Relieved after Halloween?

Jesus, help me be prepared for whenever you come back. Amen!

"The coming of the kingdom of heaven," said Jesus, "will be like girls who took lamps lit with oil outside to meet someone for a party. Only some girls brought extra oil. By the time the man got there, the foolish girls had to go get more oil. When they got back, the party had started and the doors were locked." Jesus added: "Be ready. You don't know when the kingdom of heaven will come."

Now that Halloween is over, you might be finishing up the candy you collected or remembering a party you went to. Did anyone's costume scare you on Halloween? Did you watch any movies that sent shivers up your spine?

Lots of kids like the spooky parts of Halloween, but some aren't into being scared. They'd rather get their candy and that's it. Jesus might relate to the anti-scaring kids: In this week's Gospel (Matthew 25:1-13), He talks about being ready for things so you aren't caught off-guard!

If you aren't into being scared, you might feel relieved that Halloween is over. Now, you don't have to worry as much about someone jumping out at you in a creepy Halloween mask, or seeing houses decorated with skeletons and gravestones that scare you.

In the Gospel story, some girls get ready for a party so they aren't caught unprepared. They bring extra oil for lamps so they don't have to go back for more -- and when the guy they're waiting for arrives, they're ready. The girls who don't bring oil are like scared kids on Halloween: not ready for what's coming next.

Of course, the person everyone's waiting for is really Jesus, who's going to come back one day. The story is really about being prepared. Jesus doesn't want you to be scared when you meet Him!