Staying Watch

On Friday 28 August 2015 (St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

Staying Watch

Mt 25, 1 – 13

There was a Buddhist monk in China. He was a very good monk. He put on his desk a small wood coffin. When someone asked him about this coffin, he replied: "Of course, we cannot live forever, we will have to die. We don’t know when it will come. So I put this coffin on my desk to remind me that one day I will die and if I am not pleased with something in my life, I will sit down at the table and looks at the coffin for a while, and then I feel more peaceful”.

Today, the Gospel tells us the story about the ten virgins. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish took no oil with their lamps; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  When the bridegroom arrived, only the wise went with him to the wedding banquet.

Jesus warns us about being unprepared. There are certain things we cannot get at the last moment. For example, we cannot prepare anymore for our exam when the day of testing is upon us. Therefore, what will we do if we do not prepare to meet the Lord, face to face, when he calls us on the Day of Judgment?

So let us stay awake and watch, because we do not know either the day or the hour. We should not be superficial, but rather, we have to look beyond the present moment, and try to discover the call of God even in the smallest things of life, even the oil which may be lacking in the small light or lamp.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine. He was a great doctor of the Church. He contributed to the church's theology a treasure of steady faith. He must have had prepared very well.

May God increase our faith that we can live completely our faith in God and be ready to face God on the Last Day.