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Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
The Lateran Basilica in Rome is not the oldest church in Rome – that honor seems to belong to Santi Quattro Coronati (314); but then that depends on what sources you believe. Old St. Peter’s, the original church on the spot where the current St. Peter’s stands dates to 324, the same year as St. Lorenzo and St. John Lateran. Did you know that the Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome – the place from where the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, leads his diocese even as he leads the church universal.
The Lateran did not even start out as a church – it was a palace on the Lateran Hill that came into the possession of the Emperor Constantine who lifted the ban on Christianity in 313. Sometime later the emperor gifted it to the church and by 324 it was converted to become a church and was declared to be the “mother church” of all Christianity: ecclesia omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput – of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head.
The Lateran has needed a few repairs over the years. As the Roman Empire fell, the Lateran fell into disrepair. It has been rebuilt, burned down, rebuilt, partially burned, rebuilt and finally evolved into the grand basilica you can visit today in Rome. Perhaps one of the “rebuilding” stories is of most interest to we Franciscans. It is there at the Lateran that Pope Innocent III dreamed of the Lateran falling down but held up by a small, brown robed man – Francis from Assisi who had just visited the Pope requesting permission to begin a new religious order. The Pope recalled Francis and commissioned him to live the gospel life, to preach, and to reconcile. Even today the Franciscans maintain a house dedicated to preaching and sacramental reconciliation at the Lateran.
The Living Waters
While we celebrate the dedication of the “mother church” of Western Christianity today, I think the image of the prophet Ezekiel goes to the heart of the matter. An Angel of the Lord comes to Ezekiel and describes to the prophet a temple from which rivers of living waters flow to all the corners of the earth. Everywhere the river flows there is not just life, but abundant life – urbis et orbis – to all the cities and into the world. The living waters turn saltwater to fresh, gives all living creatures the chance to thrive and multiply, and all manner of game, fish, and produce are plentiful.
How can one not think of the living water in terms of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which are so life giving? It is true, as it is true of the living waters of the Word of God proclaimed. I wonder if we so easily make the same connection with the People of God. We too, in our best days, are a stream of living water moving out into the world. It is from the heart of the Church in which women and men in every age have gone into the world. Living the faith, gossiping the gospel over the backyard fences, proclaiming it aloud in the public square, doing the works of mercy and compassion because they were – and are – compelled by the love and grace of God – all of it a living Faith.
Maybe if Ezekiel were with us today, the Angel would show the prophet a view from space, with the rivers and waves of this living faith washing over the planet.
When St. Paul writes his letter and describes the Corinthians as God’s building he understands that we are more than these beautiful buildings. It is indeed good to have places like the Lateran Basilica as “mother and head” – and to have our own parish church. But it is God’s grace and the faith of people that make the living waters, that make the Church a living entity composed of you and me, living stones, built upon the foundation of the Apostles with Christ as the cornerstone.
Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, if you will, the source of the living water. We are reminded that we here at Sacred Heart are connected and receive the grace of those waters. Even as we are reminded that men and women build basilicas and churches. God builds a holy people for Himself. The fruit of the living waters.
Image credit: Pexels + Canva, CC-BY-SA 3.0
More Background
This coming Sunday is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our gospel is the Parable of the Talents. Over the years I have added additional background materials. As a result, this week there will be days with more than one post – such as today! I hope you find it interesting and not too arcane.
Parallels. This parable has parallels in Mark and Luke. The version in Mark (13:34 ff) sticks to the basic storyline but lacks the detail present in Matthew’s version. The version in Luke (19:11-27) is slightly more rich in details than Matthew, but there are differences: an explicit explanatory introduction (Luke 19:11), the added motif of the journey “to receive kingship,” rebellious subjects, and their punishment (Luke 19:14, 27). Moreover, the details of the story in Luke differ significantly: ten slaves, each given the same amount although much smaller sums of money (mina vs. talent) than in Matthew. Also there is the resulting authority over cities as the reward for good trading.
The essential pattern of the story of trading in the master’s absence is the same, with three servants singled out, similar commendation of the successful slaves, the same excuses by the third servant and the same response from the master, the one talent/mina given to the servant with ten, and even the same apparently editorial comment in Luke 19:26 as in Matt 25:29: “ For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”.
There is one version of the parable that appears in the apocryphal “Gospel of the Nazarenes” (likely written late 2nd century in Alexandria). There one servant multiplies the capital, one hides it, and one squanders it with harlots and flute girls. The first is rewarded, the second rebuked, the third cast into prison. This version focuses on the end judgment with little attention to preparedness or vigilance.
The preceding parables have been about readiness, and this one is particularly about faithful stewardship which readiness produces. The third in the series of parables about being ready returns to a setting similar to that of the first, a master dealing with his servants. But this time there is a more specific focus on their commercial responsibility in their master’s absence. Each is left with a very large sum of money, with no instructions on what to do with it, and the story turns on their different ways of exercising this responsibility. There is again a division between good and bad, between success and failure. Yet the “failure” of the last servant consists not in any loss of money, but in returning it without increase. It was not that he did something wrong—he simply did nothing. This is, then, apparently, a parable about maximizing opportunities, not wasting them. To be “ready” for the master’s return means to use the intervening time to maximum gain; it is again about continuing life and work rather than about calculating the date and being alert for his actual arrival. This third parable is thus essentially making the same point about readiness as the two preceding ones (Mt 24:45-51 and Mt 25:1-13).
Eschatological Application. “Eschatology” refers to the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind. With the parable set between Matthew’s “little apocalypse” and verses regarding the judgment upon the nations, one is rightly prepared to be concerned with things eschatological. This very setting affects the way the parable is told. The repeated invitation, “Come, share your master’s joy” (vv. 21, 23), sounds more like the language of heaven than of commerce; and the ultimate fate of the unsuccessful servant is described in v. 30 in the eschatological terms which have become familiar from other judgment sayings and parables (8:12; 22:13; cf. 13:42, 50; 24:51).
As an aside, the excellent scripture scholar N. T. Wright [Victory 632–639] argues that the parable is not about Jesus’ parousia (2nd coming) but about the OT hope of “YHWH’s return to Zion,” symbolized and embodied in Jesus’ own coming to Jerusalem. Wright argues for a “realized eschatology” that is completely fulfilled in the person of Jesus. He has a point although this proposal fits much better with the introduction in Luke 19:11 than with the Matthean context, unless one is prepared to argue, as Wright does, that there is no idea of Jesus’ parousia anywhere in this discourse. It should be noted that Wright is of the considered view there is no idea of the parousia anywhere in the gospels.
Image credit: The Parable of the Talents by Willem de Porter, 17th century, National Gallery of Prague, PD-US
Context and Background
This coming Sunday is the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A. Our gospel is the Parable of the Talents. The gospel readings for the 29th through 31st Sundays in Lectionary Cycle A all describe a series of confrontations between Jesus and religious authorities of Jerusalem, namely the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 22 and 23). While not a part of Ordinary Time readings, Chapter 24 continues this theme of imminent destruction and coming tribulation (Mt 24:1-28). It is at this point that we turn the page to Matthew 25. It is here in Matthew 25 that we will finish the final three Sundays of this cycle of Ordinary Time:
- 32nd Sunday: The Wise and Foolish Maidens (vv. 1-13)
- 33rd Sunday: The Parable of the Talents (also “of the Three Servants; vv. 14-30) ~ our gospel
- Christ the King: The Great Judgment (vv. 31-46)
What is the Focus? One question which can be asked of the gospels for the 32nd and 33rd Sundays is about the focus. Some scholars hold that it concentrates on the judgment scenes which conclude the parables. Others hold that its focus is rightly a theme of ‘being ready’, which continues the theme that dominated the preceding parable and is still at the center of our gospel parable for this week. One scholar (Lambrecht) offers that this whole section should be labeled as an “Exhortation to Vigilance” for its portrayal of a ‘coming’ and its consequences for those who should have been preparing for it.
The parable of the talents takes up the question which that of the bridesmaids left unanswered: what is ‘readiness’? While the bridesmaids might be said to be passively waiting, here in this parable, it is not a matter of passively ‘waiting’, but of responsible activity, producing results which the coming ‘master’ can see and approve. The period of waiting was not intended to be an empty, meaningless ‘delay’, but a period of opportunity to put to good use the ‘talents’ entrusted to his ‘slaves’. It is a theme that is clearly present in the account of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servant.
Talents. The Greek word used in the parable, talanton, has no metaphorical meaning. It is simply a weight measure of a precious metal such as gold or silver. Our English use of the word to mean an aptitude or ability really only dates to the late 13th century when it appeared in a metaphorical musing on the parable. Prior to that time, even the middle French and Latin equivalent to the Greek talanton meant “weight.” We point this out to remind us all that before one moves to a metaphorical sense of Scripture, one should consider the literal sense.
Image credit: The Parable of the Talents by Willem de Porter, 17th century, National Gallery of Prague, PD-US
Clothed in Wisdom
A computer, internet access and, these days, the world is at our fingertips. An ocean of answers to any question we might have, just waiting for us to plumb its depth. But our readings today remind us that knowledge is one thing, while wisdom is another. We can search out information, but Wisdom “makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her.” The internet can tell you everything you might want to know about bee stings. Wisdom tells you not to disturb the hive.
Knowledge is good but only gets you so far. Folks in Florida and Virginia each have knowledge of their own environments. Floridians are well aware of hurricane season. Northern Virginians are well aware of the possibility of large winter storms. Given our modern weather forecasting it’s pretty hard to be caught unaware of a storm’s approach, but the question is have we prepared? Or will we join the mass of people all of whom are seeking to buy the needed items at the last moment from merchants who have empty shelves. While the foolish, the unprepared, are looking for parking at Costco or WalMart, the wise person is at home watching the news.
One of the memorable verses from today’s gospel is: “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt 25:13). I don’t think the real question is who is awake. The foolish bridesmaids fall asleep – but so do the wise bridesmaids. Everyone falls asleep. What is important is when they wake up. Who is prepared? Clearly not some of the bridesmaids who want to borrow some lamp oil. They were ready for the groom but…not ready for the groom’s delay.
The great English scripture scholar William Barclay wrote:
(This parable) warns us that there are certain things which cannot be borrowed. The foolish virgins found it impossible to borrow oil, when they discovered they needed it. A man cannot borrow a relationship with God; he must possess it. A man cannot borrow a character; he must be clothed with it. We cannot always be living on the spiritual capital which others have amassed. There are certain things which we must win or possess for ourselves, for we cannot borrow them from others.
And this parable is about being prepared and, as the first reading notes, possessing “the wisdom that is the perfection of prudence” (Wis 6:13). Prudence is a practical wisdom honed in experience that allows a person to navigate in the real world, making the best of the daily decisions that end up guiding a surprisingly large chunk of a person’s life. Ordinary decisions that open or close doors to the future. Decisions that come before we are ready but must be made. Moments of decisions that come as silent as a whisper.
Decisions that hide within a high school chemistry class. My HS chemistry teacher wanted to talk about life and baseball, and within a week it was clear we were not going to learn much. I remember thinking that I should transfer to Mr. Thansky’s class – where a lot was expected of the students. I stayed put, learned little, avoided chemistry in college, and suddenly found that a nuclear submariner needs to know lots of chemistry and radio-chemistry. One small moment in high school took a surprisingly large chunk of my post-college career trying to catch up – and maybe I never really did.
The foolish bridesmaids never caught up. In fact they were locked out. They said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ (Mt 25:11-12). Such is the plaintive cry of those who thought they ought to be included. They wonder why the others wouldn’t share their oil. Why can’t the gate just be opened? Some things can’t be borrowed. Some judgments are final.
If we are the bridesmaids, both foolish and wise, how ready are we for Jesus’ return? How ready are we for his delay? What does “prepared,” or having “enough oil,” look like almost two thousand years after Jesus died and rose again, promising to return one day, but not saying when? The wise ones in the church are those who are prepared for the delay; who hold on to the faith deep into the night; who, even though they see no bridegroom coming, still hope and serve and pray and wait for the promised victory of God. Who arise each day to live out our Hope in an obedience of Faith.
Such faithfulness requires endurance: Lots of us can maybe do this for a short while. Being a peacemaker for a day is not as demanding as being a peacemaker year after year when hostility breaks out again and again. People who faithfully and joyfully serve the homeless event when they don’t seem to be making a dent – all while the promised bridegroom continues to be delayed. It is in the long delays that the oil runs low.
What happens when the oil runs out? I would tell you that collapse in the Christian life is seldom a blowout; it is usually a slow leak. It comes from operating with something borrowed rather than possessed.
The wise bridesmaids took stock, took inventory of what they possessed. Good advice for us – to check the air pressure in our spiritual tires – see if we possess within ourselves the enduring faith, prudence and hopefulness of the promises of Christ. See if we are exercising those gifts. Or have we just borrowed these things and just used them from time-to-time?
Hurricanes, snow storms, everyday life. The prudent Christian will learn from this parable and take stock, stock up on the one thing that matters – a personal relationship with God through Jesus in the Holy Spirit. You can’t borrow it; you must possess it. We need to prepare, to seek the knowledge of God that the Bible offers. Sit with that knowledge. Clothe yourself in its holy word. Listen to the Wisdom of the Church. Let all that shape the thoughts you have, the words you speak, the actions you take, the character you develop, and the person you become: a wise and prudent believer for whom the gates of heaven are open and waiting. One who during the delay of His return has clothed themselves in Wisdom.
Amen
Image credit: Greek Fresco, “Bridal Chamber”, iconreader.wordpress.com, CC-BY
Being Known and a Final Thought
This coming Sunday is the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Our gospel is the parable of the Ten Virgins. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Such is the plaintive cry of those who thought they ought to be included. With the emphatic formula, “Amen, Amen” the following words have the force of a judicial verdict. “”I do not know you.” This dramatic verse carries a profound and symbolic meaning within the context of the parable and possibly underscores several important spiritual concepts:
Spiritual Preparedness: The parable of the ten virgins is a story of readiness for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. The five wise virgins represent those who are spiritually prepared and vigilant, while the five foolish virgins represent those who are unprepared and lack spiritual readiness. The statement by the bridegroom highlights the consequences of being unprepared. In the spiritual context, not being “known” by the bridegroom means that one is not recognized as part of the prepared and faithful community.
Personal Relationship: The phrase “I do not know you” also reflects the idea of a personal relationship with God. In the Christian tradition, knowing God is often associated with having a close and intimate relationship with Him through faith and obedience. The unprepared virgins are symbolically shown as lacking this personal relationship with the bridegroom be it through faith or obedience to the Word of God.
Exclusivity of the Kingdom: The statement conveys the exclusivity of the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, only those who are spiritually prepared, who have a genuine relationship with God, and who have lived in accordance with His teachings will be welcomed into the Kingdom.
Finality: The statement carries a sense of finality and judgment. In the context of the parable, once the door to the wedding feast is shut, it is too late for the foolish virgins to gain entry. This emphasizes the idea that there will be a point of no return in the eschatological events, and individuals must be prepared beforehand.
It is striking that the comparatively trivial lapse of a failure to be provided with oil has come to symbolize an ultimately false relationship; they are not part of Jesus’ true family (12:50).
A Final Thought Eugene Boring [1994, 451] offers:
Right at the beginning of the parable of the ten bridesmaids, Jesus tells us that five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The reason why he tells us this from the onset is that we cannot tell this just by looking at them. All ten have come to the wedding; all ten have their lamps aglow with expectation, all ten, presumably, have on their bridesmaid gowns. We would never guess from appearances that half were wise and half foolish.
No, it is not the looks, the lamps, or the long dresses that sets the wise apart from the foolish – it’s the readiness. Five of the bridesmaids are ready for the groom to be delayed, but the other five are not. The wise have enough oil for the wedding to start whenever the groom arrives; the foolish only have enough oil for their own timetable. Five are prepared and ready, even for a delay; five are not.
Readiness in Matthew is, of course, living the life of the kingdom, living the quality of life described in the Sermon on the Mount. Many can do this for a short while; but when the kingdom is delayed, the problems arise. Being a peacemaker for a day is not as demanding as being a peacemaker year after year when hostility breaks out again and again, and the bridegroom is delayed. Being merciful for an evening can be pleasant; being merciful for a lifetime, when the groom is delayed, requires preparedness.
At the beginning of the life of faith, you cannot really tell the followers of Jesus apart. They all have lamps; they are all excited about the wedding; they all know who to sing, “Lord, Lord.” Deep into the night, when we spot some persons attempting in vain to fan a dying flame to life, we begin to distinguish wisdom from foolishness.
Image credit: Greek Fresco, “Bridal Chamber”, iconreader.wordpress.com, CC-BY
Parable of the Lost Coin
Luke 15 is one of the most unique chapters in the Gospels in that it consists of three memorable parables: the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. Many commentators locate these three parables within a larger section of Luke that asks the question “who will participate in the reign of God?” (13:10-17:10). The section includes the foundational formation of the disciples – but often via the encounter with the Pharisees in which the assumptions of right relationship with God are put to the question. The Pharisees and others in the Jewish religious leadership assume folks such as tax collectors and sinners are outside the “faithful remnant” that awaits the return of the Messiah. At issue is the question of fellowship in the community of God’s people. Each encounter in this larger section seems to be an opportunity to form the disciples (and anyone who would listen) in the understanding of the reign of God. So often in this section the characters within the pericopes and parables are those who should attract respect and honor according to the conventional wisdom, yet within the parables are casualties of a reversal of values and misfortunes: “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (13:30). Our gospel for today proclaims:
8 “Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ 10 In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
What woman who has lost one of her ten drachmas, Greek silver coins, will expend so much energy, turning her house upside down in search of this one coin in ten? Perhaps it was part of her dowry and thus had added sentimental value. In a barter society perhaps it represents that fund for a “rainy day.” There is a part of the question that begs an answer: “no one would,” but where the shepherd lost 1% of the flock, the woman lost 10%. (In the next parable the father will lose 50% of his sons…. perhaps a stretch in thought, but…)
There are some scholars who posit that Luke, as he often does, parallels the shepherd (male) story with another in which the same dynamic is operative through a female protagonist. Other commentators see a subtle difference in that in the first, the sheep wander away on their own, whereas in the second the coin is lost by the carelessness of the owner. In either case the shepherd/woman represents the church and its poor shepherding by not ensuring the Gospel is being proclaimed, the lost being found, and repentance occurring.
When the woman finds the coin, her joy is like the joy in heaven over one repentant sinner. It needs to be shared. It is too great for one person. She and the shepherd invite their friends and neighbors for the thanksgiving party. What about the other nine silver pieces and the ninety-nine sheep — are they not important, too? Surely, but the joy of the kingdom breaks out of the ordinary categories of reason and good business. What was given up as lost has been found. It is like a new life, a resurrection, and must be celebrated.
Image credit: “Searching by Lamplight” | generated by Dalle-3 with prompt “1200×675 px graphic of the Luke 15 parable of the Lost Coin in the style of Vermeer” | downloaded Nov 3 2026
Wise and Foolish: being prepared
This coming Sunday is the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Our gospel is the parable of the Ten Virgins. At the center of the parable are the “ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise” Matthew has already used this doublet in the Sermon on the Mount. At the opening of the Sermon, Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” The expression loses its taste, literally “becomes foolish.”
And again at the closing of the Sermon in the parable of the two house-builders (Mt 7:24-27): “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” (Mt 5:24-27)
The wisdom/foolishness is centered on having gathered sufficient oil for the task at hand – being vigilant and prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom: The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. (Mt 25:3-4) The portable torches for outdoor use (the word is not the same as that used for a standing domestic lamp in 5:15 and 6:22) would be bundles of cloth mounted on a carrying stick and soaked with oil. The jars held the oil into which the torch was dipped before lighting. A torch without a jar of oil is comparable to a modern flashlight without a battery.
5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. (Mt 25:5-7)
The parable gives the impression that the young women thought they knew when the bridegroom would arrive, and had not reckoned on the delay. A torchlight procession would of course be after dark, but might be expected to be before the middle of the night. The parable thus illustrates both the fact that the time of the parousia is unknown, and may not be as soon as people might expect, and also its sudden, unexpected nature when it does come, the middle of the night being the time when people are at their least alert. By the time Matthew wrote his gospel both these factors might be expected to be in play, with some Christians anxious over the delay of the “imminent” parousia, and others complacent after years of unfulfilled prediction. But the story does not develop as the call to vigilance in the earlier Matthean parables might have led us to expect: the wise ones did not stay awake while their companions slept. All were equally disappointed by the delay, all fell asleep, and all were equally taken by surprise by the eventual shout.
7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 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.’
We do not know whether the torches had been lit when the girls first set out, but if so they would not have stayed burning while they slept; even a well-soaked torch would not burn for much more than a quarter of an hour. So the wise ones would resoak and light their torches, while the attempts of the foolish ones were of course futile: “for our lamps are going out” suggests that as they lighted the torches they immediately went out again, having no more oil to keep them burning. The response of the wise ones to their natural request for a share of the oil may sound selfish, and perhaps in a real life situation they might have been willing to share—though if their supply too was limited, to keep it for themselves ensured that at least some torches would stay alight. But in a parable things do not always happen according to real life, and the hard-nosed realism of the wise girls invites the reader to reflect that spiritual preparedness is not something that others can provide for you: each needs their own oil.
One might note that the idea a merchant would be open in the middle of the night is not realistic, but it is a parable, and such an idea serves a rich irony to the reader in the vain attempt to prepare when it is already too late.
10 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.
When the bridegroom arrives, the feast begins. As in other celebrations depicting the blessings of the kingdom of heaven (8:11–12 and 22:1–13). Only those who are prepared will enjoy the celebration.
One odd element, at least for real life, is the closing of the door, which seems out of place in the open hospitality and conviviality of a village wedding; late arrival is not normally an issue in oriental society, certainly not penalized in such a dramatic fashion. But then this is a parable which like so many of the other parables, a story of insiders and outsiders, of the saved and the lost, and the closing of the door symbolizes that final division at the last judgment – which is clearly a theme as one moves through Mt 25.
Image credit: Greek Fresco, “Bridal Chamber”, iconreader.wordpress.com, CC-BY
Lacking Oil
This coming Sunday is the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Our gospel is the parable of the Ten Virgins. It was not that five slept and five stayed awake: v. 5 says explicitly that they all slept and all had to be awakened by the midnight shout. The problem goes back to the preparations they had made before going to sleep. At the core of the problem is that they lacked oil for their lamps. While the parable itself offers no allegorical identification for the oil, we do know that oil is a rich and multifaceted symbol in both the Old and New Testaments. Its symbolic use carries various meanings and significance in different contexts. Here are some of the key ways in which oil is symbolically used in both the Old and New Testaments:
- Anointing and Consecration: Oil was often used to anoint and consecrate individuals for specific roles and purposes. Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil as a sign of God’s chosen and set-apart status. For example, David was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel before becoming king (1 Samuel 16:13).
- Healing and Restoration: Oil was used for medicinal purposes and symbolized healing and restoration. In the famous “Good Samaritan” parable, the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the injured man to help heal and soothe his injuries (Luke 10:34).
- Joy and Celebration: Oil was often used as part of festive occasions and celebrations. It was associated with joy, abundance, and blessings. In the psalms, the anointing of the head with oil is linked to the overflowing cup of God’s goodness (Psalm 23:5).
- Sacrifice and Atonement: In some sacrificial rituals, oil was used as an offering to God. It symbolized consecration and reconciliation with God. It was also a component of the anointing oil used in the tabernacle and temple rituals (Exodus 30:22-33).
- Anointing of Jesus: In the New Testament, the anointing of Jesus’ head or feet with oil is a symbol of reverence and recognition of His identity as the Messiah. The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume in Luke 7:36-50 demonstrated deep love and devotion.
- Healing and Miracles: In the ministry of Jesus and the early Christian Church, oil was used in conjunction with healing and miracles. In the book of James, anointing with oil is associated with prayer for the sick (James 5:14-15).
- Illumination and Guidance: Oil lamps were common sources of light in the ancient world. Oil symbolizes illumination, guidance, and the presence of God’s Word. The psalmist describes God’s Word as a lamp to one’s feet and a light to one’s path (Psalm 119:105).
Certainly the last example is one that pertains to this parable in the literal sense. One might well argue that to have a full measure of oil in the allegorical sense is to have let the light of Christ illuminate, guide and help you prepare for this life and the next. The preceding and following parables both indicate an understanding of what it means to be ready. But the point is simply that readiness, whatever form it takes, is not something that can be achieved by a last-minute adjustment. It depends on long-term provision, and if that has been made, the wise disciple can sleep secure in the knowledge that everything is ready.
All that being said, one is then struck with the oddness of v.13 – “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Its oddness is that “stayinging awake” is precisely what none of the ten girls did, and the wise ones did not suffer because of their dozing. It is almost as though it is an added on as it virtually repeats Mt 24:42, where it precedes a parable which was about staying awake. Nonetheless both Matthew and Luke use this expression with a sense of vigilance and readiness. With that language already in play with Matthew, one might simply offer vigilance and readiness, necessarily encompass preparedness, which is a concern of the parable.
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Cooperating with Grace
In today’s first reading from the Letter to the Philippines, we hear: “...work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.” (2:12-13). Work out our salvation? To be clear this verse does not mean that a person can (or has to) earn their salvation, or can attain justification on their own. Salvation is a free, unearned gift of grace received through faith and baptism. But then what is St. Paul telling us in these verses?
In Catholic understanding, these verses are understood as a synergy, a cooperative relationship between divine grace and human free will in the life of the Christian. “Working out” refers to the process of justification / sanctification which is understood as the ongoing, active process of letting God’s internal grace transform your actual life, character, and daily obedience. Just as a seed must grow or a physical gift must be utilized to bear fruit, the grace God plants in the soul requires active human response and cooperation. “For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work”. Our desire for holiness, perseverance in obedience, and capacity for good come first from God’s grace. What about human freedom? God does not override human freedom. A person must freely choose to accept, cooperate with, and act upon that grace.
It sounds like “God is on our side” so what’s with “fear and trembling”? The phrase is understood not as a state of fear and paralyzing terror over losing God’s love, but as overwhelming and reverential awe in the awareness of God’s gifts of life, love and grace. It is a disposition of deep humility and a sober awareness of our human weakness. “fear and trembling” reflects what is at stake: human pride as our weakness that can lead to rejecting or squandering God’s grace. We must be ever aware that divine help is always there for us and never fear or hesitate to ask for divine grace. It is why a life of prayer and participation in the Eucharist are so important.
It is this synergetic relationship that leads Catholics to reject a doctrine of eternal security (“once saved, always saved”). Salvation is an ongoing relationship and a dynamic reality involving human freedom. A person can theoretically turn away from God through an unrepentant life, a life of apathy or even outright rejection of God’s grace. We are called to persevere to the end in faith, love, and obedience with vigilant humility. Secure in the knowledge that God’s grace always moves first. We only need to respond.
So, cooperate with your salvation for God is the one who saves you, if you’ll let Him. He won’t save you without you.
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