Homily 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A I Homily 8 November 2026

 

8 Nov Wisdom 6:12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

 

My dear friends, we are often good at preparing for examinations, careers, and important events. But how much time do we spend preparing for the most important encounter of our lives—our encounter with the Lord? On this Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time year A, the readings invite us to seek God's wisdom, live with the hope of eternal life, and remain prepared for the Lord's coming.

The Book of Wisdom was written for Jews living in a Greek-speaking world who needed encouragement to remain faithful to God. In today’s passage, Wisdom is presented as a woman who guides those who sincerely seek her. The author tells us that wisdom is radiant and never fades away. Unlike worldly success, wealth, or popularity, true wisdom remains valuable because it leads us closer to God. However, wisdom does not come automatically. We must desire it, search for it, and make time to discover it. The passage says that those who rise early to seek wisdom will find her. This highlights the importance of daily prayer, reading the Word of God, and reflecting on our decisions. Wisdom is not limited to books or intellectual knowledge; it helps us recognise what is right and live according to God's will. The important message of this reading is that we must seek wisdom, but we must also recognise that God is already seeking us. Wisdom meets us in our daily lives—in our relationships, our responsibilities, our struggles, and our choices. We need to remain open to God's presence rather than allow the pursuit of money, success, and recognition to distract us from what truly matters. We need to ask ourselves: Am I making time each day to listen to God, or am I so occupied with worldly concerns that I fail to recognize his presence? Let us seek God's wisdom through prayer and Scripture and put it into practice through our daily actions.

In the second reading taken from St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that Christians do not grieve like those who have no hope. This does not mean that we should not feel sadness when someone we love dies. Jesus himself wept at the death of Lazarus. However, our grief is accompanied by the hope that death is not the end of our story. Paul reminds us that Jesus died and rose again. Through his resurrection, Christ has opened the way to eternal life for all who belong to him. Our Christian hope rests on this promise: one day, we will be united with the Lord. Paul concludes by encouraging the believers to comfort one another with these words. Faith is not only about finding strength for ourselves; it is also about offering hope to others who are suffering. When we experience the death of a loved one or face the fear of our own death, we can find comfort in Christ's promise of eternal life. Let us live with faith, hope, and love, trusting that nothing—not even death—can separate us from God's love. Let us also become sources of comfort and encouragement to those who grieve.

Remember our school days, when examinations were approaching? Some of us would keep postponing our studies, telling ourselves that there was still plenty of time. Then, when the examinations were just around the corner, we would panic and spend the entire night trying to cover everything. We knew the examination was coming, but knowing the date was not enough. We had to prepare. Something similar happens in our spiritual lives. We know that we must pray, forgive, love, and serve, yet we often postpone these things, assuming we will have time tomorrow. In Jesus' time, wedding celebrations often involved the bridegroom arriving at the bride's home and proceeding with the wedding party to the celebration. The exact time of arrival could be uncertain, especially at night. Those waiting to welcome him needed lamps to light the way. Jesus uses this familiar scene to teach his disciples about being prepared for his coming.

The interesting thing to note about the parable is that all ten women fall asleep. Jesus does not condemn the five foolish women simply because they slept. The difference is that five had prepared for the possibility of a long wait, while the others had not. Christian readiness does not mean living in constant fear or never becoming tired. It means being prepared even when God's promises seem delayed. The time we spend waiting for God is not wasted time. It is the time in which God prepares us to meet him. The oil can be understood as a symbol of our inner spiritual life, expressed through prayer, faithfulness, and good works. Every time we forgive rather than seek revenge, stand up for what is right, or help someone in need, we allow God's wisdom to shape our lives.

We must also note that the wise women did not become wise when the bridegroom arrived. They had already prepared themselves before he came. Similarly, Christian wisdom is not something we suddenly acquire when we face death, a crisis, or the final judgment. It develops through the choices we make every day. Perhaps the greatest danger in this parable is not openly rejecting God but continually postponing him. We tell ourselves, “Tomorrow I will pray more. Tomorrow I will forgive that person. Tomorrow I will help someone in need.” But tomorrow is never guaranteed. The bridegroom's delay tests whether our faith is genuine and lasting or depends only on the excitement of the moment.

There is another important lesson- When the foolish women ask the wise ones for oil, they cannot share it. We can share our knowledge, our money, and our possessions, but we cannot simply transfer our relationship with God to another person. Parents can teach their children to pray, priests can preach the Gospel, and friends can encourage one another, but each person must personally seek God's wisdom and respond to his call. The question, therefore, is not merely whether our lamps are burning today, but whether we have enough oil to keep them burning when life becomes difficult and God seems distant. We may not know how long we must wait for the Lord, but we can decide how we live while we wait. Let us seek wisdom every day, so that when the bridegroom comes, we will not be found unprepared. May God bless us all.