Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR A THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR - 10.11.02 Wis 6,12-16; 1 Thess 4,13-18; Mt 25,1-13 5 Foolish - 5 Prudent Ten Bridesmaids: Few stories jump out of the Gospels as today’s parable of the 10 bridesmaids: with vivid creativity, it sums up all that Jesus taught in his 3 years of preaching, as indeed the whole chapter (Mt.25) embraces all we long for, in our Christian life. Two powerful messages stand out: the ‘coming’ of the Lord and the ‘hour’ of entering God’s Kingdom, at the end of life. We are warned to ‘watch & wait’ -in expectation- for both events, shrouded as they are in mystery & uncertainty. The story itself is both charming in its backdrop of local culture & customs, and brilliant in the subtle application of each detail to the various layers of meaning: there are hidden surprises everywhere. Here are some insights: They went to meet the Bridegroom holding their lamps and waiting for the ceremony to start... then, there was a long delay. The lamps in the story were more like torches: long sticks at the end of which were wrapped rags soaked in oil. The bridesmaids carried their lit ‘lamps’ in procession to the house of the bridegroom, where they performed dances till the torches went off. These torches burned only for a short time; to make them last they had to be soaked again and again in oil: so there was need of additional oil. The bridesmaids who went in to the marriage feast, did not recline on carpets & cushions, (only men reclined at table). They entered in order to dance for the Guests until their torches would permit. Today’s parable means to help us plan wisely for our life and never be caught unawares, if there is a ‘delay’. The final sentence says it all: ‘stay awake, because you do not know the day or the hour’. Deeper insights: As we read it in the Church, today’s parable becomes a brilliant allegory of the Church itself, which is a wedding between Christ and us in the Church. To celebrate the eternal ‘wedding of the Lamb’, we are all invited: good & bad, foolish and prudent alike. All together, we travel through time, eager to meet the Lord, hopefully staying vigilant. We are the bridesmaids in the parable, warned to stay alert, lest we do not make the right decision at the right time. In religious terms, the oil is the anointing of God’s Spirit, that fills the heart of those who respond in love to the Wedding Feast. Of course one cannot give one’s oil to another, any more than one person can love for another: we are ultimately responsible for our own personal choices. So the overall message is: be prepared for the Lord’s or Bridegroom’s coming (the hour of death? or any ‘visitation’ of the Lord?...) He is coming soon... and if there’s a delay, be well provided. And whatever you do, do not be left-out!. In a wider perspective, the parable says: locked as we are in our hurts and contradictions, we become painfully aware that life is provisional and full of uncertainties. So, when things go dreadfully wrong: be patient, wait for the Lord, persevere and pray. On the contrary, when things are at peace: be warned, watch out and wait, reinforcing in you the experience of Lord’s presence. At all times, let Scripture pray with you: Maranatha!, come Lord Jesus! Stay with us Lord, Mane nobiscum Domine! As we come towards the end of the liturgical year, we are made painfully aware that the Kingdom of God is near, indeed it has already been realized in Christ’s incarnation and redemption. Time is short: now we are called to live and work and give of ourselves to others so that everyone may have life in abundance. Because the Lord is coming soon, we are urged to engage our life in building God’s Kingdom, struggling against evil, remaining vigilant, and discerning the ‘signs of the time’. ______________________________________ |
