November 12, 2023
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Today’s readings offer us a description of what it is like to have wisdom and how to use wisdom, or good judgment, when it comes to awaiting the arrival of the kingdom of heaven.
The First Reading is taken from one of the less well-known books of the Old Testament, the book of Wisdom (Wis. 6:12-16). Although often written in the name of Solomon, this work is the composition of an unknown author writing shortly before the first century AD. Many of the themes of Wisdom can be found in the writings of the New Testament with reference to Jesus.
The concept of wisdom is personified in the book of Wisdom and represented as being female, often referred to by scholars as Sophia. We find vestiges of her in many of the other wisdom books in the Old Testament, for example Proverbs, where she is introduced as beckoning to followers: “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice.” (Prov. 1:20).
Like this verse from Proverbs, the reading for today depicts wisdom as being publicly and readily available to those who search for her. Affectionately referred to as “resplendent and unfading” (Wis. 6:12), she is said to be sitting at the gate to make herself known to those who seek her (Wis. 6:13-14). She is also described as actively searching out her pupils: “She makes her rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them on the way, and goes to meet them with full attention.” (Wis. 6:16).
In a sense, Jesus personifies wisdom in the story he tells today about the kingdom of heaven known as “The Parable of the Ten Virgins.” (Mt. 25:1-13). This parable comes after a chapter where Jesus discusses the end of days, a time of great tribulation followed by the event of his second coming (Mt. 24:15-31). There he says he will appear as “the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Mt. 24:30b), an image from the book of Daniel describing the time of judgment (Dan. 7:13).
In the parable Jesus describes ten virgins, what might be thought of as bridesmaids, who take their lamps and go out to wait for the arrival of the bridegroom, who would be returning from his father-in-law’s house with his newly acquired bride. Jesus says five of the virgins are wise, having brought extra oil for their lamps, and five are foolish for not having an extra supply.
Because the bridegroom has been delayed the virgins fall asleep and the oil for their lamps dwindles. At night, the watchman notices the bridegroom’s return and shouts out, “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” (Mt. 25:6).
All of the virgins get up to add oil to their lamps and the foolish ones, having run low, beg the wise virgins to lend them some. The wise virgins refuse saying there is not enough for all of them and they send the foolish virgins off to buy more.
While they are gone the bridegroom returns and all enter the wedding feast, except for the foolish virgins who have been locked out of the festivities due to their tardiness. When they finally get there, they beg the bridegroom to let them in, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!” But he forbids it saying, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Mt. 25:11b-12).
Jesus then ends this parable with a warning to his listeners, “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt. 25:13).
In this parable Jesus is using a metaphor for himself which can be found in other places in the New Testament where he compares himself to a bridegroom, whose bride is the Church (Matthew 9:15; cf. Mark 2:19–20; John 3:27–30). As such, he is also the bridegroom for us, the members of his church who await his return. And with his parable, Jesus cautions us to “stay awake,” or rather, “be prepared,” like the wise virgins who remember to bring extra oil for their lamps.
Being prepared like the wise virgins means we have to exhibit wisdom and use good judgment in our daily decision making in the process of living out God’s will for our lives. This ability to decide wisely, with deliberation and sound reasoning, is not something which is elusive or hard to obtain. Rather, it is readily available to all of us through the grace of God in many ways.
We receive wisdom and good advice from our parents and other people we look to for support and guidance. This even happens through our observations of the actions of others who we recognize as being faithful, committed Christians. We also gain wisdom through our own God-given experiences and lessons we learn from mistakes that we make.
The Church also affords ample opportunities for gaining wisdom and good judgment. It comes from the magisterium, our bishops who put forth instructions and teachings in our ever-changing society. It comes from our priests, through their homilies and notifications in parish bulletins. And it comes from the grace that we receive through the celebration of the Mass and the reception of the Sacraments.
Lastly, wisdom comes to us directly from God through the revelation of His word in scripture and especially through prayer. As St. James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.” (James 1:5).
The footnote from the New American Bible for this verse gives us a great definition for wisdom. It is “a gift that God readily grants to all who ask in faith and that sustains the Christian in times of trial. It is a kind of knowledge or understanding not accessible to the unbeliever or those who doubt, which gives the recipient an understanding of the real importance of events.”
This is why it is important for us to consider the advice from the book of Wisdom, “For setting your heart on her is the perfection of prudence, and whoever keeps vigil for her is quickly free from care.” (Wis. 6:15). Let us pray to always be vigilant and wise, instead of foolish, as we await the coming of the kingdom.
