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Today, 27th of September, we celebrate
Saint Vincent of Paul
1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R./ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the Lord;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the Lord on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
R./ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the Lord,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R./ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the Lord stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R./ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"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 foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."
We can analyze the parable in today’s Gospel text from many angles. We can think that the foolish virgins were just a bit clueless and that the wise ones were selfish for not wanting to share their oil with the others. We can imagine that the oil that keeps the lamps lit is continuous prayer in the presence of the Lord. And so we can go on thinking about each of the elements of the parable and try to give it a meaning. But New Testament scholars made it clear to us a long time ago that in these short stories that Jesus tells his listeners, the only thing that matters is the central point of the story. The rest is just embellishment for the listeners.
And it’s clear that the center of the parable is only one: to be attentive and prepared because we don’t know when the one we’re waiting for will arrive. It seems that all the virgins were attentive and woke up to the voice of the one announcing the arrival of the bridegroom. But not all were prepared. Some had enough oil in their lamps, and others didn’t. So those who were not prepared, the foolish ones, as the parable calls them, had to go and get it and were left out of the feast.
Conclusion: we must be attentive, awake, vigilant. But it’s not enough: we must also be prepared. How is this “being prepared” interpreted? Some will think it’s about being “confessed and having received communion.” That is, having fulfilled the rites that the church establishes to be in “God’s grace.” That’s good, but it’s not enough. Besides, I don’t think Jesus was thinking about that at that moment. Rather, Jesus would be thinking about being willing to make the radical change that the Kingdom brings to our lives: openness to the new family that are the sons and daughters of God, willingness to embrace justice and fraternity beyond all borders and differences, recognition of the one common Father-Abba, going beyond the norms, the established, to leave everything and put oneself at the service of the Kingdom. That is being prepared.
Fernando Torres, cmfLord our God, source of all wisdom,
you invite us to be wise
and to encounter your Son
with burning lamps in our hands.
Help us to be prepared to meet him
in the events of daily life
and in people around us,
that we may enter with him
into your feast that lasts for ever.
Introduction to the First Reading
Paul knows that the Christians of Corinth are not only divided in their loyalties but are also influenced by the Greek tendency to philosophize about everything. But their salvation, their true wisdom lies in Christ, who saved them by the cross.
Introduction to Gospel Reading
The key point of the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins in today's Gospel is not so much vigilance as foresight, but readiness for the kingdom, and only then, consequently, vigilance.
– For our pope, bishops, and priests, that they may constantly remind people of the eternal dimension of life and lead us with wisdom, patience, and vigilance, we pray:
– For those discouraged and wounded in life, that they may not grow bitter and that from our presence and friendship, they may draw fresh strength and hope, we pray:
– For our beloved dead, that they may live in the joy of the Lord, we pray:
God our Father,
you invite us all
to the feast meal of your Son.
Let the bread and the wine
of this Eucharistic celebration
be the sign of the great feast
you have begun with us on earth
and our strength to go all the way
to its full celebration in heaven,
where your Son lives with you for ever.
Lord our God, in your kingdom,
to wait does not mean
to be bored and inactive,
but to go out and meet your Son
and to build the future with him.
Do not allow any of us
to remain apathetic to a fellow human being
who waits for a word or gesture
of sympathy or encouragement,
for he is your Son to us.
Let your Son stay with us
to make your kingdom live and grow
until you complete it for ever.
Be ready for the coming of the Lord, always. We know what we are waiting for: the Lord, full life, great happiness. No fear then. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
