Thirty Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mt. 25:1-13) “Who Is the Real Jesus?”
Thirty Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mt. 25:1-13) “Who Is the Real Jesus?”
When we read the parable, we just shared, we scratch our heads saying, “I wonder what Jesus was trying to say?” Our Lord would probably be happy about that. He wanted his parables to be mysterious. He would want us to realize that we are never going to completely understand the mind of God. We could look at this story in several ways.
Some of us would say that this doesn’t seem like how Jesus would operate. Wouldn’t it be a better story if the five virgins, who have oil, would share their oil with the young women who didn’t. In that way, everyone could go into the banquet. The story would come to a neat conclusion.
Some scholars would say that this is what the parable is about. When we reflect on what happens, we could believe that Jesus wouldn’t be happy with the women who won’t share, who are smug, who leave their friends behind in the darkness. We are challenged by the parable to never act like that. The world isn’t meant to be a place where those who are religious feel superior. Some would say that that is the crux of the message.
But should we let the foolish virgins off the hook? What is the oil supposed to be? Some would say the oil represents all the virtuous things that we do in life. If we keep all religious precepts, if we pray often and well, if we engage in charitable activity, it is like filling our lamp with fuel. After all, don’t we sing from a young age, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine?” We are told that all we can carry with us out of the world are the good deeds we engage in throughout life. Some have done an abundance of pious things, but others haven’t. When Jesus comes, what will we say to him about our Christian life?
We want to hold the foolish virgins accountable, but why are they foolish? Could it be that there is another issue? Could it be that the foolish virgins have absorbed the wrong message. Afterall, what is God like? We are told throughout our lives that God is love. We are reminded in Psalm 30:7 that with God there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
The foolish virgins panic. The five of them are afraid of the bridegroom. As they look at the other women who have plenty of oil, they feel shame. The foolish virgins obviously are comparing their actions against the others. And they feel like they don’t measure up. Were they friends of the bridegroom? Did they trust in the benevolence of the groom? No, they didn’t.
We all have moments in our life when we sin, when we do things wrong. What is the mistake we make? We forget that our God is a God of unflagging charity. What would have happened if the virgins explained to the groom that they had made a mistake? In a moment of human weakness, they may have fallen asleep and because of that their lamps had gone out. Would the bridegroom have been so nasty that he would lock the doors on them? Seems totally out of step with what we know about Jesus. What was the fatal mistake of the foolish virgins? The five of them forgot that they could trust in God’s goodness. A little oil wasn’t that important.
Aren’t many of us guilty of the same thing? We have key moments in our life when we make the wrong choices. How quick we are to beat ourselves up, wallow in guilt, give in to despair. We ask the question, “How can God possibly love me?” We can have a spiritual amnesia at such times. We see this often. Why don’t many people come to Sunday Mass for example? Studies have shown repeatedly that mostly it is because they feel that they aren’t worthy. Many say, “I’m not good enough. To be a part of the Christian community I must have my house in order.” How foolish this is. Jesus doesn’t lock us out of the banquet hall. No, at times we lock ourselves out.
What is the oil that lights our lamps? Oil is the oil of gladness. We are anointed with it at baptism. We are anointed with it at confirmation. We hear it repeatedly spoken about in the scriptures. When Jesus comes to the synagogue in Nazareth to begin his ministry, he opens the scroll. What does he read? He reads the words of Isaiah, when he says:
“The spirit of the Lord is upon me.
Therefore, he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring glad tidings.”
We are Jesus’ disciples. Do we realize how privileged we are to serve a master who does not wish to condemn us but lift us up? When we arrive at that conclusion then we can help others to see how they can find the same wisdom. A wisdom that leads to peace, joy, hope, trust, unending consolation.
Reflection Questions:
How do I interpret this parable? Is Jesus’ message clear?
How will Jesus judge me? Am I ready to meet him?
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Dear Parishioners,
We have been honoring all those who have died this month as we celebrated All Souls Day and All Saints Day. Funerals, burials and other customs revolving around death and grieving are changing rapidly. People ask me all the time what the church teaches.
The church has a liturgy that we follow for funerals. It involves three parts. The first part of the liturgy involves a wake. At the wake there are usually prayers. This can be a rosary or a wake service. This is a wonderful way to remember a person’s life of faith in this world. The second part of the funeral is either a Mass in church or a prayer service at the funeral home. Finally, there is the interment at the cemetery. These three steps all help with the grieving process.
Sometimes it seems like the faith of the person who has died is forgotten. All or parts of the funeral are dropped. We must remember that the liturgy of the church has many graces. We are reminded that death is not the end, but we anticipate resurrection. A funeral is both sad and hopeful at the same time. We express the emotions we feel and what we believe about death through the prayer we share.
If you have questions about funeral practices call Fr. Matthew or me and we would be glad to offer counsel to you. We try to be very sensitive to the families who come to us in their grief.
May Our Lady pray for us this week,
Fr. Mark