Dearest Goddaughter (LTR-100) - I do not know you

Dearest Goddaughter,

There are five (5) words that we do not ever want to hear God say to us when we stand before the throne of God. Those words are - "I do not know you." This is why Jesus tells us to "stay awake" in today's Gospel. We must always be prepared to meet our Lord and our God because we "know neither the day nor the hour." It is as the Gospel Acclamation reminds us: "Be vigilant at all times and pray, that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man."

And so, we must be vigilant in our prayer life because it is through prayer that we encounter our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and foster a relationship with him. If we never talk with a person in our life, do we really have a relationship with that person? No, we do not know them and they do not know us. It is the same with our relationship with God. Pope Francis has declared 2024 to be the Year of Prayer in preparation for next year's 2025 Year of Jubilee, with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope". Bishop Joe Vásquez (Diocese of Austin) invites "all the faithful. . . to set aside time for daily prayer."

It is in prayer that we come to understand the wisdom of God and discern His will for our lives. It is in prayer that God gives us the strength to live our lives in a way that aligns most closely with Hi will for us. It is in prayer that Jesus helps us to carry our own crosses because, as Saint Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians: "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." It is in prayer that the cross of Christ is not emptied of its meaning for us but, through the cross of Christ, we receive his peace and joy in our lives even in the midst of the daily challenges of life.

Love,

Bỏ Phúc

P.S. These are the readings for the day: 1 Cor 1:17-25 and Mt 25:1-13 (see below).

. . .

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

"The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins

who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,

brought no oil with them,

but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.

Since the bridegroom was long delayed,

they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight, there was a cry,

'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

The foolish ones said to the wise,

'Give us some of your oil,

for our lamps are going out.'

But the wise ones replied,

'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.

Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'

While they went off to buy it,

the bridegroom came

and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.

Then the door was locked.

Afterwards the other virgins came and said,

'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'

But he said in reply,

'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'

Therefore, stay awake,

for you know neither the day nor the hour."