LOOKING FORWARD TO THE LORD’S COMING

TWENTY- FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

August 27, Friday

In the first reading Paul admonishes the Thessalonians to journey to God in right moral living. In this passage he stresses purity, as impurity was typically a pagan vice. Christianity is not in the first place a morality, but moral living in accordance with the gospel. This is expected because we participate in the death to sin and resurrection to life of Christ. In this we are ready for the kingdom.

The key point of the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins in today’s gospel is not so much vigilance as foresight, readiness for the kingdom, and only then, consequently, vigilance.

First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.

Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.

Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God.

Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and he will take care of them. We’ve warned you about this before. God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.

If you disregard this advice, you’re not offending your neighbors; you’re rejecting God, who is making you a gift of his Holy Spirit.

Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

“God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.

“In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’

“The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’

“They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’

“They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

“Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’

“He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’

“So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

Prayer

Lord our God, source of all wisdom,
you invite us to be wise
and to encounter your Son
with burning lamps in our hands.
Help us to be prepared to meet him
in the events of daily life
and in people around us,
that we may enter with him
into your feast that lasts for ever. Amen.

Reflection:

No one can substitute you

The parable of the ten virgins is a bit confusing: the foolish virgins could have joined the wedding with the little oil they still have! At midnight, when the markets are closed, where would they buy the oil from? The wise virgins are so selfish that they refuse to share the oil that they had, and it is very much un-Christian! Fr. Fernando Armellini gives a beautiful reflection of the parable and says that the call to“ stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour” is not fully true: even the wise virgins slept, and have not been vigilant. The figure of the groom behaves strange – he was late to arrive, but then slams the doors on a few who, in fact, waited for long for his arrival. Both the number five and the image of virgins are symbols of the people of Israel. Number ten indicates the totality. The ten virgins represent the people of Israel awaiting the Messiah. Only a few of them – the five wise virgins – are prepared to accept and enter into the Christian community, while the five foolish virgins are not attentive to God’s plans. This was the message of the parable of Jesus. But, Fifty years later, when Matthew writes his Gospel, the problems faced by his community are different. Therefore, Matthew adapted the parable to the catechetical needs of his communities. The early Christian communities were expecting an imminent second coming of Jesus. Many decades have passed, but nothing has happened. Gradually they lose patience and return to their previous lifestyles and behaviours. Matthew adapts the parable to emphasise the importance of being prepared. Here, the ten virgins indicate the Christian community that awaits the return of Jesus – in his second coming. But why are some of them foolish here? The co-existence of good and bad was a theme that Matthew had developed already: the wheat and the weeds grow together; the good fishes and the bad are in the same net; clean and dirty people sit at the same table; thus, the wise and the foolish are side by side. The wise virgins, who refuse to share their oil with their companions, contains a valuable message. It is not because they are selfish, but it shows that no one else can substitute for your faith and preparedness. The closing of the door indicates the end of every opportunity to accept Jesus. It is urgent to discern how to use life well. Jesus comes not only at the end of our life. He comes in every moment and wants to find us engaged in service to our brothers and sisters. The lamp of hope, love and justice should always be on, in our rooms – in our lives, for the poor and the stranger seeking help.

Video available on Youtube: No one can substitute you

No one can substitute you

Login

Register