Homily for Friday, Week 21

Homily for Friday

21st Week of Ordinary Time

Aug. 28, 2020

Matt 25: 1-13

Provincial House, New Rochelle, N.Y. 

We’ve come to the end of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ public ministry, an account that finishes with several parables of the end of the age and the final judgment—2 parables at the end of ch. 24 which we heard yesterday about being watchful and ready for the master’s return (24:42-51), and 3 in ch. 25 about being prepared and responsible at his arrival.

Parable of the Wise & Foolish Virgins (William Blake)

The parable of the 10 virgins or servant girls resembles a parable in Luke 12 about servants awaiting their master’s return from a wedding (12:35-37) but is more developed, and in this case the master is coming for his own wedding.  It plays on the perennial biblical theme of wisdom and foolishness, which coincidentally is Paul’s theme in the 1st reading (1 Cor 1:17-25).  The wise are keenly attentive to God’s word and God’s affairs, the foolish not so.  Matthew’s parable is more explicitly ecclesiological than Luke’s, because we have here 10 women—the Church is always feminine—waiting for the bridegroom to appear, who is Christ.

In hurricane season everyone’s advised to prepare—stock up on water, food, flashlights, batteries, a radio, gas in the car; perhaps move to a safer place.  For Christians of the late 1st century, when Matthew composed his gospel, Christ’s return was much delayed, overdue.  So he presents this parable and others to remind the Church always to be prepared.  Altho it ends with “stay awake” (25:13), that’s not really its theme—unlike some of the other parables.  All 10 of the virgins fall asleep, so that’s not the issue—fortunately for our evening news slumber party.

Rather, it’s “be ready when the bridegroom finally arrives; come out to meet him” (cf. 25:6).  The wise disciples of Christ will have their lamps brightly lit; their virtues will be shining brightly.  Those whose lives are empty won’t be able to beg or borrow an upright character, and it will be too late to acquire good deeds—deeds like the works of mercy that Jesus will specify in the chapter’s final parable (25:31-46).  When the bridegroom arrives, people will be either ready or not to go into the wedding feast with him.

What’s the state of our oil supply?  Do we have a good stock of loving deeds?  Have we worshiped God from the heart?  Have we faithfully ministered to the young and our confreres?  Works alone, of course, don’t purchase entry to the feast, but works that respond to and demonstrate the love lavished upon us, works done eagerly and diligently for the Master.  Young or old, we know that life is precarious, and the bridegroom may appear at our door at any moment.  By God’s grace, may our lamps be well lit, radiating Christ’s own light.