Word to the Wise
Sunday, November 12, 2023 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[Wis 6:12-16; 1 Thess 4:13-18 or 4:13-14; Matt 25:1-13]Resplendent 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 be free from care.....[Wisdom]
A friend of mine recently sent me an amusing but instructive statement (I'm reciting from memory, so not exactly): Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting a tomato in a fruit salad. We were given an example of wisdom in Friday's gospel scripture from Luke in the parable of the Dishonest Steward. Today we are given the parable of the Wise Virgins. This parable is aimed at living a life that is focused on being prepared for the return of the Lord.
How long can one live on "high alert?" Some have no choice, like those in current war zones. What about those who build their houses in flood zones or on the seashore or in forested areas? I have vacationed many times on the Oregon coast where there are tsunami warning signs!!! The dangers seem remote and consciousness of them can fade. In ordinary life, away from obvious danger zones, we try to be wise about obvious things. That is wisdom, but when it comes to ultimate matters like the Second Coming of Jesus, the challenge seems remote even if we acknowledge it as a matter of faith.
St. Paul's Letter to the Thessalonians carries some urgency in it because the expectation of the early Christian community was that Jesus would return soon. That hasn't happened. Wisdom says that it is a good idea to stay in shape spiritually, morally and physically to have a happy life no matter what. But for Christians, it means being also prepared for our own death or Jesus' Second Coming, whichever happens first!!! AMEN