Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A
IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE BUT TO PERSEVERE IN THE FAITH
Introduction
Israel has experienced the faithfulness of her God. For her, Israel coined the termhesed we 'emet that frequently occurs in the Bible, which can be translated as faithful in love. When the Lord makes an alliance, he is faithful to it even if the other party betrays its commitments. When He makes a promise, he never slips up even on one word.
Paul was deeply convinced of it: “The faithful God who has called” (1 Corinthians 1:9); “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself” (2 Tim 2:13)and, recalling the unfaithfulness of Israel, he says: “Will their unfaithfulness do away with the faithfulness of God? Of course not” (Rom 3:3-4).
But will people ever match this love? The Bible speaks of the Hasidim (the faithful:from hesed, loyal). Even before Christ, a group of pious and virtuous men—who weregiven this name—were meant to embody the loyal, law-abiding Israelite, willing even to accept martyrdom rather than betray their faith. This spiritual power has remained to this day in the Jewish people. Here is what one of these Hasidim has written before entering thegas chamber: ‘God of Israel, you have made the possible so that I would not believe in you. If you thought of diverting me from my way, well, I’ll tell you, my God, the God of my fathers, you will not succeed. You can hit me, take away from me whatever is preciousand dear I have on earth, you can torment me to death, but I will always believe in you. I’ll love you forever. I die as I have lived, firmly believing in you.’
When the test wind blows, “the lamp of the godless is extinguished, the light of the virtuous is bright” (Prov 13:9).
“Grant, O Lord, that on the last day, I can repeat, like Paul,
‘I have finished my course; I have kept myself faithful.’”
First Reading: Wisdom 6:12-16
Like all the other nations of antiquity, the Israelites esteemed ‘wisdom’ more than wealth, beauty, and strength. They appreciated those who examined the secrets of nature, who composed proverbs, songs and poems, who reflected on the enigmas of the world, life, and death, joy and pain. The most famous of the wise was Solomon, whose wisdom “was greater than that of all the Orientals and all the land of Egypt” (1 K 5:9-14).
When the Bible speaks of ‘wisdom,’ it refers, above all, to the art of directing our own lives well. Wise are those who, reflecting on their own experience, the teaching of the sages who preceded them, and the historical events of their people, draw valuable lessons for themselves and others. They can distinguish what is good from what is bad, what isright from what is wrong. They control their instincts and passions, act with care, are loyalin word and deed, and are humble and modest.
In the world, there is not one wisdom. Next to that of God, there is also that of the‘snake.’ The Bible presents it as the most cunning of creatures made by the Lord God (Gen3:1). It is the image of the shrewd person, who claims to become the absolute master of his own destiny, but that eventually brings about his own downfall by excluding God from his own life. Can he claim the title ‘wise’? The Bible’s answer is ‘no.’ It is the foolish person who, in his heart, cries mockingly: “God does not exist” (Ps 14:1). It is, therefore, essential for every person, family, and people to be aware of the ‘wisdom’ that guides themand takes them by the hand. Is it that of God or that of the ‘snake’? On what ‘wisdom’ did decisions taken depend? It is a choice between life and death.
The author of the passage proposed for today is a wise man who discovered thewisdom of God and wants his readers to fall in love with it. So, he presents it aspersonified as a beautiful girl, a young girl playing and jokes before God: “it is bright andincorruptible, he who loves it never tires of contemplating it” (v. 12). And the pain of love? The one who feels rejected, sees the beloved continually escaping, discovers that the woman of his dreams is unreachable, experiences the desertion. Is obtaining God’s wisdom perhaps so difficult?
No!—answers our author. “She willingly lets herself be seen by those who love her”(v. 12); indeed, “she hastens to meet those who long for her.” She puts in place a thousandcharms to be noticed, to be known (v. 13). From morning, she searches for a wise man toentertain him with her beauty and seduce him. She makes herself seen at the door of herhouse (v. 14). She goes in search of someone. She is fascinated because ‘they are worthy of her.’ When she discovers them, she does not abandon them and accompanies them all along the way (v. 16).
The passage ends by proclaiming blessed and free from care those who make the wisdom of God their own and entrust their lives his life to it (v. 15).
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
There was a widespread belief that Jesus would return quite soon to catch up with his disciples and introduce them to the Father’s kingdom in the early Christian communities.Paul also shared this idea. From where did this idea come? How did it originate? It isspontaneous and natural to imagine that our own generation would be the last and the world end with us. So far, there is nothing strange in it, but when the so-called millennialists appeared, then the trouble started. Taking advantage of the people's naivety, they predict frightening things and even cause panic, convincing others that the ‘last days’are here. The consequences of such fanaticism can be tragic.
At the time of Paul, the expectation of the world's imminent end was, above all, fueledby the rabbis. They said that God would soon intervene to begin his reign because of the many misfortunes that had befallen their people and the extent of the violence of the suffering and humiliation that Israel continued to endure every day. This expectation was also encouraged by a few phrases of Jesus, taken literally and misinterpreted (Mt 24).
In Thessalonica, the expectation of the imminent end of the world was beginning tocreate serious problems, so much so that Paul felt the need to intervene. Some convinced that only a short time remained and that food supplies would be sufficient, had stopped working and become layabouts, discrediting the whole community. There was also atheological problem that raised concerns and questions. It was about the fate of the dead.They wondered if the Lord would come to take the living and wondered about the fate of their relatives and friends who had died?
In today’s reading, the second problem is clarified. On the issue of absenteeism from work, a second letter written to the same community contained some clarification. Paulbegins by recalling some fundamental truths: in the face of death, pagan and Christianpositions are not only far apart but quite the opposite. The first group ‘has no hope’ and then, in the face of death, cannot help but despair. It is the end of everything. On the other hand, Christians believe in eternal life. They know that the life of God, received in baptism, is not interrupted by death; while suffering separation from loved ones, they do not grieve “as those who have no hope” (v. 13).
The second truth, which the Thessalonians must refer to, is the resurrection of Christ (v. 14). Jesus has conquered death; he entered into the glory of the Father and will bring with him all those who, in baptism, have been united with him. The third consoling truth(vv. 15-17) is that there will be no difference between those who are already dead andthose found alive at the coming of Christ. All will be gathered, and they will be foreverwith the Lord.
In these truths—that constitute the core of the faith—Christians must find the answer to the riddle of death that has always distressed people.
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
In today’s parable, there are some strange, unlikely, and even contradictory details. I list some of them: why don’t the foolish virgins join the wedding with the bit of oil they still have? What goes through their minds to prompt them to go to the market to buy more oil? At midnight, the markets are closed. The wise virgins are introduced with great honorat the wedding feast, but we would not welcome them, as we would not know what to make of such selfish guests. The recommendation, which concludes the story: “So stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour” (v. 13), has nothing to do with the parable because even the wise virgins slept, and none were vigilant.
Even the figure of the groom (who clearly is Christ) is not at all sympathetic. He is a strange one. He arrives at an inappropriate time. Then on the very day he should appearfriendly with everyone, he becomes threatening and chasing people out through no fault of their own. In his feast, we would all participate with apprehension.
To understand these strange details, it must be remembered that we are dealing with a parable. In these stories, not all is logical. Sometimes, elements are introduced that are designed solely to provoke the listener's imagination, keep them interested and attentive, and make it easier for them to assimilate the message. The details of our dramatic parableare due—as I have said on other occasions—to the typical oriental taste for impressive images. Attention must not be focused on them but the central teaching.
There is another important factor to keep in mind to understand the parable: Jesus’ original story was edited by Matthew. He has adapted it to the catechetical needs of his communities. We will see how. The wedding party in Israel was profoundly solemn and lasted about a week. On the first day, the groom went to his in-laws' house to escort the bride from the home of her parents. The bridesmaids were there to welcome him. They arethe unmarried girls of the village who would be singing and dancing, and if it was night, holding torches, to accompany their friend who was getting married to her new homewhere the wedding party was taking place.
Jesus takes his cue from this ceremony—one which he certainly had attended and participated in often—to compose a parable through which to mediate his message. If we keep in mind that both the number five and the virgins are symbols of the people of Israeland that the number ten indicates the totality, it is easy to grasp the meaning that the parable had when coming from the lips of Jesus. The ten virgins represent the people ofIsrael awaiting the Messiah (the groom): a part of these people (the five wise virgins) is prepared to accept and enter the Christian community. In comparison, another part (the fivefoolish virgins) is not attentive to God’s plans, is unfaithful, and is kept out of the banquet hall.
When Matthew writes his Gospel, the historical, cultural, and religious contexts have changed fifty years later. Christian communities have arisen in the pagan world. The problems faced by the disciples are different. In the new situation, we feel more than everthe need for the illuminating word of the Master. Matthew, a faithful pastor of souls andattentive to the spiritual needs of his church, puts a retake on the parable of Jesus andoffers an updated version adapted to the new reality.
What were the problems of the Christian communities at the end of the first century A.D.? We have seen in the Second Reading that in the early decades of the Church’s life, there was a widespread conviction that the Lord would return soon “on the clouds of heaven” to take his disciples with him and introduce them in glory. But nothing had happened. The feverish expectation had led to disappointment. The first doubts had arisen,and fatigue and discouragement subtly entered into the communities. As a result, many defections among Christians were recorded. Some of them put some strange arguments to their former brothers in faith: “What has become of his promised coming? Since our father in faith died, everything still goes on as it was from the beginning of the world” (2 P 3:4).
Disappointed by the failure of the Lord’s return, many resumed the dissolute life they had led before baptism. They returned to their interest in trade and business. They continued their arrogant attitudes towards their employees and exploited their slaves, just as if they had never heard the Gospel of Christ. They plunged into a dangerous spiritual slumber; they were at the mercy of their blunted consciences.
Matthew rewrites the parable as a reminder to those that had let their torches go out. It is to shake those who had allowed their faith to be reduced to a smoldering wick. The scene is that of God’s judgment; the colors are dark, the language is harsh, but the situationcalls for it. There is also an added exhortation of Jesus, which he has certainly not delivered on any other occasion: “So stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour” (v. 13). Still, the evangelist considers it appropriate to place it in this context.
In the first part of the parable (vv. 1-5), the characters are introduced, and the preparation for the feast is described. In the new version—the one adapted by Matthew for his community—the ten virgins no longer signify Israel, but the Church that awaits the return of her Lord, her Bridegroom. Thus, there is also a logical explanation that the bride does not appear: the bride is the Christian community, represented by the ten virgins.
“Five of them were foolish and five were wise” (v. 2). A theme dear to Matthew is resumed here. In the Christian community, the good and the evil live together; the wheat and the weeds grow in the same field; the good and the bad are in the same network; the clean and the dirty sit at the same table; the wise and the foolish side by side.
Note also that the foolish virgins are mentioned first because they are a cause of concern. They represent the Christians at risk, those disciples who were asleep and behave like frivolous, vain airheads, who lose their heads over clothes, jewelry, perfume, and goodlooks but neglect the essentials. They focus their lives on what is transient; they overlookthe true values; they forget the one necessary thing, that which Mary had chosen, sitting atthe Lord’s feet and becoming his disciple (Lk 10:38-42). The vigilant virgins are instead the Christians that do not let themselves be seduced by vanity and remain focused on whatis important in life. In the liturgy, the parable is being re-proposed to Christians today to help them discover and recognize the ‘foolish virgin’ in each of them. Often it is the one who—without being noticed—takes their hand, advises, guides, and makes suggestionsthat lead to foolish choices.
The second part of the parable (vv. 6-9) opens with the cry of someone who, more vigilant than others, is the first to guess that the bridegroom is coming. Then the groups are compared over the way they spend the waiting time. The puzzling behavior of the wise virgins, who refuse to share their oil with their companions, contains a valuable message. In the past, the spiritual masters repeated the phrase: ‘The important thing is to die in the grace of God,’ as if it was enough to have a good feeling, a good thought at the end of life to put a poorly managed life in order. However, a ruined life is not rebuilt at the last minute. The important thing, therefore, is not to die well but to live well. Indeed, Godalways finds a way to save every person. Still, in the end, everyone will end up with what they did: whether it be a solid and magnificent palace or with a paper-mâché castle, which will not stand the fire of God’s judgment, when he “will test the work of everyone” (1 Cor 3:13-17).
The third part (vv. 10-12) contains the judgment scene: the bridegroom comes, some are admitted to the feast, others are rejected. In Matthew, the parables often enddramatically, with threats and punishment. These are not to terrify but to warn against errant behavior that may lead to failure. They are a reminder of the importance of the present moment, the only one given to us, and even God can make us relive. If you investit in evil, it is lost forever.
The closing of the door indicates the end of every opportunity. Hence, the urgent need to establish how to use life well. The image of the lighted lamp suggests the way. Whoeverhas made this evangelical choice will be approved by God. They will have beenpersevering and kept in mind and heart the light of faith, even in those moments when trials and difficulties have gone beyond the expected limit. However, the choice of those who, for a while, have followed the proposals of Christ, but then, becoming tired, haveleaned toward other values and interests, will be condemned, and judged as insane.
This is the bottom line of the parable; the rest is drama. It is not a description of what Jesus will do at the end of the world with those who have been led by a fool. The epilogue(v. 13) is the last call to vigilance: the Groom can come at any moment, and it is necessary always to be ready to receive him. It would be a mistake to imagine this world as a waiting room where patients are seated and maybe dozing off, like Christians waiting for the Lord to come to take and introduce them to the future world.
This concept (which was that of some Christians in Thessalonica) gave rise to idleness, immobility, disaffection, and indifference to the world's problems and earthly realities. These attitudes are the most anti-Gospel that can be imagined.
Jesus is not coming only at the end of our life. He comes in every moment and wants to find his disciples engaged in service, in the gift of themselves to their brothers and sisters. In their room, the lamp should always be on, as a point of reference and reminderof hope for the poor that are seeking help, for the outcast and the stranger calling for love and justice, for the woman demanding respect, the victims of violence longing for peace and for those who did wrong and need understanding and forgiveness.
READ:Those who ardently desire wisdom will not be disappointed. Similarly, those who trust in the promise of the Resurrection will not be disappointed either. Jesus gives the parable of the ten bridesmaids who waited for the arrival of the groom.
REFLECT: God’s promises will have their fulfillment in his time. It is important to trust in his words and wait in hope with the proper preparation. Many people start enthusiastically along the Lord’s path, but the seeming delay in fulfilling God’s promise disappoints them. Their oil of faith runs out, and they haven’t carried with them extra reserves, and they drop out, only to realize to their regret that God does fulfill the Covenant. Who are we like: the five wise bridesmaids with reserves of faith or the other five not-so-wise ones?
PRAY: Pray for perseverance in faith and mission.
ACT: Reach out and comfort someone who feels discouraged by the seeming delay in God’s healing intervention in their life.