1 Cor 17-25 / Matthew 25:1-13
It is not surprising that we are greatly influenced by the thinking of the world.
Not only are we led to follow how the world thinks, we also follow how the world talks.
As a result, we think in terms of immediate results, clear signs, high energy performance and impressive returns on efficiency, productivity and achievement.
So, we begin to imitate what works for the world and how the world talks.
And we also presume that what works for the world would also work for the Church.
And we also think that how the world talks is also how the Church should talk.
But St. Paul reminds us in the first reading that the thinking and the language of Christianity is very much different from that of the world.
The Good News of salvation is not to be preached in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed.
The language of the Cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save.
So the world looks for impressive and attractive signs, and thinking is based on logic and reason.
But Christianity preaches a crucified Christ, which is unacceptable and unreasonable to the world.
But for Christians who are called by God to have faith, the Cross and the crucified Christ is the power and wisdom of God.
Christians are called to bring the Cross and the crucified Christ into the world, and not to bring the world’s thinking and language into the Church.
May the Lord our God give us lighted lamps of faith to bring the Good News of salvation into the world.