Sunday, November 8, 2026
As the liturgical year draws to a close, this Sunday’s and next Sunday’s readings turn our attention to the Lord’s coming. Are we ready to meet God face to face? The first reading calls us to seek Wisdom, not as an inaccessible mystery that only a few can unlock, or as a prize reserved for a select few. The reading reveals that those who seek her can find her, and that she even takes the initiative, meeting people along their paths and in their thoughts: “She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.” (Wisdom 6:13). The reading suggests that it takes effort, but Wisdom is also a gift: “one who watches for her at dawn will not be disappointed, for she will be found sitting at the gate.” (V. 14). Seeking matters, for a person must be willing to listen and to be taught in order to grow in understanding.
In the second reading, Paul addresses the Thessalonians’ concern about believers who have died before Christ’s coming. Paul does not tell the believers to stop grieving. Rather, he teaches them not to grieve as those who have no hope: “so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13) That hope rests not on a vague conviction that things will work out, but on the central Christian belief that Jesus died and rose again and so will all the faithful departed. Paul argues that the dead in Christ will not be left behind: they will rise, and the living and the dead will be together with the Lord. His final instruction is practical and communal: “Therefore, console one another with these words.” (V. 18).
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins: five who brought flasks of oil to keep their lamps burning while they waited for the bridegroom, and five who did not. All ten attendants grow drowsy and fall asleep; when the midnight cry announces the bridegroom, they all rise to prepare their lamps. Yet only five have brought extra oil. Jesus identifies the prepared as wise and the unprepared as foolish, then concludes: “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13). The command “stay awake” cannot mean that a Christian must literally avoid sleep. It means living ready for the encounter, without assuming that there will always be more time to prepare.
Together, the readings give Christian vigilance a richer meaning than nervous anticipation. Wisdom teaches people to seek what is true and good; Paul insists that hope must include those who have died; and Jesus warns that the future encounter calls for real preparation. Are we prepared? Being active and involved in the life of the Church is valuable and enriching. But is being busy the same as being prepared? The readings raise deeper questions: Are we seeking Wisdom through prayer and study, while asking the Holy Spirit to grant us wisdom? Do our words give hope to people who are grieving? Are there people in our lives whom we need to, or relationships in which reconciliation is possible? Are there resentments we need to let go of? Are we prepared to meet Christ? Let us ask God what we need to change and what to accept. As He guides us, may we grow in readiness to meet Christ.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.