THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
12 NOVEMBER 2017
When
Saint Paul brought the Gospel to the Thessalonians, they responded well. Many were baptized and trusted Paul’s words
that the Lord had died, that he had been raised from the dead, and that he
would come again. They had expected the
Lord’s Second Coming to occur in their lifetimes. Many had quit their day jobs. But, because the Lord had not come back
again, they worried about their loved ones had died. They wanted to know what would happen to
them. What we heard in the second
reading is Paul’s response. He tells
them to trust in the Mystery of the Lord’s death and resurrection. Because of that Mystery, they could illumine
the darkness of their lives and world with the bright light they received at
their Baptism, especially if they got back to work and stopped gossiping. That same Mystery applied to those who had
died in Christ. Using standard
apocalyptic terms involving angels and clouds, Saint Paul assures them that
they can grieve with hope, because their loved ones are in the presence of that
light.
Thirty
years later, Saint Matthew recorded this parable of Jesus to his community of
believers. By this time, it had become
clear that the Second Coming of the Lord would be delayed. So, this parable helps them to understand how
they are to wait for the coming of the Lord, while allowing his light to shine
through them at the present moment.
In his
parable, Jesus borrows details from the wedding customs of his time. When the time of being espoused was ended, the
groom would go to the home of the family of the bride. After negotiating the final details, the
bridesmaids would lead the procession through dark streets with bright torches
to the home of his parents, where the wedding would be held. Jesus’ point is clear. He is the faithful bridegroom. We, the Church, are his bride. Even though he has delayed his coming, he
will come at some time to invite us to the eternal wedding banquet. He expects us to use our oil to allow the
light of our baptism to shine in our darkened lives and worlds now.
When we
received the Sacrament of Confirmation, we were anointed with Chrism, the
sacred oil blessed by the Bishop, to give us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us
to keep the flame of faith alive in our lives.
Our acts of righteousness are primary ingredients of the oil as we wait
for the Lord’s coming. Our light shines
brightly when we participate in the spiritual and corporal acts of mercy. We have plenty of oil when we participate in
the Sacramental life of the Church, especially when we refuel ourselves at
Sunday Mass. When the oil supply runs
low, we can refill it in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We keep our oil ready when we spend time in
personal and family prayer, when we involve ourselves in study, and when we
actively pursue anything that will help us grow in faith. With the oil of these spiritual activities,
we allow the light of Christ’s presence to shine through us. Whenever he comes, we will be ready.
In the
parable, the wise virgins seem to be selfish when they refuse to share their
oil with the foolish virgins. In truth,
developing those spiritual habits is a deeply personal activity that cannot be
shared. That is why we need to do
everything in our power to continue these habits, so that those who do not
regard these activities as important might take a step in faith. I am convinced that the Lord is calling us to
be evangelists, especially now that we are becoming more accustomed to our new
church and improved facilities. We do
not always live that light. Even the
wise virgins fell asleep. We sometimes
put off the Lord’s invitation to take a step in faith. “I can go on Christ Renews His Parish” next year. Or I can get involved when I have more
time. And the list goes on. The Lord calls us to keep our oil strong, so
that his light can shine through us. There
is still time for conversion, for real change for us and for those we love
now. The parable is pretty clear. When the Lord comes, it will be too late.
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