32ND SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A )

32ND SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A )

THEME: Tough Love

By: Deacon Bill Frere

Church of Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

I think we have all been there. It’s Friday and there is a big test today in our worst subject. But for one reason or another, we didn’t study; we didn’t fully prepare for it. We either figured it was no big deal or we had better things to do the night before – like spending hours on our Xbox or binging our favorite show. And then reality hits us in the face when we come face to face with the test. We look around for help, a hint, anything that could get us through the mess that we created! In the end, we failed the test, miserably! Later on, we yell at our friends for not bailing us out, for not helping us with a cheat or two. Some friend you are! We think that somehow they are responsible for the mess that we ourselves created!

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I think that’s what’s happening today in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. The foolish ones are asking for help; give us some of your oil. But the wise ones say NO! What? How rude! How unkind! How unfriendly! How un-Christian! Aren’t these the wise virgins? Why aren’t they helping?

But perhaps that is exactly the point. Sometimes you have to say no; sometimes you have to practice a bit of tough love. Sometimes foolish friends become too dependent on you to always come to their rescue. They expect there will always be a safety net. But sooner or later they have to learn to stand on their own 2 feet, make their own decisions, and take responsibility.

Sometimes maybe the most Christian thing we can do is not solve all their problems but give them the opportunity to resolve them themselves. We can’t just give them all the answers! I don’t mean we abandon them or leave them stranded. I mean we still love and support them but we provide the opportunity for them to direct their own lives. We give them the chance to pick themselves up and carry on.

Face it, when we finally stand before God, we will only be carrying our own lamps, our own oil.

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