1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 / Matthew 25:1-13
A practising Catholic can be described as one who keeps to what is required of the faith, does what an ordinary Catholic would usually do and observe the precepts of the religion.
Doing all these things is certainly good and it is the expression of the faith identity as Catholics.
But if practice makes perfect, then does it mean that as long as we keep practising what is required of us, then we are going to become perfect Catholics?
And if we don't know why we are doing what we are doing or having only a faint idea of the purpose of what we are doing, then our actions may be void of meaning.
In the 1st reading, we are told what is required of us and what we are called to be.
St. Paul tells the Thessalonians: What God wants is for you all to be holy. He wants nobody at all ever to sin. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral.
So the fundamental calling in our faith life is to be holy. We are called by God to be holy and this is what He wants of us.
So when we sin, we are not living up to our calling and not doing what God wants of us.
To be holy is to keep the light of Christ shining in our lives always and to keep the light burning with the oil of prayer and good works.
Let us be faithful to our call to holiness so that we can radiate the light of the holiness of the presence of God in the world.