Seek God Now - The Branches, November 10, 2026

Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour. 
(Matthew 25:13)

November 10, 2026

Hello Everyone —

The twelfth-century abbot, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, once wrote: “If you have found wisdom, you have found honey.”

As the story goes, a recently married couple had just set up housekeeping in their first home with all of their new and expensive wedding gifts when they received in the mail a pair of tickets — orchestra center seats — for a new hit Broadway show. The tickets came in a nondescript card that simply read: Guess who sent these?

They had no idea who could have sent them. The mystery continued right up to the night of the show. Still not knowing who gave them the tickets, the couple went off to the theater and had a wonderful time.

But when they returned home, they found their condo had been completely cleaned out. Everything was gone — all their beautiful gifts, every bit of furniture, their new television and surround-sound equipment, their jewelry and clothes.

In the middle of their empty living room floor was another note. This one read: Now you know.

In their sudden and unexpected loss, the couple painfully learned the same lesson as the foolish bridesmaids — from last Sunday’s Gospel according to Matthew — that the things of this life are temporary — that life can abruptly change forever and end in an instant.

There is so much we want to do with our lives, but we often live with the false belief that there will always be a “later” — we work ourselves to exhaustion and isolation, foolishly thinking that someday we will have “enough.” The parable of the foolish virgins and the experience of the robbed couple call us to see our lives as preciously short and fragile and remind us that the time to seek God is now.

How wonderful were the wise ones — oil in their lamps and oil to spare. The words of the corresponding reading describe the way in which Holy Wisdom seeks out such persons with style and grace.

Resplendent and unfading is Wisdom,
and she is readily perceived by those who love her,
and found by those who seek her.
She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her;
one who watches for her at dawn will not be disappointed,
for she will be found sitting at the gate.
For setting your heart on her is the perfection of prudence,
and whoever keeps vigil for her is quickly free from care;
Because she makes her rounds, seeking those worthy of her,
and graciously appears to them on the way,
and goes to meet them with full attention. (Wis 6:12-16)

What is curious about the passage is that the wise seek Wisdom, and Wisdom seeks the wise. Wisdom is not something, but someone with whom we enter a relationship. Wisdom is the source of the oil and fire we need to light our lamps and keep them burning as we wait and seek out the coming of the Bridegroom.

I hope that you find the sweetness (honey) of the Lord in your life this week.

As I do for you, please pray for me,

Most Reverend Jeffrey S. Grob
Archbishop of Milwaukee