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| “Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins“ by Hieronymus Francken II, c. 1616 |
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to
baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of
human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ
might not be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved
it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the
learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this
age?
Has not God made the wisdom
of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of
God
the world did not come to
know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God
through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and
Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ
crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called,
Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and
the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is
wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is
stronger than human strength.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:17-25
This passage from St. Paul’s
First Letter to the Corinthians begins with an announcement of his own mission:
to proclaim the “unvarnished” truth of the Gospel, “…not with the wisdom of
human eloquence.”
He continues refuting those who
point to Christ’s crucifixion as proof of Jesus’ fallibility by saying that
faith, graciously given by God, allows the Christian to see the victory in what
appears to the scoffers to be a defeat. (“The message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the
power of God.”) St. Paul supports his premise by quoting Isaiah 29:14, attacking the “wisdom of the wise.”
He calls Jesus a stumbling block for the Jews (probably because they expected a
Royal Messiah taking power like King David), and foolishness for the rational
gentiles (Greeks) who pride themselves on logic. The cross is not logical for a
savior.
St. Paul concludes by telling the
community (“those who were called”) that it is God who acts in them
giving them faith (see also Romans 9:16), and that in the face of
God’s omnipotence all the wisdom and strength of humanity pales in comparison.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm. 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R. (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the
Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is
fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on
the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre
chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of
the LORD,
and all his works are
trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD
the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the
plans of nations;
he foils the designs of
peoples.
But the plan of the LORD
stands forever;
the design of his heart,
through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps. 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
Psalm 33 is a song of praise
and thanksgiving. In this selection the emphasis is on faithfulness to God who
has saving power, combined with hope which is a central component of faith in
God.
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Gospel: Matthew
25:1-13
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.
The foolish ones, when taking
their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks
of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long
delayed,
they all became drowsy and
fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come
out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up
and trimmed their lamps.
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 be
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.
Then the door was locked.
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.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day
nor the hour.”
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Commentary on Mt 25:1-13
St. Matthew’s Gospel gives us the
parable of the Ten Virgins continuing the Gospel theme of preparedness and
vigilance (although strictly speaking this parable is about foresight). In this
story the idea of vigilance is expanded to include being prepared. The Jewish
wedding customs of the time would have dictated a procession [at night] from
the house of the bride to the house of the groom. The whole act is symbolic of
the coming of the messianic era also portrayed as a wedding in Matthew 9:15, Matthew 22:1-14 and John 3:29. The wise virgins brought
oil for their lamps while the foolish ones did not. The oil is interpreted by
some scholars as referring to good works.
The overarching symbolism is the
lamp of faith (light of the indwelling Holy Spirit) being kept burning with oil
(good works). Hence, without good works (oil), the lamp will not continue to
burn (James 2:17) and the
virgins, so deprived of light, are excluded from the heavenly kingdom.
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Reflection:
"Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch
with love, watch with charity, watch with good works [...]; make ready the
lamps, make sure they do not go out [...], renew them with the inner oil of an
upright conscience; then shall the Bridegroom enfold you in the embrace of his
love and bring you into his banquet room, where your lamp can never be
extinguished"
(St Augustine
Think about what St. Augustine
Similarly, the Christian
recognizes that, at the end of their earthly lives, there will be a banquet, a
wedding feast they hope to attend. But
the guests at that feast must come by a lighted path, and the lamp they bring
must be bright. Clearly, part of the
Christian’s preparation for that event is contemplating the joy of the
celebration. But we also recognize that
total preparation is needed if we are to arrive well prepared for the wedding
feast of the lamb.
Our attitudes and behaviors
must act in concert to provide fuel for the lamp of faith. As St. Augustine says; “Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch with love, watch with
charity, watch with good works.” Our
whole being must be brought into readiness so our lamps do not dim and go
out. Using the analogy of the lamps in
an outdoor procession, they do not burn long or well unattended. There is wind in the world that would
extinguish those lamps. The flame must be protected lest some errant breeze
extinguish the lamp just when it is needed.
Alas, all analogy breaks down
at some point, and the analogy of the athlete breaks down as well. You see, the athlete prepares for an event
whose schedule is known. The date and
time are set, and the athlete knows they have so much time to train. We, on the other hand, do not know the time
or the place when the banquet invitation will be extended. Our prayer today then is that we keep our
eyes constantly focused on our preparations.
No matter what our health or age, we do not know when we will be called
home. We must be ready and ask the Lord
to help us as we work to keep our lamps filled.
Pax
[2]
The picture is “Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins“ by Hieronymus Francken
II, c. 1616
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4]
The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton , NJ
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