INTRODUCTION
Each time we are approaching the end of the Church’s liturgical year, we notice that the readings especially the Gospels turn our gaze towards the end (already and yet to) with constant invitation to vigilance in prayer and holiness.
That is exactly the liturgical sense of the Season of Advent — the Season of “Coming”: the future coming of Jesus at the end of time that calls for readiness and the living anew of the past coming in the mystery of the incarnation. This Sunday’s readings tell us that a searching, watching, and growing heart is essential for a lively, dynamic faith in God. They equally question how ready we are to welcome the Lord who comes at an hour we do not know.
FIRST READING: Wisdom 6:12-16
The Book of Wisdom was addressed to the Jews living in diaspora, precisely on the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria, in Egypt, around 100 BC. The main concern of the author was to invite his fellow Jews to embrace Wisdom. He perceived this Wisdom as a Divine gift made available for whoever that seeks it with sincere heart. This message might have come at a moment when these Helenistic Jews seemed to admire the wisdom of the pagan philosophers. Thus, the wisdom writer sought to remind them that they have true wisdom in their Sacred Scripture, a wisdom which regulates not only this life but the next also. Therefore, they are called to live a life that conforms with the Divine wisdom.The message of the first reading is clear and timely: God who communicates himself to man offers him the wisdom to understand his message. And by living out the message, he is absorbed in the Eternal Wisdom who is God himself. God can be found, but it requires a process, a constant search. He can only be found by those who never give up the search, but patiently await on Him.
SECOND READING: I Thessalonians 4:13-18
This is the earliest writing of St. Paul. It was written at a time when parousia (the second coming of Christ) seemed to be the everyday language among the Christians especially as they were faced with heinous persecutions. The belief that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and that Jesus will come very soon to reward their faith and to rebuild the Kingdom and to establish his glorious reign caused many to quit their jobs. But as the years passed by and there seemed to be no signs of the Second Coming, many felt deceived and began to lose their faith. But there was another problem. It is the reality of death. The Christians questioned about the fate of those who died within this period without witnessing the parousia. This clearly indicates that they were not yet schooled in the mystery of death as change of state and not an end. Evidently, they were stuck in some helenistic conception of death as the end to everything about man. In fact, in the face of death the pagan world usually stand in despair. They are usually greeted with grim resignation and bleak hopelessness. This is present in some of their reflections about death. Aeschylus wrote, “Once a man dies there is no resurrection.” Theocritus wrote, “There is hope for those who are alive, but those who have died are without hope.” Catullus wrote, “When once our brief light sets, there is one perpetual night through which we must sleep.” On their tombstones grim epitaphs were carved. “I was not; I became; I am not; I care not.” (William Barkley).
Paul who was writing to the Thessalonians was not ignorant of the conceptions of death in the pagan world and their influence among the believers. Thus, in this pastoral letter to the Thessalonians Paul addresses them on the need to keep faith. He equally affirms that death is not an obstacle to meeting the Lord who comes. For the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus is a hope for those who have already “fallen asleep.” Paul redirects their attention to the need to see death as a passage into glory and not an end that should generate hopelessness: “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” (1 Thes, 4:13). He, however invites them to be vigilant in hope and to always prepare themselves for the Kingdom. The central idea is clear: Paul’s conception of the coming of the Lord is not just limited to the end, but as He comes to them everyday. Therefore, it is only those who are alert and vigilant that will experience the here and now presence of God in their lives, while those who are asleep to the present will remain ignorant of his presence.
GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 1-13
Today’s Gospel passage is situated in the context of Jesus’ discourse on the escatos (on the end times and the second coming of Christ). Today’s passage is already preceded by the prophesy about the destruction of the temple (Mt 24:1-3) and the teaching about the end of the age (Mt 24:4-51).
This parable of the wise and the foolish bridesmaids is told to illustrate the mystery of the coming of the Kingdom.
According to W. Barkley, like so many of Jesus’ parables, the parable of the unwise bridesmaids has both an immediate and local meaning as well as a wider and universal meaning:
IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANCE
It was directed against the Jews. they were the chosen people; their whole history should have been a preparation for the coming of the Son of God; they ought to have been prepared for him when he came. Instead they were quite unprepared and therefore were shut out. Here in dramatic form is the tragedy of the unpreparedness of the Jews.
TWO UNIVERSAL WARNINGS.
1. It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be obtained at the last minute. It is far too late for a student to be preparing when the day of the examination has come. It is too late for a man to acquire a skill, or a character, if he does not already possess it, when some task offers itself to him. Similarly, it is easy to leave things so late that we can no longer prepare ourselves to meet with God. When Mary of Orange was dying, her chaplain sought to tell her of the way of salvation. Her answer was: “I have not left this matter to this hour.” To be too late is always tragedy.
2. It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be borrowed. The foolish virgins found it impossible to borrow oil, when they discovered they needed it. A man cannot borrow a relationship with God; he must possess it for himself. A man cannot borrow a character; he must be clothed with it. We cannot always be living on the spiritual capital which others have amassed. There are certain things we must win or acquire for ourselves, for we cannot borrow them from others.
LIFE MESSAGE
1. KEEP THE LAMP BURNING:
Spiritual readiness, preparation and growth do not just happen. They come as a result of intentional habits built into one’s life. We cannot depend on a Sunday morning service to provide all our spiritual needs. We cannot depend on Christian fellowship to provide us with spiritual development. These things come through routine, mundane attention to ordinary spiritual disciplines — making sure we have enough oil: spiritual fuel. They come when we habitually take time for prayer and being alone with God. They come through reading God’s Word; living a sacramental life; performing acts of service for others; being morally faithful; obeying God with love, and spending time with other Christians for mutual prayer, study, and encouragement. These are the things which, along with the normal difficulties of life, enable a person to grow in Christ and to be prepared for Christ’s coming. Without these things we will not be prepared. The preparation cannot be hit-or-miss, nor can it be postponed. We dare not procrastinate, lest death come unexpectedly and ruin us. We need to develop those things which encourage our spiritual growth into holy habits in our lives, for that growth must take precedence over other interests and claims on our time and attention. As these habits become entrenched, they cease to be a struggle for us and begin to be a source of strength and blessing. They make our lives powerful against the onslaught of the world.
2. WHAT IS THE OIL WE LACK?
Oil in Scripture is often a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we try to spring into action without first submitting our work to the Holy Spirit. Or perhaps we lack the oil of kindness and compassion. There’s no way we can be ready to meet Jesus without the essential oils of compassion and mercy. Perhaps we lack the oil of patience and sympathy. Without such oil, we’re ill-equipped to deal with someone who comes to us in need of long-term love and guidance. Perhaps we’re short of the oil of education and instruction, or we’re not adequately trained and lack proper skills to be of service in areas where help is needed. Perhaps God is calling us to take our expertise and skills to another level in order that we may more adequately meet Jesus in the people God allows to enter our lives. I need to have the oil of being in the state of grace. If not, I am in the empty a state of mortal sin. Ignatius of Loyola’s famous prayer is the prayer of the follower of Jesus; ‘Lord, teach me to know you more, love you more and serve you more faithfully in my life.’ (Spiritual Exercises). The “more” indicates that our earthly life is always in process, never a finished product: like love and friendship it grows in our lives. It is exciting that Jesus is never gone from us.: risen from the dead he is always alive, always new. Our reading of the Gospel, our sharing at Mass and the sacraments and our personal prayer keep this relationship always alive, always new. (Fr. Anthony kadavil).
3. THERE IS AN END IN VIEW
How does it feel like when we think about the end? Imagine leaving this world someday, abandoning the beloved ones, friends, and probably the heavy investments and be left alone in the tomb of decay. It is quite scary but it is a reality. However, it should be more scary to meet the eternal death, eternal damnation. Thus the watchword in today’s reading is VIGILANCE. It simply means that we must be careful how we live our lives. It is all about thinking of life and filling it with meaningful contents. It means to operate from moment to moment in conformity with the will of God.
When St. Francis of Assisi was confronted with the thought of death towards the end of his life, he called his friars together and said to them with courage: “brothers, let us begin to do good because till now we have done only but a little”.
Friends, let us end this meditation today by fixing our eyes on the conclusion of the Gospel: those who were ready entered in the wedding hall and the door was closed. It is a moment that we evoke and anticipate in every mass with the word: “Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). Like the five wise virgins seated with the bridegroom, let our participation in the Eucharistic meal today be a reason to thank God for counting us among those worthy of his table and at the same time help us to desire and work hard to be admitted to the eternal Eucharist banquet in his kingdom. Let everyone be careful not to be left outside of that mysterious door where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
PRAYER
Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue in freedom of heart the things that are yours. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
