32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

November 8, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Wisdom 6: 12-16

Psalm 63 “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, (or 4: 13-1)

Gospel reading according to Matthew 25: 1-13

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Homily:

God has given us intelligence, knowledge, understanding and wisdom to be used wisely and with farsightedness and prudence.  But the question is, how do we use these God-given gifts for the sake of Reign-Kingdom of heaven?  Just like the ten virgins in the parable Jesus told to his disciples, some are wise and prudent virgins and others are unwise and foolish virgins.  Which of these two groups of virgins do we belong to? “Jesus told his disciples this parable: ‵The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise′.” (Matthew 25: 1-2).  Jesus gave another parable of the Wedding Feast as comparing it to the Reign-Kingdom of heaven to “ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”  The bridegroom here is Jesus, the Son of the Living God, who is coming to take her bride, the Church, to the Kingdom of heaven.

The ten bridesmaids were composed of five wise and another five foolish virgins.  ”‵The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamp′.” (Matthew 25: 3-4). The lamp in the parable is the symbol of faith that brightens the life of each one of us,  The five foolish (thoughtless, irrational) virgins, on the one hand, who brought lamps were not prepared well for the up-coming event they did not expect yet they knew that any hour of the day or night the bridegroom will come unexpectedly.  They did not reserve extra oil to light the path of the bridegroom and his entourage. The oil is the symbol of charity that gives strength to our faith by doing good works to others.   On the other hand, the five wise (astute, sensible) virgins prepared very well fo the event (the coming of the bridegroom) whom they expected to come any hour of the day or night or in the middle of the night.  They brought with them extra oil in case the coming of the bridegroom is delayed.  Sometimes or most of the time we do not prepare ourselves for any important event or moment that may come into our lives.  We just let it go and think it will pass away unnoticed.  But we become fools for disregarding these important events or moments in our lives.  To be prepared is better than doing nothing or not using the gifts given to us from above.  What a waste! (Kakarag, sayang naman!).

The expected time of the coming of the bridegroom did not realize. “‵Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep′.” (Matthew 25: 5).  The ten virgins waited for the coming of the bridegroom.  But instead his coming was delayed unexpectedly.  They never knew the exact time of his coming, so they were tired waiting and they all fell asleep, a very deep sleep, without thinking that they were running out of oil from the lamps.  Is our lamp running out of oil to light the path of Jesus? of our own lives? 

And the time came, the moment of long waiting has arrived.  The bridegroom has come. “‵At midnight, there was a cry, ‵Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!′  Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps′.” (Matthew 25: 6-7). At the middle of the night, the bridegroom and his entourage came without warning, only a cry from the company of the bridegroom was heard coming.  And because of this cry or shouting, the ten virgins woke up and prepared their lamps to meet the bridegroom.  The five wise virgins added oil in their lamps, and were ready to meet the bridegroom.  While the other five foolish virgins were running out of oil and so they came to the five wise virgins and asked for some oil.

The five foolish virgins asked the other five wise virgins of their extra oil.  But instead of giving or sharing their extra oil, they told them to buy it at the nearest store because if they give or share their extra oil, both of them were run out of oil to welcome and to light the path of the bridegroom and his entourage.  “‵The foolish ones said to the wise, ‵Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.′   But the wise ones replied, ‵No, for there may not enough for us and you.  Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.′  While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him′.” (Matthew 25: 8-10).  They are wise and prudent in dealing with the unwise.  If they share their extra oil and suddenly run out of light, they cannot follow the entourage where they are going, and learn the place or the house of the bridegroom, and they are unable to participate in the Wedding Feast.

To show also that the wedding feast is only for those who joined in entourage and to those who welcome him, the door of the house or gate is closed and or lock.  “‵Then the door was locked′.” (Matthew 25: 10).  No one can enter or go out in that closed door, even those invited guests who came late were not able to enter and join in the celebratio

So also those five unwise or foolish and unprepared virgins who bought oil in the store.  When they arrived at the place of the celebration of the wedding and knocked on the door, they were not allowed to enter even though they shouted loud and clear to the gatekeeper.   “Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‵Lord, Lord, open the door for us!′  But he said in reply, ‵Amen, I say to you, I do not know you′.” (Matthew 25: 11-12).  Because of their foolishness, unpreparedness, they were not allowed to enter and join in the happiness and joy of the wedding feast, because they did not use the gifts given to them by God, they were expelled from the banquet of the Lord, the fullness of life in his Reign-Kingdom of heaven.

Be prepared and be ready always for we do not know the time, the hour or the day of the coming of the bridegroom, of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  “‵Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know nether the day nor the hour′.” (Matthew 25: 13).  It is necessary to always be awake, prepared with farsightedness, wisdom and sagacity for we do not know when our Lord Jesus Christ will come, but surely and expectedly that he will come in our lives.

God shared to us his intelligence, understanding, knowledge and wisdom to be used for the sake of his Reign-Kingdom of heaven by helping our brothers and sisters in need of our support and charity, love, and to become wise and prudent.  Our lamp (as a sign and symbol of our faith) teaches us to love our brothers and sisters by feeding those who are hungry, giving water to those who are thirsty, sheltering the homeless, clothing those who are naked – meaning giving flesh to our faith through the oil (sign or symbol of charity) of gladness, hope and joy that we ay enter in the Lord, Jesus Christ, the bridegroom, in his Wedding Feast that is to come.