Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

Today, Saturday of the 34th week of Ordinary Time is the last day of the liturgical year. Tomorrow, with the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new liturgical year. Now if we look at the gospel passages for today and tomorrow we will notice something interesting. Today’s Gospel (Lk 21:34-36) we are told to take care that our hearts do not become drowsy and distracted by the events of daily life. Rather, we are told to remain vigilant and aware, to always be alert for signs of the coming of the Son of Man. Tomorrow’s passage (Mk 13: 33-37), We are told to be watchful and alert. So the Church year begins and ends with the very same message. In fact, when the new liturgical year is year C, when we use the Gospel of Luke, Sunday’s Gospel actually contains Saturday’s Gospel, plus a few more verses. Since the Church ends each old year and begins each new year with the very same message, it must be important and something that we need to hear. The basic message is this: don’t let your daily life distract you and make you forgetful of the Lord and his presence in your life. Rather, be mindful and alert for him and his call to you each day.

This calls to my mind the parable of the ten bridesmaids, five of whom are foolish and five of whom are wise (Mt 25: 1-13, which happens to be the gospel for the day I am writing this). The foolish ones only bring the oil in their lamps, while the wise ones bring extra oil. The bridegroom they are waiting for is delayed, so they all fall asleep. Then when the bridegroom does arrive, the wise bridesmaids are able to enter with him because they have the extra oil for their lamps, while the foolish ones need to go off to get more oil and find themselves locked out when they get back.

What always strikes me is that both the wise and the foolish fall asleep. To be wise does not mean you won’t fall asleep. But to be wise is to know you will fall asleep at some point and to be prepared to recognize the signs and to shake yourself awake. As the Church tells us today, “Be watchful, be alert!”

Reflection by Fr. Aquinas Keusenkothen, OSB