Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
These are not the easiest days for us either as a nation or as the world. We find ourselves caught within the turbulence and turmoil of a political contest unlike seen in recent times and a pandemic like we have not experienced in a century. Amidst these challenges is a very crowded media world. It is not just the mainstream media. It is also the personal social media accounts of millions of people. Because I am active on social media, I have had to develop a strategy to both navigate the media world and use social media for positive change. A lot of sources give information and opinion. My key strategy has been to “seek wisdom.” I look beyond all the information and opinions and look where the wisdom lies.
A few things have helped me stay grounded I recent times. First, I did much research, reflection, and prayer in preparation for an eight-week series on John of the Cross that I facilitated. Second, I found great wisdom in Pope Francis’ latest encyclical Fratelli Tutti. In it, he addresses some of the very issues we face today with wisdom from the scripture and Catholic tradition. Third, my reflection on the scripture for daily and weekday live-stream Masses keep me focused on Christ and his gospel. The gospels, particularly, often clarify my priorities, question my prejudices, challenge my preferences, and alter my perspectives. I have found wisdom in these things.
On this day when the scripture readings separate the wise from the foolish, how can we ensure that we are found among the wise? Today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom and the Parable of the Ten Maidens in the Gospel reading give us some answers. My three practical implications are my answer for myself, and I would like to share it with you.
- Wisdom is a Gift. Catholics consider wisdom as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yet, scripture also tells us that wisdom must be sought. As today’s first reading from the book of Wisdom says, “She [wisdom] is readily perceived by those who love her and found by those who seek her” (Wis 6:13). Where and how is wisdom to be sought? First, wisdom is found in the collective wisdom of the past generations. This includes divine revelation, the Holy Scriptures, in the life and message of Jesus, in the totality of human knowledge that the sages, mystics, and enlightened saints have communicated to us. People who seek wisdom read, reflect, and pray scripture regularly. People who seek wisdom strive to deepen their relationship with God as time goes by. People who seek wisdom pay attention to the lives of those who changed the course of human history both for the good and for the bad. Second, wisdom is found in past life-experiences. In reality, nothing is what it looks like. There is always a deeper reality in every event and every experience. There is wisdom to be gleaned from our successes and our failures, our joys and our sorrows, our relationships and our break ups, our friends and our enemies. People who seek wisdom look not just for information and opinions about the daily events, but for the deeper meaning of these events, and indeed of their daily life-experiences. The bottom line is that wisdom is a gift, but it only comes to those who seek it. And as today’s first reading tells us, “She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire” (Wisdom 6:13).
- Wise of Foolish? In the parable of the ten maidens, what set apart the wise from the foolish was that the wise ones brought an extra supply of oil with them just in case the bridegroom was delayed. The Jewish marriage traditions in Jesus times often caused the actual wedding to be delayed. On the day of the wedding, the groom, along with his family would go the bride’s home to accompany her back to his home for the wedding. Some of the terms of the wedding were worked out at this visit. Sometimes working out these terms consumed much time. Thus, the delay of the bridegroom was a common occurrence. Even though such delay was common, the foolish maidens did not consider the possibility of delay when they prepared their lamps. The wise maidens, on the other hand, kept the big picture in mind. And this is the point of the parable – that being wise means living life from the big picture perspective. Wise people never lose sight of the bigger reality. They consider past life-experiences, the present reality, and the future possibilities in mind as they live their lives. Here, then, is the practical implication - that we live life from the big picture perspective. For us Christians it means keeping in mind our origin, our present calling, and our destiny constantly in mind. To live wisely means that we never forget where we have come from, to whom we now belong, and where we are going. To be wise is to live from the perspective of eternity. It is the foolish who live for the moment.
- Living Wisely. In reality, the parable of the wise and foolish maidens was meant to deal with the issue of the delay of the Parousia. The early Christians believed in an imminent second coming. However, the ground reality was very different. People were beginning to get both concerned and careless because of the delay of the Parousia. Note that in the parable of the ten maidens, both the wise and the foolish fell asleep. Two thousand years later, we join the early Christians in anticipation of the Parousia. We too await the coming of Christ. How can we be sure that when the Bridegroom comes, we are indeed ready for him? How can we be sure that our lamps are lit and that we do not run out of oil? Let me propose that we act wisely by staying awake and being sensitive to Christ’s presence amidst us in the here and now. The Christ who we hope to meet at his Second Coming is present to us today in various ways. Christ is present to us in the scriptures, in the sacraments, in this very Eucharist, in this gathering, in the person standing next to you, in the stranger, in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and those in prison. If we are able recognize him, then we are indeed wise people. Perhaps we will be only as ready for the Parousia as we are today. This is not the time to fall asleep. This is the time to let the light of faith burn in our hearts. May wisdom lead us to recognize Christ in the here and now, so that at the Parousia, no matter when it happens, we will be ready. That indeed would be the wise thing to do.
The Eucharist is the source of wisdom and provides us the grace for wise living. Let us seek that wisdom and receive that grace.
- Fr. Satish Joseph