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Lectio/Reflection

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time — Year A
Keeping the Light Alive
Matthew 25:1–13
We want to be ready for Christ, but the demands and distractions of everyday life can gradually draw our attention away from what matters most. Christ doesn’t invite us to live anxiously, watching for the moment he might appear. He invites us to remain close to him, keeping our hearts open to his presence.
There is something familiar about the waiting in today's Gospel. Ten young women are waiting for the bridegroom, but as the hours pass, all of them grow tired and fall asleep. The difference becomes clear only when he finally arrives. Some have prepared for the delay, while others discover that they‘re not ready.
Jesus isn’t asking us to spend our lives worrying about when he will come. He is inviting us to consider how we are living while we wait. The words of the Gospel remind us that a relationship can’t simply be borrowed at the last moment. It grows through the attention and love we give it along the way.

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Lectio/Reflection

The first reading from Wisdom tells us that those who seek wisdom will find her, because she is already waiting to be found. Maybe that‘s where we can begin. Christ is not hiding from us, nor is his love something we must struggle to earn. He is present in the life we are living, inviting us to recognize him and remain close to him.
We may sometimes feel that we have allowed too many things to distract us, or that our faith isn’t as strong as we would like. Yet the invitation remains. We can turn toward Christ today, trusting that his presence is already here and that his love can keep the light alive within us.
The bridegroom comes, and the door opens. May we be ready, not because we have lived without fault, but because we have learned to keep our hearts turned toward the One who loves us.
Reflection questions
• What tends to draw my attention away from my relationship with Christ?
• Where have I noticed his presence in my ordinary life?
• What might help me keep my heart more open to him this week?
Vision, Intention, Means
Vision: A life lived with an attentive and trusting heart, ready to welcome Christ.
Intention: I will make room for Christ's presence in my ordinary day.
Means: I will pause once each day, even briefly, and turn my attention toward him.
Spiritual practice — A moment of attention
Today, take a quiet moment and imagine the small flame of an oil lamp. Let it remind you of your relationship with Christ. You don’t have to make the flame brighter or prove that it is burning. Simply give it your attention.
Rest for a moment in the knowledge that Christ is near.
A moment to carry
I keep the light alive by remaining close to the One who loves me.
Closing prayer
Jesus,
I sometimes allow the distractions of life to draw me away from you. Help me turn my heart toward you again. Teach me to recognize your presence and to live each day with the quiet trust that you are near.
Amen.
________________________________________
If this Sunday's reflection spoke to you, you might find the Companion Essay helpful during the week. It isn't another homily. It's an invitation to sit a little longer with the Gospel and notice where God's grace may already be at work in your own life. It’s like a second doorway into the same encounter. The homily opens the Sunday Gospel; the essay gives you somewhere quieter to enter it again during the week.
The Quiet Work of Staying Ready
Please keep me and my family in your prayers, as we will pray for you.
Peace,
Dcn Bill Brawner
PS If you found something in this reflection that touched your heart, please forward it to, or Share with, friends and relatives. The Church’s mission is to share the Gospel ‘with all the world’. You can do your small part by sharing these reflections for their consideration, meditation and discussion.

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Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time — Year A
"Keeping the Light Alive"

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Let Your Inner Angel Soar, You have made him little less than the angels,and crowned him with glory and honor. Psalm 8:6 A Guide to a Joy-Filled Life: How the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit can lead to health, happiness, love and unity

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