32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Part of the excitement of a wedding in Jesus’ time was the bridegroom’s surprise arrival. Often, the bridegroom’s procession, led by a drummer, arrived late at night, waking the entire village, which would take out their lamps to greet the procession and accompany the revelers into the house. They would then lock the doors, and the wedding reception would begin.
The ten young women in the tale were the bride’s friends. They kept her company as they awaited the bridegroom’s arrival. Panic ensued when five of the attendants had to run out to buy oil. But it was too late. By the time they returned, everyone had entered the wedding reception. As was the custom, no latecomers were allowed in.
Let’s get practical. What does this parable mean for you and me? Jesus concludes his parable by cautioning us all to “stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” This parable warns us that the old time will end and the new time will arrive: the reign of the Kingdom of God. We will never know when that moment will come, so we must keep our lamps burning brightly.
Looking back to Matthew 5:1-11, the lamps that light the way into the Kingdom are the Beatitudes. They’re our inner light. We’re to be poor in spirit, relying on God to be our only strength. We’re to hunger for a world where justice reigns, and labor to bring it about. We’re to be honest and truthful, pure of heart. We’re to be merciful and loving, just as God is. We’re to be peacemakers in our families and society.
The Beatitudes draw us into every aspect of life. They’re the oil that sustains our light. They’re the divine energy that enables us to be the light of the world. They’re our ticket to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.
Let Us Pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
