Be wise 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mt 25:1-13 “At that time the Kingdom of Heaven will be like this. Once there were 10 young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, 4 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, 5 The bridegroom was late in coming, so the women began to nod and fall asleep. 6 It was already midnight when the cry rang out, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!’ 7 The 10 women woke up and trimmed their lamps. Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No, indeed,’ the wise ones answered, ‘there is not enough for you and for us. Go to the shop and buy some for yourselves.’ So the foolish women went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed. Later the other women arrived. ‘Sir, sir! Let us in!’ they cried out. ‘Certainly not! I don’t know you,’ the bridegroom answered.” And Jesus concluded, “Be on your guard, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Other readings:Wisdom 6:12-16; Psalm 63:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 LECTIO This passage is part of Jesus’s eschatological (end time) teaching in chapters 24- 25. This parable marks the first of three about the coming of the Son of Man for final judgment. We will look at the others over the next two weeks. Jesus probably intended this parable to be understood on two levels, referring both to his first and second coming. One thing to note in this parable is that Jesus draws strongly on the Jewish tradition of contrasting wisdom and foolishness. The writer of Proverbs personifies these qualities as two women calling out to men and offering them their respective lifestyles. In this parable the five wise young women are the ones who have thought ahead and are prepared for the bridegroom. They are contrasted with the five foolish young women who, when the time comes, are not ready. Jesus uses this parable to reinforce the importance of being alert and ready for his Second Coming. In the previous chapter (Matthew 24:36-44) Jesus teaches us to be ready for the unexpected. He will return: we can be certain of that. But no one knows when it will be. Only God the Father knows the exact time. For people living on earth at the time it will be “when you are not expecting him” (verse 44). This parable was also intended to speak directly to Jesus’s fellow Jews. The central issue since his triumphant arrival in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11) had been whether he was Israel’s promised Messiah. Elsewhere in Matthew (9:15) Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom, and in an earlier parable (Matthew 22:1-14) he speaks about the guests refusing to come to the wedding feast prepared by the king in honour of his son. For centuries the people of Israel had longed for their Messiah. They were the invited guests. When the time comes and their Messiah is living among them, some are ready while others, like the foolish young women, are unprepared. MEDITATIO In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus contrasts two house builders. The wise one builds on rock, the foolish one on sand. One heard Jesus’s teaching and obeyed it. The other also heard Jesus’s teaching but didn’t follow it. How does this help our understanding of the parable we are looking at today? Have you recognised Jesus as the Messiah who will return as judge? Are you living your life as a follower of Jesus? Does your lifestyle match what you say you believe? ORATIO In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul reminds us of the salvation hope we have in Jesus. Give thanks that through Jesus’s death and Resurrection we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live each day in obedience to him. CONTEMPLATIO Meditate on these verses from Proverbs 3:5-7: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong.” Lectio Divina is an ancient tradition of reading and engaging with God’s Word