32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time | November 8, 2026
What does it mean to be ready for Christ's return?
In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, Saint Paul tells Christians not to grieve as those who have no hope. Christ has risen from the dead, and those who belong to Him have the promise of resurrection.
Yet this same passage is frequently used to support the popular idea of the rapture, in which believers suddenly disappear and others are left behind.
That is not how the Catholic Church understands Christ's return.
Saint Paul's message is one of hope. The Lord will come again, the dead will rise, and the faithful will be gathered to Him. The imagery of going out to meet Christ recalls the ancient practice of welcoming a king or dignitary and accompanying him in procession.
The Gospel gives us another image of Christ's return: ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise and have sufficient oil for their lamps. Five are foolish and find themselves unprepared.
The question is not whether the bridegroom will come. The question is whether we will be ready to receive Him.
The first reading directs our attention to wisdom. Wisdom is more than possessing information. It is learning to think as God thinks, to understand as God understands, and to live as God desires.
That requires conversion.
We cannot simply assume that because we have been invited into the Kingdom, we may enter on whatever terms we choose. The Church exists to invite us to repentance, to turn away from sin, and to embrace the new life offered through Christ.
Everyone is invited. But the invitation calls for a response.
We are waiting for the bridegroom. We are waiting for Christ to return. And in the meantime, we must keep our lamps burning with faith, wisdom, and conversion of heart.
We are welcomed into the Kingdom, not on our terms, but on God's terms.
Watch the full homily above.