32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); November 12, 2023

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

Deacon Jim McFadden

It’s hard to be expectant, which requires patience, often in short-supply in our hyper-stimulated society in which we want it NOW!  Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame opined  in her autobiography that “Instant gratification isn’t fast enough!”  We become anxious when we don’t get what we want right here, right now.  The upshot is that we’re in a constant state of dis-ease; we’re not congruent with Life.

            Within this spiritual dysfunction Jesus comes into our midst and promise us a blessing: namely, “Peace be with you” as he breathes his Spirit upon us. God promises us peace—not merely the absence of conflict—but the life that is shared within the mystery of the Triune God.  That kind of communion with God which is experienced in our fellowship with each other gives us everything we need to be happy and joyful, regardless of what our external circumstances may be.  Questions, however, arise: do we want the Peace that Jesus offers?  Do we expect that it is obtainable?   If so, are we prepared to receive it?

            This Sunday’s Gospel passage invites us to a prolonged reflection on the eternal life that began on the occasion of All Saints and the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. Jesus recounts the parable of the ten virgins invited to a wedding feast, symbol of the Kingdom of Heaven and the time of fulfillment. 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. 

            The Lord Jesus is exhorting us to be ready for his coming.  Not only for the final encounter, but also for the everyday great and small encounters, which we can only experience with the lamp of faith.  But, the lamp itself is not enough because it requires oil and what is the oil that fuels the lamp?  Charity and good works energize faith; without them, our faith simply dies.  As the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, reminds us the faith that truly connects us to Jesus is “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6), which is represented by the wise maidens.  Being wise and prudent means not waiting until the last moment to get our act together, but to actively and intentionally cooperate with God’s grace immediately starting right here, right now.  Why wait?  Don’t temporize! Don’t dilly-dally! Do it today!  If we want to be ready for our final encounter with the Lord, we must cooperate with him now and perform those good actions inspired by his love animating our very being. 

            One reason we don’t cooperate with our Lord is that we lose track of what our purpose is, which is the appointment with the Wedding Feast, and the sense of expectation.  We lose sight of our ultimate purpose because we make the present absolute as we buy into the dominant consciousness of our acquisitive, consumer-driven society that zealously pursues the goods of the world.  So, we settle into a comfortable lifestyle in which we pursue our self-absorbed interests, eventually falling asleep.  The oil of our lamp will become extinguished before we encounter the Lord. 

            Nonetheless, God does not give up on us.  Even if we are sleeping, the Lord will come to us.  Our oil may be replenished if we embrace the Way of Jesus, which means to be watchful, to be expectant, to be prepared.  How do we know we’re doing that?  If we are actively seeking the good of others with concrete acts of love that promote social justice (cf. Matthew 25:35-46), then that is a good sign that we are cooperating with grace.  When we live this way, we will be at peace as we wait for the bridegroom to come.  The Lord can come at any moment, but we’re not afraid—even the slumber of death does not frightened us because we have a reserve of oil that has been accumulated by everyday acts of charity.  Make no mistake, faith inspires charity and charity safeguards faith.

            So, let us invoke the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she may help us to live an active faith, as she did.  Mary shows us that faith is the shining lamp with which we can pass through the night beyond death and reach the great feast of eternal life.  Amen.