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When we hear the words of John the Baptist, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'” we think it is all about God. But can we prepare the way of the Lord without it having something to do with ourselves?

This is not just about staying awake on the face of it, or not sleeping. Maybe this means more about what we pay attention to and actually notice. Bo Lozoff, talks about a painting from Tibet. A boy is sitting in the morning sun with his cup of tea. There is a fly buzzing around his cup of tea, and he has his hand covering the cup of tea, why?

Is it realistic for us to see helping others as helping Christ himself? It is a nice thought, but is it helpful and is it a concept we can actually practice? After all, in the parable, the sheep, the ones praised for caring for those in need, actually deny it was helping Christ by saying; when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison?

This passage reminds me of how Dr. Scott Peck starts “the Road Less Travelled” with; life is difficult. I say this because my thought from this is; life is not fair. Some seem to be given a lot more than others, and it is easy to feel that life has treated us unfairly.

Every time this parable of the ten bridesmaids is read, I have the same question; why don’t the five with oil share it with the five without? It seems selfish at first glance.

As we come to the end of the Church year we celebrate this great feast of All Saints Day, to remember and give thanks to the communion of saints.

The beginning of this passage is famously linked to one of the most popular parables, the Good Samaritan. This means the focus is on who is the good neighbour?

The Pharisees and Herodians are trying to trap Jesus by putting him in an impossible bind. If he says no to pay the taxes, the Romans can have him arrested. If he says yes, doesn’t that make him look like a collaborator for the Romans? But Jesus answers a question with a question; whose face is on the coin? And the well known words; give to the emperor that which is the emperor’s and to God that which is God’s.

The two parts of Thanksgiving come together. In Corinthians Paul says that God loves a cheerful giver, and we have in the Gospel the Samaritan leper coming back to thank Jesus. He receiving the gift of healing with such thanks he had to feel a sense of cheerfulness and joy.