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“Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins”
by Hieronymus Francken II, c. 1616 |
Readings for Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:17-25
This passage from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians begins with an announcement of his own mission: to proclaim the “unvarnished” truth of the Gospel, “not with the wisdom of human eloquence.”
He continues refuting those who point to Christ’s crucifixion as proof of Jesus’ fallibility by saying that faith, graciously given by God, allows the Christian to see the victory in what appears to the scoffers to be a defeat. (“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”) St. Paul supports his premise by quoting Isaiah 29:14, attacking the “wisdom of the wise.” He calls Jesus a stumbling block for the Jews (probably because they expected a royal messiah taking power like King David), and foolishness for the rational Gentiles (Greeks) who pride themselves on logic. The cross is not logical for a savior.
St. Paul concludes by telling the community (“those who were called”) that it is God who acts in them giving them faith (see also Romans 9:16), and that in the face of God’s omnipotence all the wisdom and strength of humanity pales in comparison.
CCC: 1 Cor 1:18 268; 1 Cor 1:24-25 272
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm. 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R. (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps. 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
Psalm 33 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. In this selection the emphasis is on faithfulness to God who has saving power, combined with hope which is a central component of faith in God.
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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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Reflection:
"Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch with love, watch with charity, watch with good works [...]; make ready the lamps, make sure they do not go out [...], renew them with the inner oil of an upright conscience; then shall the Bridegroom enfold you in the embrace of his love and bring you into his banquet room, where your lamp can never be extinguished"
(St Augustine, Sermons, 93) [4]
Think about what St. Augustine tells us in his sermon. The act of vigilance is not passive; the be-on-guard attitude is an active outward facing lifestyle that not only recognizes there is a banquet that must be attended, but also understands there is a state of readiness that must be attained. We once more think of an analogy. It is like the athlete who prepares for an event. The athlete does not simply think about the upcoming competition, although that is certainly part of the preparation process. The athlete practices for long periods of time, until the muscles that must be used in competition know, without being mentally told, what they must do.
Similarly, Christians recognize that, at the end of their earthly lives, there will be a banquet, a wedding feast they hope to attend. But the guests at that feast must come by a lighted path, and the lamp they bring must be bright. Clearly, part of the Christian’s preparation for that event is contemplating the joy of the celebration. But we also recognize that total preparation is needed if we are to arrive well prepared for the wedding feast of the lamb.
Our attitudes and behaviors must act in concert to provide fuel for the lamp of faith. As St. Augustine says, “Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch with love, watch with charity, watch with good works.” Our whole being must be brought into readiness, so our lamps do not dim and go out. Using the analogy of the lamps in an outdoor procession, they do not burn long or well unattended. There is wind in the world that would extinguish those lamps. The flame must be protected lest some errant breeze extinguish the lamp just when it is needed.
Alas, all analogy breaks down at some point, and the analogy of the athlete breaks down as well. You see, the athlete prepares for an event whose schedule is known. The date and time are set, and the athlete knows they have so much time to train. We, on the other hand, do not know the time or the place when the banquet invitation will be extended. Our prayer today then is that we keep our eyes constantly focused on our preparations. No matter what our health or age, we do not know when we will be called home. We must be ready and ask the Lord to help us as we work to keep our lamps filled.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins” by Hieronymus Francken II, c. 1616.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio[3] 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.
[4] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.189.
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