A homily for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 8, 2026
Wisdom 6:12-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13
We look for hope and joy in these days of weaponized fear. And we find them in our faith and in each other.
Our familiar Gospel passage today, which ends with the admonition, “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour,” is most often repeated and interpreted as “Life is short; don’t waste time.”
And that interpretation is often refined to mean we must make sure we’re prepared to see the face of God at any time.
Be good.
Life is short.
(Like this homily.)
But are we prepared to see the face of Christ? Do we go looking for Christ among us? Do we recognize Christ in the eyes and words of the least among us, as this very chapter of Matthew’s Gospel reminds us a few verses down?
Let’s think about this: We know neither the day nor the hour when our God-given talents can bring charity and justice to someone we meet, or a sister or brother in a far-off land.
Because that’s why God infused us with wisdom and strength and creativity and our unique inner beauty: for us to share them.
No, we don’t know when our earthly journeys will end, and not often do we know how.
We also don’t know when God will present us with an opportunity to use the presents God presented us with.
Let’s act as if the time is always now.
