Wise and Foolish

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the gift of Wisdom that the Spirit reveals to guide our celebration of full life in Christ.

Wisdom and the Race

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians declares the Christ the Power and Wisdom of God through the Paradox of the Cross.

* [1:21–25] True wisdom and power are to be found paradoxically where one would least expect them, in the place of their apparent negation. To human eyes the crucified Christ symbolizes impotence and absurdity. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 praises the Greatness and Goodness of God.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids.

* [25:1–13] Peculiar to Matthew.

* [25:1] Then: at the time of the parousia. Kingdom…will be like: see note on Mt 13:24–30.

* [25:2–4] Foolish…wise: cf. the contrasted “wise man” and “fool” of Mt 7:24, 26 where the two are distinguished by good deeds and lack of them, and such deeds may be signified by the oil of this parable.

* [25:11–12] Lord, Lord: cf. Mt 7:21. I do not know you: cf. Mt 7:23 where the Greek verb is different but synonymous.

* [25:13] Stay awake: some scholars see this command as an addition to the original parable of Matthew’s traditional material, since in Mt 25:5 all the virgins, wise and foolish, fall asleep. But the wise virgins are adequately equipped for their task, and stay awake may mean no more than to be prepared; cf. Mt 24:42, 44. (Matthew, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB, n.d.)

Tom Lenz comments that when he first heard the parable about the ten virgins, he was a little taken aback. He thought they were just being mean and selfish – it didn’t make sense.

But as I stayed with it, I realized it was like how my parents guided me as a young boy. I would not truly know math unless I did it myself. And I cannot truly know God and the Kingdom of God unless I am active in the process. I can go to church, participate in the mass, and listen to the gospels, but unless I actively engage with the messages in my daily life [pray], then I will not really know God and what the Kingdom of God is at any kind of meaningful depth. And certainly not enough that will allow me to join in the wedding feast. (Lenz, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Kingdom of God compared with ten maidens,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"The whole story is about the great day of the Lord, when those things concealed from the human mind will be revealed through our understanding of divine judgment. Then the faith true to the Lord's coming will win the just reward for unwavering hope. For in the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:2), a complete separation between the faithful and unfaithful is established... The wise virgins are those who, embracing the time available to them, were prepared at the first onset of the coming of the Lord. But the foolish were those who were lax and unmindful. They troubled themselves only over present matters and, forgetting what God said, did not direct their efforts toward hope for resurrection." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 27.3,5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 comments that it can be so hard to understand what “Jesus, my Savior, the power and wisdom of God” means.

“When I look at the wars and violence in the world around me, Jesus, I wonder why you don’t intervene with your power to set everything right. I ask myself how you can bring anything good out of the prejudice, greed, and exploitation that ravage your people. But I am coming to understand that it’s when I see with your eyes that I can start to make sense out of it all. Even when I don’t understand now, I know that all my questions will one day be answered. You have the power to bring good out of everything, even woe. And in your wisdom, you will do it.”

“Lord, I place my trust in your tenacious and overwhelming love for me.” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Public theologian Jennifer Bailey who uses an agricultural metaphor to describe the waning landscape of religious institutions in the United States. She names the challenges of our time and how she finds inspiration for hopeful action.

The enormity of the plight we face can be solved only by harnessing the ingenuity and creativity of the communities to which we belong and are accountable. This season will require us to recover ancestral wisdom and practices that we lost or undervalued, repair the deep breaches in our interpersonal and communal relationships that replicate patterns of harm and destruction, and reimagine the possible by stretching ourselves to see beyond the realities of our current circumstances and daring to dream something different into being.  

These three words—recover, repair, and reimagine—remain at the center of my discernment process as I try to understand the evolution of my calling. My path is not linear. There are times I feel like I am chasing the shadow of something I cannot fully see. When I’m feeling particularly churchy, I wonder if that shadow is the Spirit of Divine Revelation. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the wisdom of the Spirit to guide our decisions and connect us to the action we need to prepare as followers of Christ.

References

Lenz, T. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/083024.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/25? 

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:17-25. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/08/30/1063184/ 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1? 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Recover, Repair, Reimagine. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/recover-repair-reimagine/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Foolish Will Miss Heaven's Wedding Feast. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=aug30 

Wisdom in Preparation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the value of Wisdom as one of the gifts of the Spirit to guide us to prudence in preparation for encountering Christ on our journey.

encountering Christ on our journey

The reading from the Book of Wisdom is a description of Lady Wisdom.

* [6:1–21] The first part of the book closes with an exhortation comparable to 1:1–15, and it leads into “Solomon’s” personal comments on wisdom in chaps. 7–9. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 6, n.d.)

Psalm 63 praises Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence.

* [Psalm 63] A Psalm expressing the intimate relationship between God and the worshiper. Separated from God (Ps 63:2), the psalmist longs for the divine life given in the Temple (Ps 63:3–6), which is based on a close relationship with God (Ps 63:7–9). May all my enemies be destroyed and God’s true worshipers continue in giving praise (Ps 63:10–11)! (Psalms, PSALM 63, n.d.)

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians assures readers about the Coming of the Lord.

* [4:15] Coming of the Lord: Paul here assumes that the second coming, or parousia, will occur within his own lifetime but insists that the time or season is unknown (1 Thes 5:1–2). Nevertheless, the most important aspect of the parousia for him was the fulfillment of union with Christ. His pastoral exhortation focuses first on hope for the departed faithful, then (1 Thes 5:1–3) on the need of preparedness for those who have to achieve their goal.

* [4:17] Will be caught up together: literally, snatched up, carried off; cf. 2 Cor 12:2; Rev 12:5. From the Latin verb here used, rapiemur, has come the idea of “the rapture,” when believers will be transported away from the woes of the world; this construction combines this verse with Mt 24:40–41 (see note there) // Lk 17:34–35 and passages from Revelation in a scheme of millennial dispensationalism. (1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids.

* [25:1–13] Peculiar to Matthew.

* [25:1] Then: at the time of the parousia. Kingdom…will be like: see note on Mt 13:24–30.

* [25:2–4] Foolish…wise: cf. the contrasted “wise man” and “fool” of Mt 7:24, 26 where the two are distinguished by good deeds and lack of them, and such deeds may be signified by the oil of this parable.

* [25:11–12] Lord, Lord: cf. Mt 7:21. I do not know you: cf. Mt 7:23 where the Greek verb is different but synonymous.

* [25:13] Stay awake: some scholars see this command as an addition to the original parable of Matthew’s traditional material, since in Mt 25:5 all the virgins, wise and foolish, fall asleep. But the wise virgins are adequately equipped for their task, and stay awake may mean no more than to be prepared; cf. Mt 24:42, 44. (Matthew, CHAPTER 25, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that today's readings invite us to seek that which nourishes the soul, to be aware of others and ourselves, and to stay spiritually awake. 

Maybe to stay prepared for the inevitable, such as life transitions, loss, joys, pains, and the day we face our creator who loves us, we could begin by making room for wisdom when she knocks on the door of our hearts. Wisdom helps us anticipate, endure, and remain internally free. Maybe to stay prepared, we could make room for scripture to imprint upon our hearts and souls. Scripture is a way to know what God sounds like; it provides a blueprint for spiritual preparedness. Maybe to stay prepared, we could listen to the movements of our hearts, even when it doesn't make sense. When our hearts ache, we are prompted to ask ourselves this honest question: For whom or what am I looking for?

Loving and merciful God, send us wisdom, quench our thirst, and help us stay awake for you. Amen (Amu, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “The Kingdom of God compared with ten maidens,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"The whole story is about the great day of the Lord, when those things concealed from the human mind will be revealed through our understanding of divine judgment. Then the faith true to the Lord's coming will win the just reward for unwavering hope. For in the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:2), a complete separation between the faithful and unfaithful is established... The wise virgins are those who, embracing the time available to them, were prepared at the first onset of the coming of the Lord. But the foolish were those who were lax and unmindful. They troubled themselves only over present matters and, forgetting what God said, did not direct their efforts toward hope for resurrection." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 27.3,5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13 comments that as we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church uses our Mass readings to encourage us to examine our own priorities as we await the coming of the Lord. We have been invited to the wedding feast of Jesus, when his Bride, the Church, will be united to him forever. Of course we want to go!

Look back over this past week. Think about the decisions you made and how they reveal what is important to you. Is there one priority you could reshape that would help you be closer to where you need to be when the Bridegroom returns?

“Jesus, thank you for inviting me to your wedding feast! Help me be ready for you!” (Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler connects Wisdom to the ancient understanding of God at the end of the universe who was present to people through various animations, like Lady Wisdom. The preexistence of Jesus is expressed as Wisdom Incarnate. Friar Jude reminds us that apocalyptic language is symbolic and makes the point today to be prepared for our meeting with God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects on the freedom, generosity, and presence that characterize those living in the second half of life. People in the second half of life are not preoccupied with collecting more goods and services; quite simply, their desire and effort—every day—is to give back to the world a bit of what they have received. They now realize that they have been gratuitously given to—from the universe, from society, and from God. They try now to ‘‘live simply so that others can simply live.’’

Erik Erikson calls someone at this stage a ‘‘generative’’ person [1], one who is eager and able to generate life from his or her own abundance and for the benefit of following generations. Because such people have built a good container, they are able to ‘‘contain’’ more and more truth, more and more neighbors, more and broader vision, more and more of a mysterious and outpouring God.

In the second half of life, we do not have strong and final opinions about everything, every event, or most people, as much as we allow things and people to delight us, sadden us, and truly influence us. We no longer need to change or adjust other people to be happy ourselves. We have moved from doing to being to an utterly new kind of doing that flows almost organically, quietly, and by osmosis. Our actions are less compulsive. We do what we are called to do and then let go of the consequences. (Rohr, 2023)

We ponder the nature of the preparation we need as we continue our journey and seek the Wisdom of the Spirit as we accept the transitions of life.

References

Amu, V. (2023, November 12). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111223.html 

Matthew, CHAPTER 25. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/25?1 

Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/12/825737/ 

1 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1thessalonians/4?13 

Psalms, PSALM 63. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/63?2 

Rohr, R. (2023, November 12). Greater Freedom and Flexibility — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/greater-freedom-and-flexibility/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Foolish Will Miss Heaven's Wedding Feast. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov12 

Wisdom, CHAPTER 6. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/6?12