YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THE 32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THE 32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: WISDOM IN PREPARATION

BY: Rev Fr Gerald Muoka

HOMILY: R1- Wis 6:12-16
RESP. PS. – Ps. 63:2-8
R2 – 1Thess 4:13-18
GOSPEL: Matt 25:1-13

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.

One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand.

While fretting with incessant anxiety, panting and quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgement is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.” Candles were served, lighted and the session continued.

Beloved in Christ, the eschatological dimensions of the readings of today’s liturgy warn and spur us about immediate, constant and continuous preparations for the end of our own world, the end of our own time and our passage to another world; which is surrounded with certainty and uncertainty. It is certain, because our lives must end someday, as described by St Paul in the Second reading; and uncertain because no one knows when.

In these readings, we see wisdom as the act of making adequate preparations; just like Colonel Davenport in the introit story, who panicked not while his fellow legislators quelled for the adjournment of the legislative session over the threats of rapture by the changes noticed in the sky, to make preparations.

This wisdom is realized by not allowing our lamps to run dry of oil, as we await the glorious coming of Jesus in Majesty, to judge the living and the dead; which was allegorically pictured in the Gospel reading within the Jewish traditional wedding parlance (Rev. 19:8-9).

However, the first reading, from the book of Wisdom, describes and personifies wisdom as a beautiful woman, always bright, glowing, attractive, and irresistible to all and sundry (olu gbajie). She always serves and honours those who truly value and seek her. Ours is only to woo her and have her attention and services.

Furthermore, the relativity of worldly “wisdom” that is bereft of the principles of the morality of human act, differentiates it from celestial wisdom, which is objectively uncompromising, inflexible and intransigent. Little wonder the scripture insists that, “one can be wise among the sons of men, and still lacks the wisdom that comes from God; Such person is regarded as nothing in the celestial realms” (Wisdom 9:6).

Nevertheless, Celestial wisdom entails
▪︎(Quid) knowing _WHAT_ to do
▪︎(Quando) _WHEN_ to do it
▪︎(Ubi) _WHERE_ to do it
▪︎ _(Quomodo)_ HOW to do it; most especially, in seeking heavenly goals, blessedness and joy; in line with
St Augustine’s who defined wisdom, “as an attempt to pursue celestial happiness.”

*BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE PARABLE*
In today’s God’s, Jesus gives us the parable of the five wise and the five foolish bridesmaids to illustrate teachings about the Parousia (coming of the Kingdom). The five wise maidens had extra oil, whereas the five foolish virgins had no extra oil.

However, some preachers and interpreters capitalize and emphasize on the stinginess and lack of the generosity of the 5 wise virgins on the 5 foolish virgins; but Jesus’ emphasis hinges not on that, rather, on individual preparedness, alertness and making hays while the sun shines.

Summarily, in the allegorical interpretation of the parable, the virgins represent the Church or Christian community that is waiting for Christ’s Second Coming. The Bridegroom is Christ. The wedding feast is the great and joyous occasion in which Christ comes for his Church (Rv 19:9).

The foolish virgins represent the Chosen People of God (baptized christians), who were waiting for Jesus the Messiah but were shut out from the Messianic marriage and banquet of the Bridegroom, foretold in Rev. 19:9, because they were unprepared.

They equally at the universal level, represent those who fail to prepare for the end of their lives. What matters is not the occasional or the last-minute burst of spiritual favour but habitual attention to one’s responsibilities before God. At the final judgment, there will be no depending upon the resources of others, no begging or borrowing of grace. The parable implies that we should attend to duties of the present moment, preparing now rather than waiting until it is too late.

The delay and later arrival of the Bridegroom correspond to the delay, certainty and uncertainty of the Second Coming or Parousia; which is dependent on the kairotic moment which is God’s time (Isaiah 49:8; 2Cor. 6:2), which the scripture says, no one knows the exact time (Matt. 24:36);
as against the human time (chronos), which can be postponed, deferred or adjourned to suit our convenience and pace.

*LESSONS FROM THE PARABLE*

*(1) ALWAYS BE AT ALERT AND PREPARED*
The most significant lessons of today’s liturgy is the need for spiritual alertness and preparedness, which are the shortest cuts enroute eternity.

The compelling drama of alertness and preparedness which besieged mostly the African Christian churches in the year 2000 in response to the fake prophecy over the purported _3 DAYS DARKNESS_ is the kind of preparations and alertness, the church encourages her children to uphold and undertake at every time and in every circumstance and situation.
Such preparations and alertness include:
~Getting enough candles for the 3 day darkness (The presence of Christ).
~Blessing holy water
~Going for confessions
~Reconciliation with enemies, kith and kins
~Avoidance of immorality of all sorts
~Remaining in the state of grace.

In fact, the promoters and preachers of 3 days darkness got it wrong, because the scripture already affirmed, just like the unannounced arrival of the bridegroom:

But as for that day and hour,
nobody knows it, neither the
angels of heaven, nor the Son,
no one but the Father alone.
(Matthew 24:36).

The other five virgins were tagged and reckoned as foolish, because of their unpreparedness. Just like many of us, who are already carried away by the euphoria of this transient world.

They could be said to have slept on duty, because, the essentials (instrumentum laboris) for welcoming the bridegroom as it was prevalent in the Jewish marriage setting, viz: lamps and its corresponding oil was lacking. They were simply unprepared and not at alert. They were just like a gateman who sleeps at the gate, the driver who sleeps at the steering or the priests who sleeps at the altar.

The scripture admonishes us always to wake up now from our slumber and be at alert and vigilant (1Pet. 5:8-9); owing to the fact that no one knows the hour, the son of man would come to judge the living and the dead (Matt. 24:36).

*(2) NEVER RUN OUT OF OIL*
Biblically, oil served to anoint priests, kings and prophets; providing them with authority, glory and responsibility, acting on behalf of God and the Holy Spirit. For instance:
~The anointing of David (1Sam. 16:13)
~The anointing of Saul (1Sam. 10:1)
~Anointing of Jehu and Elisha (1Kgs 19:16).

When we run out of oil, we run out of anointing-God’s Spirit (Doxa-glory-ebube Muonso); we lack the temerity and authority to walk in dominion (Gen. 1:28) and like Saul, we can no longer perform our priestly, kingly and prophetic roles as baptized Christians (1 Sam. 16:14).

Furthermore, oil represents very deep and very personal gestures; like deep Christian characters, values and elements which cannot be lent or borrowed: (a) relationship with God, (b) ideal character, (c) Faith.

These are elements in Christian life that requires personal commitments, which no one else can do for us.
It cannot be attained overnight or borrow from someone else as the foolish virgins attempted to do.

Sin remains a canker worm that drys up our oil and endangers us to perdition.
What is the difference then between the foolish virgins and the wise ones? It’s not in their ability to stay awake; they all slept on duty (sinned); but in how they have prepared their lamps.

Sometimes our lamps can even go out but if we know how to light it again and to use it, in dark times we will know what to do, through the Sacraments of the church.

Finally, Charles Borromeo is one of the outstanding personalities who led and accompanied the Catholic Church towards the counter-reformation in the modern time, with an interface with the Council of Trent.

One of the more vivid moments in the pastoral ministry was as a tutor who mentored young people and advocated for the formal seminary training we have today.

One fateful day, he posed a salient and fundamental question to his students, I paraphrase: “assuming the sky is falling in few minutes time and rapture is announced to take place and God gives you some 1 hour to prepare, what would you do?

The students gave varieties of response. The first responded: “The most important thing is to be in the state of grace. I will rush after a priest and go for confession.” The second student replied, ” I will go and reconcile with my enemies and build bridges of friendship.” The other gently retorted, “I will go and share all I have to the poor inorder to win God’s admiration and be counted among the generous that would be seated at God’s right hand (Matt. 25:31-45).

After all their submissions on their possible last actions, St Charles Borromeo gave them a shocking response on his possible preparedness against Parousia as follows: “I will continue teaching you without much ado or running helter skelter (agha akara anaghi eri ngworo); because, God who has commissioned me to be your tutor will be happy meeting me at my duty post, doing his will.”

He went further to admonish them, “whichever preparations you would need to make when God gives you 1 week, 1 hour, 30 minute, or 60 seconds before rapture, begin it now and waste no further time.”

*BENEDICTIONS:*
MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVE US THE WISDOM AND GUIDANCE TOWARDS MAKING ADEQUATE PREPARATIONS FOR THE WEDDING FEAST OF JESUS, THE ETERNAL BRIDEGROOM.

*GOD BLESS YOU!*
*HAPPY SUNDAY!*

FR GERALD MUOKA