Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
At every baptism, after the child is draped in white garment, the celebrant lights the baptismal candle from the Paschal candle, and hands it to the child with these words, “Receive the light of Christ.” And then the celebrant says to the parents and godparents: “Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He (she) is to walk always as a child of the light. May he (she) keep the flame of faith alive in his (her) heart. When the Lord comes, may he (she) go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.” These words are a direct reference to parable of the ten wise and foolish maidens in today’s gospel reading (Mt 25:1-13). The symbolism of the lighted candle is simply this - that our baptism, at which we receive the new life of Christ, is an invitation to live that new life, wisely and not foolishly, with faith rather than faithlessly, in anticipation of Christ’s coming rather than aimlessly. Our baptism is a commitment to intentional living.
I have titled this homily, “The Wisdom of Intentional Living.” Here are my three practical implications:
Wisdom Comes to Those Who Seek
In the gospel reading, it was the wise maidens that welcomed the bridegroom. Catholics consider wisdom as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yet, scripture also tells us that wisdom must be sought. As today’s first reading from the book of Wisdom says, “She [wisdom] is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her” (Wis 6:12).
Where and how is wisdom to be sought? Wisdom is waiting to be discovered in the Scriptures and most of all in the life and message of Jesus we find in the gospels. Wisdom is found in the totality of human knowledge that the sages, mystics and enlightened have communicated to us. Wisdom also comes from life-experiences. People who seek wisdom read, reflect, and pray scripture regularly. People who seek wisdom strive to deepen their relationship with God as time goes by. People who seek wisdom pay attention to the lives of those who changed the course of human history, both good and bad. People who seek wisdom look for the deeper meaning of daily life-experiences. In reality, nothing is what is looks like. There is always a deeper reality in everything. People who seek wisdom look for the deeper reality of life. And to those who seek wisdom, she comes freely.
Am I Wise?
In the parable of the ten maidens, what set apart the wise from the foolish was that the wise brought flasks of oil with them just in case the bridegroom was delayed. The foolish maidens lacked tis prudence and foresight. The wise maidens kept the big picture in mind. This is what I call the wisdom of intentional living.
The practical implication for us is this - that we live life today with prudence and foresight, keeping in mind the big picture. This means living each day keeping in mind our origin and our destiny. To live wisely and intentionally means that we never forget where we have come from, to whom we belong now, and where we are going.
Foolishness is to live life as if only the present matters. To live wisely, on the other hand is to live with eternity in perspective. Eternity makes us evaluate the meaning of life very differently. Eternity compels us not merely to be intelligent people but wise people.
Back to my question: Are you wise? Only you can answer that question.
Living Wisely Here and Now
Parables like the ones we have today, in reality was meant to deal with the issue of the delay of the Parousia. It is clear in the New Testament that Jesus and the early Christians believed in an imminent second coming. However, the ground reality was very different. People were beginning to get both concerned and careless because of the delay of the Parousia. Note that in the parable of the ten maidens, the wise and the foolish fell asleep.
Two thousand years later, we join the early Christians in anticipation of the Parousia. Here is the irony of it all. The same Christ who we hope to meet at his Second Coming is also the same Christ who is present to us today. In the scriptures, in the sacraments, in this very Eucharist, in this gathering, in the person standing next to you, in the stranger we fail to accept and embrace, in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and those in prison. Christ still comes to us. Perhaps we will be only as ready for Parousia as we are today. This is not the time to fall asleep. This is the time to let the light of faith burn in our hearts. This is the meaning of intentional living.
The Eucharist is the source of wisdom and provides us the grace off intentional living. Let us seek that wisdom and receive that grace.
- Fr. Satish Joseph