Wise and Foolish Virgins

                                    32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

                                  

           

Did you ever notice that in scripture wisdom is usually regarded as feminine? Today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom seems to be talking about a beautiful and desirable woman.

Resplendent and unfading is wisdom,

And she is readily perceived by those who love her,

And found by those who seek her.

We know that originally the Hebrew scriptures were studied primarily by men and perhaps for that reason Wisdom was portrayed as something that should be greatly desired and sought after.

But what is Wisdom? It is obvious today that many extremely intelligent and learned people are not necessarily wise. Book learning and advanced degrees do not necessarily bring wisdom. The foolish or impractical professor is a standard joke in our culture. What about the politicians, lawyers, and financiers who we see regularly led off to jail for misconduct?

Today’s first reading gives us a clue when it calls wisdom “the perfection of prudence.” Now prudence is one of those old fashioned virtues that seem to have gone out of style. We get a lesson on prudence in today’s gospel account of the wise and foolish virgins.

Jesus tells a parable with a wedding background that all of his listeners would understand.

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 wise virgins were prudent because they were prepared and had taken precautions in the event that the bridegroom was delayed. Typically, the foolish virgins were not only unprepared but they also, when the moment came, had to beg the prudent ones for their oil.

Obviously, this parable is about something much more than virgins and oil. It is a call to be prepared for the day when we will meet the Lord. How can we prepare ourselves for the day of the Lord? Maybe the question should be, “how do we prepare ourselves for anything?”

Students of every age know the awful feeling that comes when we fail to prepare for an important exam or assignment. We leave off studying or writing until the last minute and then have to cram like crazy. Even if we pass, what have we really learned. Many years ago when I was a teacher, students who were not doing well would ask if they could do extra credit. There would have been no need for an extra-credit assignment if they had only done the ordinary work assigned to them.

I doubt if anyone prepares harder in our time than athletes in any sport. No football player, for example, would think of going out on the field without putting in the required hours in the weight room or on the practice field. The athletes who seem to have the greatest natural ability are also the ones who seem to spend the most time in practice. Legendary basketball stars like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird were always the first to show up for practice and the last to leave.

How do we prepare and practice for life itself? Prayer is important but prudence does not mean just turning up the volume or the quantity. Jesus warned us against the senseless multiplication of words. When his disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, he just gave them the simple prayer that we call the “Our Father.”

Jesus constantly reminded us to make use of the different gifts or talents that we have been given. In other words, we are to use those gifts constantly in our daily lives, and not bury them in the ground. He asked us to be good and faithful stewards so that when he returns, we would be able to give an accounting.

Even though what we do in church is very important, Jesus always insisted that what we do outside of church is more important. Our practice for the big game consists primarily in performing the duties and fulfilling the responsibilities of our daily lives to the best of our abilities. Practice will make us perfect, and make us ready to meet our Maker when he comes.

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Reading 1. Wisdom 6: 12-16

Reading II. Thessalonians 4: 13-18

Gospel. Matthew 25: 1-13 (the wise and foolish virgins)