Catechism Links[1]
CCC 671-672: We wait for all to be made subject to Christ
CCC 988-991: The just will live forever with the risen Christ
CCC 1036, 2612: Vigilant waiting for the Lord’s return
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| “Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins“ by Hieronymus Francken II, c. 1616 |
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: Wisdom 6:12-16
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 in anticipation of their desire;
Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed,
for he shall find her sitting by his gate.
For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence,
and whoever for her sake keeps vigil
shall quickly be free from care;
because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her,
and graciously appears to them in the ways,
and meets them with all solicitude.
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Commentary on Wis 6:12-16
Those who would follow God’s will are exhorted to seek wisdom. The eternal nature of wisdom described here sets it apart from human wisdom. Rather the wisdom of God is “unfading” – truth, embodied in wisdom, is eternal and unchanging. Wisdom, says the author, is a free gift from God, there for all who seek her with sincerity of heart.
The reference to finding wisdom sitting at his gate uses the “gate” as a typical meeting place where one expects to meet. In a time when cities of the region were walled, gates were identified as places where commerce and legal transactions would take place in front of witnesses. [5]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
I will remember you upon my couch,
and through the night-watches I will meditate on you:
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
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Commentary on Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Psalm 63 is an individual lament. In this selection we see the emotion of one who longs to be reunited with God, and from whom separation is like being cast into a desert without water. The singer concludes with a pledge to faithfully remember God’s saving help, rejoicing in the salvation that comes only from him.
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Reading 2: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command,
with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,
will come down from heaven,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.
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Commentary on 1 Thes 4:13-18
This passage from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians reassures the church at Thessalonica that those who have already passed from this life to the next will not be forgotten in the resurrection that will take place at the second coming of Christ. Rather they will be raised with him – first. Then those faithful followers still alive will be taken up to heaven (see also Wisdom 3:1-9).
It is important to understand when reading this passage, that St. Paul clearly expected the Parousia, the second coming, to occur during his own lifetime. This passage would emphasize the need for preparedness and vigilance, a common theme in the Gospels published later.
CCC: 1 Thes 4:13-14 1012; 1 Thes 4:14 649, 989; 1 Thes 4:16 1001; 1 Thes 4:17 1025; 1 Thes 4:18 1687
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OR:
Shorter Form: 1 Thes 4:13-14
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
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Commentary on 1 Thes 4:13-14
The focus of this shorter form is on reassurance for those who have seen physical death come to some of the faithful. St. Paul exhorts them not to lose faith like the pagans do (and those of the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection) because Jesus defeated death and has taken those who have fallen asleep (died) with him into his heavenly kingdom. (see also Wisdom 3:1-9)
CCC: 1 Thes 4:13-14 1012; 1 Thes 4:14 649, 989
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Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."
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Commentary on Mt 25:1-13
St. Matthew’s Gospel gives us the parable of the Ten Virgins, continuing the Gospel theme of preparedness and vigilance (although strictly speaking this parable is about foresight). In this story the idea of vigilance is expanded to include being prepared. The Jewish wedding customs of the time would have dictated a procession [at night] from the house of the bride to the house of the groom. The whole act is symbolic of the coming of the messianic era also portrayed as a wedding in Matthew 9:15, Matthew 22:1-14 and John 3:29. The wise virgins brought oil for their lamps while the foolish ones did not. The oil is interpreted by some scholars as referring to good works.
The overarching symbolism is the lamp of faith (light of the indwelling Holy Spirit) being kept burning with oil (good works). Hence, without good works (oil), the lamp will not continue to burn (James 2:17) and the virgins, so deprived of light, are excluded from the heavenly kingdom.
CCC: Mt 25:1-13 672, 796; Mt 25:1 672; Mt 25:6 1618; Mt 25:13 672
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Homily:
In order for us to understand how important what is said about life and death in the scripture readings we have just heard, we must first appreciate the beliefs of most of the world at the time these sacred texts were first published. Because we, as Christians, come from Jewish roots, it is most important that we start there. A vast majority of non-Christians at the time when St. Paul walked this earth (shortly after the death of Christ, when Christianity was in its infancy) did not believe there was life after death. That is, even most of the Jews believed that when you died, that was it. Most of the scribes and many of the Sadducees fell into this category.
Now some of you who have heard other parts of the Book of Wisdom might say it is clear that belief in the resurrection of the dead was part of the message in the Old Testament. You would be right of course. But you should also be aware that the Book of Wisdom is not considered sacred text in the Hebrew canon.
So what Jesus brought to the world was not just the news of God’s great love. It was more than that, ever so much more. He brought hope to the world in the knowledge that we are not limited to the few years we have in our mortal bodies. We are offered a different and eternal life, one that is unlike anything we can know or even imagine. When Jesus defeated death by offering himself as the sacrifice of atonement on the cross, he not only fulfilled the prophecy concerning the resurrection of the dead, he demonstrated the truth of this article of our faith by returning in his glorified body to show us that truth.
Can you imagine the effect this gospel teaching had on those early Jews and pagans? All their lives they lived in hopelessness, believing that when they died, they ended. They would be no more. When they died they could never see their loved ones again. It was like being cast into an endless abyss of nothingness. Then this young rabbi told them how much God loved them and that there was life beyond this physical span. Even more, the life they could look forward to included those they had loved and had gone on before them, as well as those who would follow. Truly, this was hope for the living and the dead.
So the message of joy is passed on and lies at the heart of the Gospel message. There is, of course a catch. God has adopted us. That is how the inheritance of eternal life comes to be ours. As his adopted children, we are expected to live by the “house rules,” generally summed up in the Great Commandment, and the Ten Commandments. The parable St. Matthew relates about the “Wise and Foolish Virgins” points out that, if we don’t pay attention to the rules, when we come before the Just Judge, we might just be disinherited.
I am a big fan of old movies. As I was thinking about the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, considering what analogy might be used to bring the point of the parable home, I thought about a classic Disney Movie from 1960 (based upon a 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter) called Pollyanna. In that movie, about a young orphan who always had a positive outlook on life, there was a minister played by Karl Malden. He was encouraged by Jane Wyman, the town patroness and Pollyanna’s aunt and guardian, to preach fire and brimstone sermons which were epic. They caused the whole building to vibrate. The first sermon he gave started with the bellowed phrase: “Death comes unexpectedly!” He was of course right and that is the point of the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. Do you ever wonder if that harsher introduction to God’s love might have a more telling impact sometimes?
Today we have a softer, more benign image of God. We believe in his infinite mercy and love. How could he be thought of as anything else? He did offer his Son’s life so that we might once again become his adopted children. But we sometimes presume on that love and think, “I can bend the rules this once. God will forgive me. His only Son has forgiven me so many times.” But, I quote Karl Malden again: “Death comes unexpectedly,” and we are asked to be constantly ready to stand before the Lord and account for our lives.
Today we give thanks to God for having adopted us in baptism, and offered us the path to eternal life. We indeed give thanks that we do not stand among the ranks of those who live in hopelessness, thinking that death is the end and only the worm awaits us. We also thank the Church for giving us this wonderful parable to remind us that with our adoption comes responsibility, and we pledge this day to be more mindful of it.
For those of us still not able to receive Christ in the Eucharist, either out of caution or availability to attend Mass physically we offer this prayer:
My Jesus, I believe that You Are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, And I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins“ by Hieronymus Francken II, c. 1616.
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Catholic Bible Dictionary, © 2009 by Scott W. Hahn p. 303.
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