Sunday Lectionary: Ready & Wise

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: November 6, 2011

The Readings this week focus around the concepts of wisdom and watchfulness.

In the First Reading we hear “Lady Wisdom” extolled and praised. In the Second Reading St. Paul talks about the Second Coming of Christ. Finally, in the Gospel Reading Jesus combines both of these subjects and tells a parable in which he compares two different types of people: the wise who prepare for His coming and the foolish who do not. The lesson is clear: Be wise – Be Ready

“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

 

Reading I: Wisdom 6:12-16

Together with books such as Job and Proverbs, Wisdom falls into the category of (duh!) “Wisdom Literature”. The book is part of “The Deuterocanon”. To non-Catholics it is known as “The Apocrypha” and rejected by them as Scripture.

In the passage we hear this Sunday, Wisdom is personified as a woman. We are told that Wisdom is truly precious and we would all do well to seek her…

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.

Questions:

• What do you know about the Book of Wisdom?
• In what terms is Wisdom described? Why do think this is?
• How do you think we should go about seeking Wisdom?
• What is the promise that is made in this text?

Commentary:

“Resplendent and unfading is wisdom…”

Wisdom is both wonderful and eternal. In the figure of Wisdom we are to also see Jesus.

“…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”

Wisdom is personified as a woman. To see her you must love her. To find her you must seek her. Those who seek her will not be disappointed:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” – James 1:5

Wisdom doesn’t appear to the lazy.

“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”

This describes the attitude and actions of those who seek wisdom. Wisdom is a gift which is bestowed upon those who seek her.

Note that it describes those who “…for her sake keeps vigil”. This state of readiness is the same as the one described in this week’s Gospel passage.

 

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 63: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

In this psalm David describes his search for the Lord and, like those who seek Wisdom, he finds fulfillment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions:

• With what kind of intensity does the psalmist wish for union with God?
• What is the “sanctuary” mentioned here?
• What is the psalmist’s response to his intimacy with the Lord?

Commentary:

“…flesh pines and my soul thirsts…”

This is the kind of passion which we would normally associate with intimate romance.

“Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary”

Primarily this means the sanctuary of the Temple, but in a broader sense could refer to sanctuary of Heaven.

“Thus will I bless you while I live…”

This is the hinge of the psalm. The first part of the psalm talks about the psalmist’s desire for intimacy and from this verse onwards the psalmist turns to praise.

“…and through the night-watches I will meditate on you…”

Compare this with the watchfulness of the virgins in the Gospel and those in the First Reading who “keep vigil” for Wisdom…

 

Reading II: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

In our Second Readings we have been working our way through Paul’s first letter to the Church at Thessalonica. This week we come to the main point of this letter. The Thessalonians are worried because some in their community have died and they’re afraid that they will therefore miss Jesus’ return…

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.

Questions:

• What does “fallen asleep” mean?
• How does Paul tell them that they should react to death?
• What appears to be the concern of the Thessalonians?
• What is Paul’s response to this?

Commentary:

“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”

Paul is talking here about those who have died. Paul is using a euphemism when describing them as having “fallen asleep”.

Paul says that there should be a marked difference between how the world mourns and how Christians mourn. Christians can, of course, mourn, but it should have a different character to it.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep”

Thanks to Jesus, Christians look forward to resurrection and eternal life. Death is not the end. This is our “hope”.

“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”

Those who have died haven’t missed out on the Second Coming of Jesus! Paul says that they’re going to wake up first!

“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”

The alarm clock will go off and the dead will rise… 😉

Jehovah’s Witnesses use this verse in defense of their doctrine that Jesus is Michael the Archangel . Their logic is that, since Paul says that the Lord will come “with the voice of an archangel”, he is saying that the Lord *is* an archangel. This is a rather flimsy interpretation to say the least. The image that Paul is using here is that of a triumphant King returning to his city, proceeded by a herald (“Make way for the king!”).

Also, there are also lots of other passages in the Bible which make it very clear that Jesus is *not* an Angel:

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” – John 1:1

Jehovah Witnesses will often try and say that the Greek of this passage makes it clear that the Word as “a god” (i.e. angel) rather than “the God” (Jehovah). The short answer is “No, it doesn’t” 😉

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” – Hebrews 1:5-6

You don’t worship angels. Worship is due to God alone.

“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. 

After the dead have risen, those who are still alive will be gathered by the Lord.

(FYI – this is the verse used by some non-Catholics to prove their doctrine of The Rapture)

“Therefore, console one another with these words”

This teaching should be a source of comfort and hope.

 

Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

This week we come to “The parable of the ten virgins”, a parable which poses the question: are you ready for the coming of the Lord? To understand this parable better, it helps to know that the Lectionary has skipped a section since last week. The omitted section concerned Jesus’ warning of Jerusalem’s impending judgment, the allegorical extension of which is the Final Judgement at the end of time.

According to Harold Camping, a couple of weeks ago the world was meant to end. This week Jesus tells us how we are meant to respond to this…

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.”

Questions:

• What is the message of this parable?
• Who is the “bridegroom” in this passage? Who is the bride? Who are the “virgins”?
• What is the lesson of this story?
• How are we to keep our lamps ready?
• If you knew Jesus was going to return next week, what would you live differently?

Commentary:

“The kingdom of heaven will be like…”

Note here that Jesus is talking about some future event…

“…who took their lamps…”

Jewish weddings were usually held in the evening and at an unspecified time.

The darkness here may well have symbolic meaning in the parable.

“…ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom”

After the betrothal, the bridegroom would go away to prepare his house for his bride. Some months later, when the bridegroom’s father agreed that the house was ready, the bridegroom would return to escort his bride and her wedding party to the wedding feast.

The “bridegroom” here is Jesus who is returning for his bride, the Church:

“In that day,” declares the LORD,  “you will call me ‘my husband’; … I will betroth you to me forever; 
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion” – Hosea 2:16-20

The bridesmaids (“ten virgins”) represent those who are awaiting Jesus’ return. They know that He is coming soon, but not exactly when…

“The understandings of all who have received the word of God are virgins. For such is the word of God, that of its purity it imparts to all, who by its teaching have departed from the worship of idols, and have through Christ drawn near to the worship of God; and have took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom and the bride. They take their lamps…and go forth out of the world and its errors…[to] meet the Savior, who is ever ready to come to enter with them that are worthy to His blessed bride the Church” – Origen

“…The lamps are the light of bright souls which shine forth in the sacrament of baptism” – St. Hilary

“Since the bridegroom was long delayed…”

We’re still waiting for Jesus…

“…they all became drowsy and fell asleep”

Death?

“…trimmed their lamps…”

This is the cutting off the charred ends of the torches. This could also have symbolic meaning.

“The foolish ones…brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.”

Here we have two types of people (recall the recent Gospel of the Wedding Banquet and the Wheat & Tares). Some are wise (see our First Reading) and others are foolish and found unprepared.

So what’s going on here. This is what the Early Church Fathers had to say about the oil…

“The oil denotes charity, alms, and every aid rendered to the needy…And He employs the character virgins in this parable to show, that though virginity be a great thing, yet if it be not accompanied by works of mercy, it shall be cast out with the adulterers“ – St. John Chrysostom

“They that believe rightly, and live righteously, are likened to the five wise; they that profess the faith of Jesus, but prepare themselves not by good works to salvation, are likened to the five foolish” – Origen

“…the lamps which they carry in their hands are their works, of which it was said above, Let your works shine before men” – St. Augustine

“The oil is the fruit of good works, the vessels are the human bodies in whose inward parts the treasure of a good conscience is to be laid up.” – St. Hilary

“The virgins that have oil are they, that besides their faith, have the ornament of good works; they that have not oil, are they that seem to confess with like faith, but neglect the works of virtue” – St. Jerome

I think we should consider the oil in light of the clear Scriptural injunctions of recent weeks:

1. Love God
2. Love Neighbour

[While] the foolish ones…went off to buy [oil], the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. 

For their lack of forethought, the foolish are left without oil and they miss the arrival of the bridegroom. Those who were “ready” go with the bridegroom to the “feast”.

“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

This is the message of this passage – remain ready. We do not know when the Second Coming will take place (despite what Harold Camping, Jehovah’s Witnesses or any other groups say). We also don’t know the date of our own death. Therefore, we called to always be ready to meet Christ at that unknown day and unknown hour…

For the final word, let’s hear from Grandpa Sheen…