a lot but do little according to our words. Such behavior is not honorable for a person of faith. We often hear critical voices saying, “Preach water and drink wine!” And elsewhere, “Physician, heal thyself first!” It is hard to hear essential words when it concerns our egoism when our weaknesses are pleasing to us.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus attacked the teachers of the Scriptures and the Pharisees very sharply in the Gospel, “Everything they do, they do only to be seen by men…” (Mt. 23:5).
They are proud and two-faced. They speak beautiful words but do not want to lift a finger to live up to what they say. Christ condemns and threatens them with punishment: ‘He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Mt 23:12).

Let us pause and consider these words of the Lord Jesus, “He who exalts himself shall be humbled” (Mt. 23:12).

Proud Lucifer. From the very beginning of the creation of the world, this truth was affirmed that God hates the proud. What a great position Lucifer had! Filled with pride that he was worth something, he said to God, “Nonserviam!” – “I will not serve!” God punished Lucifer’s pride. Archangel Michael will cast him out into eternal damnation.
Remember also Goliath’s battle with David. God opposes the proud. A mighty Philistine stands before the camp of the Israelites. Aware of his power and filled with pride, he blunts the blasphemous words of his adversaries. Here he is confronted by the young, inexperienced David, who puts all his hope in the hands of God and not in arms. He humbly asks God for help and victory. And the proud Goliath fell, and with his fall, the arrogance and pride of the Philistines crumbled.
Thirdly, something from history on the theme: God is opposed to the proud. Napoleon came quickly to Moscow. He was overcome by pride. He ordered coins minted to commemorate the victory. On one side was his image, and on the other was the inscription: Thine is the sky, and mine is the earth – level with God. He sent one of these coins to the Tsar. The latter had an inscription on Napoleon’s head: Mine is the whip, thine is the back. These were prophetic words, for disaster had come upon Napoleon.
God hates the proud. We can find enough examples not only in history but also in today’s world, perhaps even in our own private lives.
The lesson: Pride always turns against the proud man.

“He who humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt. 23:12).

We see a great model in the Virgin Mary. God chose the Immaculate One to be the mother of His Son. We see her humility at the angel’s annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel tells her that God has chosen her: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). She, the handmaid, does not feel worthy that the Highest should honor her with such grace. She knows, however, that she cannot oppose the will of God, and therefore she says: “… be it done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). This humility was highly commended. She became the bride of the Holy Spirit, the mother of the Son of God.

We see another pattern in John the Baptist. God gives His love to the humble. The people of Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside came to John to listen to him and be baptized with the baptism of repentance. But John remains humble. He knows that he must humble himself. He says: “I am not worthy to untie his shoestring” (Lk 3:16). And this John Jesus singles out, “… among those who are born of women, there is no one greater than John” (Lk 7:28).

We see this quality of humility and lowliness in all the saints. Let us remember at least one: John Mary Vianney, parish priest of Ars. One of the most pitiful of priests. He becomes a priest only by a kind of grace because he does not pass the exams. His humility made him famous all over the world. People come from all over Ars to confess to John. John’s humility has defeated more than one proud soul.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The great man is humble! Pride displeases God because it is a lie. Nor does pride displease men, for it humbles others and exalts self.

Great men have indeed been characterized by humility. Let us remember the scientist of world renown – Pasteur. When he died, his collaborator Dr. Roux said: “Thousands of mothers are grateful to him for the life of their children.” He’s the one who discovered the rabies serum. Pasteur was a truly learned man but also a humble one. And not just him.

God opposes the proud, but gives His grace to the humble.
Let us pray: O God, give us the spirit of humility, that we may be aware of our human misery, of our sins, that we may exalt ourselves above no one, and, conscious of our unworthiness, glorify your holy name.