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Gospel reflection for Nov. 8, 2026, 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
For most of us, our days pass by pretty much the same. We have our routines and things are fairly predictable. Occasionally we hear some news that moves us one way or another. The birth of a child, word of an engagement or a social upturn breaks the routine in a good way. However, the loss of a loved one, the news of an illness or accident, challenges us in different ways. The wise disciples are prepared for these eventualities, having the faith to face uncertainty. The foolish, however, have nothing to fall back on, and can easily find themselves in despair. It takes work to be prepared and there is no way to share that preparation with others.
Jesus emphasizes this point throughout his teaching, though the parable of the Ten Virgins is probably the best well-known and clearest example of the call to preparedness.
The parable lays out a scenario where there are 10 virgins awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom for the celebration. Five of them brought along enough oil to make sure that their lamps were burning at the time of his arrival. The other five were less prepared and ran out of oil as his arrival took longer than they expected. They asked the other five for some oil, but they refused knowing that the possibility existed that then none of them would have enough oil to celebrate the arrival of the bridegroom.
Jesus used this parable to emphasize the importance of preparation for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This sounds easy enough – just prepare and be ready. Yet, for many of us, preparation is an overwhelming challenge.
Think of the choking lines at the supermarket or the gas station on the eve of a pending storm. We experience this often enough in our area that most of us would expect that we have on hand sufficient supplies for these eventualities. The reality is far different. Too many of us end up in a panic response and then end up at times over purchasing unnecessary items or going without entirely..
As much as we might be warned, and regardless of our experiences, the idea of being prepared can be a heavy burden.
Then, there are those who are always ready. Their pantries are well-stocked, supplies are in place and the generator is ready to go. This group never understands the prior group at all. We live in an area prone to hurricanes, Nor’Easters, and the occasional heavy snow storm. Our basic infrastructure is aging and vulnerable, and emergency preparedness is generally inadequate. Being prepared makes sense on many levels.
One group views the other with suspicion. Some are seen as irresponsible and panic-driven, the others are obsessive. Neither does nor will understand the other. Those who are wise know that the foolish will panic in a crisis; those who are foolish seldom learn from their experiences and will repeatedly overlook the eventuality of an emergency.
The life of the disciple of Jesus is not much different.
While each one of us faces the suddenness of situations that at jolting or downright tragic, spiritual preparation and a consistent life of faith can be of great assurance and provide one with the necessary tools to respond confidently and charitably, even in the midst of pain and suffering. The person who consistently prays, engages in spiritual exercise and receives the Sacraments has enough oil in their lamps to endure the challenges and tragedies that come with life.
On the other hand, those who lack faith and the consistency of a relationship with the Lord can suffer the same crisis, struggle, or tragedy, but in a way that is more despairing, angst-driven and devastating.
While these moments call for compassion and empathy, there remains fewer words or expressions of sympathy that can walk someone who has lost hope into a world where hope abounds, even when it might at first seem distant.
As much as we might want, we cannot in that moment give our faith to someone else, they have to go back and discover it for themselves.
This is, often, a very painful reality. It is hard to see those whom we love struggling through life so deeply, when we know that they lack our own confidence in faith, and trust in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.
Like the virgins in the parable, we are in the same physical place but lack different world views and perspectives on faith.
The five foolish virgins had to go back, retrace their steps, and do the hard work of finding what the wise ones already had.
We imagine the struggle and the frustration of those foolish virgins, when in their panic, they ran off to the village, only to come to realize that they were too late. But we must also reflect on the sadness that the wise virgins experiences, realizing that their companions did not have what they needed and that there was no way that they could give it to them.
Let us all pray for wisdom, and not let ourselves be so caught up in the present, that we fail to reflect on that which is to come.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.