32nd Sunday of Ordinary Times
The Church Waits for Her Spouse..
Readings for:32nd Sunday of Ordinary Times, Year A
Reading 1 Wisdom 6:12-16
Psalm Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Reading 2 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Gospel Matthew 25:1-13
REFLECTIONS:… from Father Daniel
Theme of the Sunday: The Church Waits for Her Spouse. The first Christians used to often say, “The Lord is coming!” and they were always ready to receive him. The theme of vigilance links together the three readings today. The second reading describes expectation and vigilance in the community of Thessalonica. The Gospel continues the theme in a parable about vigilance. The first reading can be taken as a commentary on the Gospel. The Gospel teaches us that “those (virgins) who prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord are wise,” while the first reading says that our most precious gift is the wisdom that comes from God.
We’ve all experienced embarrassing or even disastrous times when we were unprepared for something. The oil in the lamps of the virgins was something that could not be transferred. Many scholars of the scripture tell us that the oil was a symbol of good works that a person has performed. This also is a universal principle in life-we get no credit for the good works another person has done. This is true in all religions. The last point this parable emphasizes is what is to happen at the end of time. The bridegroom and central person in this story is Jesus and Jesus is going to come again at the end of time. We are the ones in the story waiting for him to come. The moral of the story is “watch, therefore, because we do not know the day or the hour” of Christ’s return.
Two school teachers were stunned when a waiter informed them that someone had picked up the check for their meal. The teachers attending a convention thought there had been some mistake. Then the waiter showed them a note another customer had given him - together with the payment. “Don’t take any money from these teachers,” the note said. “I have two boys in school. I owe so much to the teachers. Thanks.” Later during a convention business meeting, an account of the incident was mentioned. It brought the loudest and longest applause of the day. That’s how God will reward you for thinking ahead of time and doing good for others. That is what it means to be wise. To live a meaningful life. A wise person will keep himself or herself ready to meet Christ at any time.
