32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time - Lover of Souls

November 7 - 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Wisdom 6:12-16 / Psalm 63:2-8 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 / Matthew 25:1-13

INTRODUCTION - God Comes to Souls Thirsting for Him

God has made us for himself. We seek him out as that truth that answers the fundamental questions of our existence. Incomplete apart from God, we yearn for his presence and union with him. God makes himself available to us. Through the use of reason and revelation, he shows us his face. The prophets, the people God called forth to himself, the promise of a Messiah, and the fulfillment of this hope in Jesus reveal a God active on our behalf. He does not wait to be haphazardly discovered. He comes to us.

BODY - God Comes as the Lover of Souls

The first reading touches a serious matter that has known no little controversy, the identity of God. Because Wisdom is portrayed as feminine, some had crudely concluded that we could acclaim God as female. In actuality, the ancient Jews never considered the Almighty as a goddess. Indeed, when the definitive revelation of God was given, it was offered through Jesus, calling God, "Our Father." Does this mean that God is male? No, not precisely, although the incarnation of Jesus is as a man. However, the essential element that is assumed for our salvation is humanity itself. Everything that we can know about God is by way of analogy. We can know and come into relationship with God but our intellectual categories cannot exhaust the divine reality. He expands and breaks through all the various concepts that we formulate to understand him. That which is finite can never utterly comprehend that which is infinite. Because it comes from Jesus, there must be a particularly important element about God as Father that signifies more than parentage. However, God gives us life and he nurtures us. The qualities of motherhood are used to expand our view of fatherhood. Who is the personified Wisdom? Is it a literary construct of the author, a metaphor for truth? It seems to be much more. The imagery in today's reading is that of an attractive lover. She is resplendently dressed and mesmerizing to those who love her. Those who search for her are rewarded with finding her. She is quick to make herself available in anticipation of men's desire. She does not wait for them to find her but runs to them. Traditionally the theme of Wisdom is associated with the Holy Spirit. We have no pagan muse for creativity but the Spirit of God that leads us to saving truth. Having said this, Wisdom has also been associated by Christians with Jesus. The use of feminine language presents no serious problem because even Jesus is pictured as a mother hen brooding over his chicks. He is the Word who enters the human family that those who yearn for God and eternal life might find their heart's desire.

The imagery with the Gospel is similar but somewhat reversed. We are to be watchful and filled with anticipation. The foolish bridesmaids are negligent in their watch and are locked out when the groom appears (notice the shift to the male figure). Like all parables, the kingdom of God is proclaimed. We await the return of our groom, Christ, even though he has "delayed his coming." This is where we find ourselves. We are awaiting a decisive entry into the wedding feast of heaven. We are dressed for the banquet. However, some have not brought oil for their lamps. We forget God and the things of God. We waste our time on useless preoccupations. Worse yet, some of us have poured our oil onto the ground by sinning and preferring the darkness to the light. At a moment we least expect, the dawn shall break and the groom will arrive. Here is where the parable is both reassuring and frightful. While five of the virgins were awake for the groom and entered into the place of his joy, the other five had fallen asleep and allowed their lamps to go out. At the last possible moment they seek to purchase more oil, but it is too late. They return to find themselves bared from the Master's celebration. They did not keep vigil. They did not claim the groom, and so he neither claims them. "I tell you, I do not know you." That sentence alone is sufficient for a most soul searching meditation. Rather than spiritually sleeping, such prayer during our earthly vigil is recommended, " . . . and through the night-watches I will meditate on you." Imagine how distressing it would be for one caught off-guard. Your time outside the door of the banquet has been in vain. I suppose an image today would be fans camped outside a ticket booth for tickets to a popular concert. Those who come too late or ill prepared for the wait, might be unable to get the tickets and see the show. The line is cut off and you are told with those behind you, "That's all, it is sold out, go away!" What makes the real thing worse is that it is the only show in town-- if you are shut out, there shall be no more joy.

Preparation for the bridegroom is not dissimilar from that for divine Wisdom. A few verses prior to our first selection today, we read: "For those who keep the holy precepts hallowed shall be found holy and those learned in them will have ready a response (Wisdom 6:10). Verses 17 to 20, following our designated passage, make the meaning clearer: "For the first step toward discipline is a very earnest desire for her; then care for discipline is love of her; love means the keeping of her laws; To observe her laws is the basis for incorruptibility; and incorruptibility makes one close to God; thus the desire for Wisdom leads up to a kingdom." The love for the Lord that is essential in our preparation is not simply sentiment, although it does require sincerity from us. Love is obedience. Yearning for divine Wisdom shows itself through the embracing of responsibility as a disciple. We are to keep the law. This does not mean we keep the commandments in a mechanical way. Rather, it means that true love brings forth sacrifice and a willingness to please God. If we love God, we will do what he demands of us. Just as God is not passive in our creation and redemption, so too must we be active as watchmen during the night, no matter how long it might seem. Many who heard Jesus speak probably believed that the bridegroom, our Lord, would return during their lifetimes. He has delayed his Second Coming so that others might be born and come to know him. The Letter to the Thessalonians addresses this matter of brothers "who have fallen asleep," in other words, who have died. The word "death" seemed inappropriate for those who passed away justified in Christ. They were still very much alive. When the Lord comes, the living and the dead would be gathered "to meet the Lord in the air." Especially as we approach the millenium, such passages are thrown around a great deal. Will we be the generation that will never know death? It is all speculation. The best course of action is always to be ready.

CONCLUSION - A Taste & a Glimpse

Of course, the Eucharist is a free preview of the celebration and still there are no lines to this participation under sacred signs of the marriage banquet that awaits us. Many neglect coming to church and putting Christ first. The opportunity is wasted for filling and refilling our lamps with oil. Exclusion from the heavenly banquet takes failure to eternal dimensions.

Elsewhere our Lord, himself, is compared to Light. He is the one who dispels the darkness of sin, death, and ignorance. He is holy Wisdom given flesh. The light that sustains us in the darkness is a small participation in the light of dawn that awaits us.

ASIDE

EXPLAIN GOD written by Danny Dutton, age 8, Chula Vista, California; third grade homework assignment.

One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your Mom and Dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church.

Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him.

But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK. His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the times.

You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the dark or when you can't swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.

But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.

And that's why I believe in God.