32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); 11-08-2020

Wis 2:12-16.  Ps 63.  1 Thes 4:13-18.  Mt 25:1-13

Deacon Jim McFadden

       We are a hyper-stimulated, impatient people.  Carrie Fisher, in her autobiography once opined that “instant gratification takes too long!”  And, the electronic, digital age we now live in has only exacerbated this.  We have 5G instant access to a plethora of information, along with fast food, instant replay, 24/7 news bites.  We become anxious when we get stuck in traffic or have to stand in line at the check-out counter.  We get antsy when the homilist goes beyond 10 minutes.

            As we approach the end of the liturgical year, which marks a year we’ll not soon forget (!), we’re reminded that the unfolding of time is not in our hands, but is in God’s.  We know how the story ends—Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the power of Satan through his Death and Resurrection.  We know that we have a secure and eternally life-giving future, when we stay connected to the Lord Jesus and proclaim that he is alive, that he is Risen!  Despite what may be happening around us—the chaos and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic, the ugly divisiveness that plagues our country, the degradation of human beings who are objectified, exploited, and marginalized—Jesus promises us a blessing: namely, “Peace be with you” as he breathes upon us.  God promises us peace—not merely the absence of war or conflict, but the life that is shared within the mystery of the Triune God.  That kind of communion and fellowship gives us everything we need to be happy and joyful, regardless of what our external circumstances may be.

            When we gaze upon human history from the prism of Sacred Scripture, we see that human sinfulness can get in the way of God’s plans.  So, the people waited anxiously for the time of fulfillment, which became known as the end time. The Greeks have a word for this unique time: namely, Kairos or God’s time.  It stands by itself: it’s totally different from the ongoing, ordinary time or chronos (chronological time).  Amazing, transformative events occur in kairos.  There, God’s promises are fulfilled.

            As Christians, we believe that our Lord Jesus has inaugurated this time of fulfillment through the Mystery of Faith, the Paschal Mystery.  At the same time, we have one foot planted in the world of ordinary time, in chronos.  By virtue of our baptism, we’re called to be missionary disciples as we live the extraordinary Way of Jesus in this ordinary time.  As we do so, we enter into the time of fulfillment. 

            Today’s Gospel reading employs the metaphor of marriage to convey this awesome time of fulfillment.  The ten virgins are part of a wedding party that is bursting at the seams.  The point of the parable is to be always prepared “for you know neither the day or the hour” (Mt 25:13).  All of the virgins were anticipating the arrival of the bridegroom, but only half of them came prepared for the long wait and were ready.

            Brothers and sisters, we know that life is very precarious, driven home by this awful coronavirus.  We do not know when our time will come.  Without being melodramatic, it would be good to consider this obvious truth: one day will be our last.  If it were today, how prepared am I?  If I’m going to prepared for that eventuality, I must do this and that.  Mohammad once said, “Live your life as if you live forever; live your life as if you die tomorrow.”  We’ve got to be ready for our last day.  Such remembrance does us good.

          Getting back to the parable, our Lord exhorts us to be ready for his coming.  Interestingly, all the ten virgins were  asleep before the bridegroom’s arrival, but upon waking some were ready whereas the others weren’t.  What’s the difference?  Half were wise and prudent: it is a matter of not waiting until the last minute to get your act together in cooperating with the grace of God, but to do so right here and now!  What are waiting for?

            Going deeper into the parable, the lamp is a symbol of our faith in the Lord who illuminates our life.  The oil is the fuel that nourishes the light of faith, making it fruitful, credible, and vibrant.  And, what is that fuel?—God’s charity, mercy, and grace!  The condition for being prepared for the coming of the Lord is not only Faith, which is a necessary condition, but a Christian life that is lived according to generous self-giving for our neighbor. 

            If we live our life according the dominant consciousness of our acquisitive, consumer-driven society that zealously pursues the goods of the world, we will settle into a comfortable lifestyle in which we seek our self-absorbed interests.  When we go down that path, our life falls into the “big emptiness” experienced by the Prodigal Son; our life becomes barren, incapable of giving life to others, and we accumulate no reserve of oil for the lamp of our faith.  And, if we allow that to happen to us, our faith will be extinguished at the moment of the Lord’s coming, or even before. 

            If instead we embrace the alternative Way of Jesus, we will be watchful; we will seek the good of others with concrete acts of love  that promote social justice.  We will embrace a lifestyle of sharing rather than grasping, of service to our neighbor who is in difficulty.  When we live this way, we will be at peace when we wait for the bridegroom to come.  The Lord can come at any moment; but, we’re not afraid—even the pending slumber of death does not frighten us because we have a reserve of oil that has been accumulated through everyday acts of charity.   Make no mistake: faith inspires charity and charity safeguards faith.

            So, let us be the prudent and wise virgins whose faith is ever more effective through charity, so that our lamp may shine into the darkness of our earthly journey, which prepares the way for the marriage feast in heaven.  Amen.