Word to the Wise
Sunday, November 8, 2020 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[Wis 6:12-16; 1 Thess 4:13-18 or 4:13-14; Matt 25:1-13]Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate. For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence, and whoever for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly free from care.....[Wisdom] "The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish and five were wise." [Matt[]
The traditional prayer to the Holy Spirit has the lines: Grant us in that same Spirit to be truly wise.... Solomon was commended by God when he prayed not for power and riches, but for wisdom to govern his people [1 Kings 3:1-14] The Old Testament has a number of books that scripture scholars refer to as "the wisdom literature." This includes the Psalms, Wisdom, Sirach, Proverbs, Job and others. Jesus refers to a true disciple as "a wise man who builds his house on rock," [Matt.7:24]
In today's gospel scripture from Matthew, Jesus offers the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The context is toward the end of Jesus' ministry and his emphasis on being prepared for his return. This was an immediate concern in the early Christian community, which thought that return would occur "soon." The challenge to bring the extra oil is basically one we might call "staying in shape." That is a challenge we can all identify with but have a lot of trouble meeting. The challenge addresses not only the "spiritual" practice of our faith but the physical maintenance of the one body the Lord has given to us. These two elements cannot be separated. Wisdom tells us that diet and exercise go hand in hand with love and learning and service in the formation of a disciple.
I once was asked to speak to a grade school class about wisdom. I began with asking the class, "What is wisdom?" A forest of hands were raised and I called on one child who promptly said, "Knowledge gained from experience!" I should have left the classroom at that point!!! Reflection on our experiences in living our faith is what develops the "oil of wisdom." Our mistakes are part of that as well as our triumphs. It is the person who takes care of the whole self as a matter of faith who will have the extra oil. A wise friend once said to me, "Nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow." If we hear Jesus' words about wisdom and put them into practice, we won't need to worry about tomorrow. AMEN