Like the Wise Virgins, Be Prepared to Meet the King at His Return – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, A – Be φρόνιμος(phronimos) – wise and prudent – therefore, γρηγορέω(gregoreo) - to stay vigilant, awake

 This liturgical year (Cycle A) will end soon – in 3 weeks to start a new liturgical year (Cycle B). It is the 32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, and a liturgical year will end with the week of the 34^th Sunday, which is Christ the King Sunday. We have been preparing to celebrate the return of Christ as the King of the Universe and the consummation of the development of his Kingdom. We have been preparing ourselves to enter the Kingdom. And all Sunday Gospel Readings serve as thematic guide posts on our path to meet the King and to enter his Kingdom with him, upon celebrating his matrimonial union with his bride, as eschatologically envisioned in Revelation 19-21.

First, let’s review our preparatory path for the coming of the King and his Kingdom.

On the 25^th Sunday, the Gospel Reading began reflecting more explicitly on the Kingdom with the Parable of the Vineyard Workers (Matthew 20:1-16), which was addressed to his disciples shortly before his entry into Jerusalem. And we reflected the Kingdom in regard to how the God’s benevolence’s benefits can be distributed to those who do His will for His Kingdom. And this sets the tone to prepare from the end of a liturgical year.

From the 26^th Sunday on, the Gospel Readings are drawn from what Jesus taught and argued in Jerusalem during his last days leading to his intense passion and death on the Cross. For the 26^th Sunday, we reflected on the Kingdom in regard to doing God’s will with Jesus’ Parable of the Two Vineyard Owner’s Sons, addressed to the chief priests and the elders (Mathew 21:28-32), and for the 27^th Sunday, we continued to pondered upon the Kingdom with another vineyard-theme parable, the Parable of the Tenant Workers of the Vineyard, also addressed to the chief priests and the elders (Matthew 21:33-43), but this time, with a warning for betraying the trust of God in our stewardship for the Kingdom.

We continue on with the theme of the Kingdom through Jesus’ Parable of the Wedding Banquet, addressed to the chief priests and the elders (Matthew 22:1-14), in regard to our proper response to God’s call for the Kingdom.

Then, on the 29^th Sunday, there is a shift in the Gospel theme from the Kingdom, as its Gospel Reading addresses how Jesus responded a loyalty trap sent by the Pharisees and the Herodians to remind us that our loyalty to God is absolute and out civic duty is no reason to compromise our commitment to God (Matthew 22:15-21). The importance of our uncompromising absolute loyalty to God is further elaborated in the Gospel Reading for the 20^th Sunday (Matthew 22:34-40), through Jesus’ response to a Pharisee scholar of the Mosaic Law’s question, citing Deuteronomy 6:5, which is to love God with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. In his answer, however, Jesus also cited Leviticus 19:18, which is to love neighbors as ourselves, in connection to Deuteronomy 6:5, which is to love God above all, without any compromise.

This year (2020), the 31^st Sunday coincided with the Solemnity of All Saints. And, we have celebrated All Saints. However, there is a common theme across the Gospel Reading for the 31^st Sunday (Matthew 23:1-12) and the Gospel Reading for All Saints Day (Matthew 3:1-12a), and it is humility.

Upon reflecting on the Kingdom with three different parables of the vineyard and the parable of the wedding feast, followed by reflecting on necessary virtues to enter and inherit the Kingdom, such as absolute faith and loyalty to God, and loving God and neighbors, as well as humility, which is the primary virtue for the sainthood, we begin focusing on the judgement, which comes with the return of the King (i.e. Acts 10:42; Romans 2:16).

From the 32^nd Sunday on, the Sunday Gospel Readings are drawn from Jesus’ Olivet Apocalyptic Discourse, which spans from Matthew 24 to Matthew 25. It is an eschatological discourse given by Jesus shortly to his disciples, two days before his Crucifixion (Matthew 26:1-2).  This last discourse to his disciples can be paralleled to the Book of Revelation for its eschatological apocalypsis. 

The portion for the 32^nd Sunday (Matthew 25:1-13), which is the Parable of the Ten Virgins, is one of the three parables about the warning for the preparedness to the Parousia, the return of Christ the King. Other two parables for the preparedness of the Parousia are: the Parable of the Thief in the Night (Matthew 24:42-44) and the Parable of the Faithful and Wise Servants and the Unfaithful Servants (Matthew 24:45-51).

In this parables of the ten virgins (παρθένοις – parthenois), there are five foolish virgins and other five wise virgins, and they are to greet the bridegroom, who is on the way. The evening is advancing and they need lamps. While the foolish five did not bring oil, in case of running it out, the wise five brought it. The arrival of the bridegroom is delayed, and the virgins began to feel drowsy and fall asleep. Then, there came an announcement to tell the arrival of the bridegroom at midnight. The virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. It was when the foolish ones realized that they ran out of the lamp oil. Therefore, they could not go with the wise ones, who did not let the oil run out, to greet the bridegroom.

Upon his arrival, he took the wise virgins with him for the wedding banquet. But, the foolish ones were left out in darkness. And, he locked the entry to the banquet hall. The foolish virgins tried to be in but found out that the entrance is closed and locked. They asked the bridegroom to let them in.  But, in reply, he said, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you”(Matthew 25:12). Basically, he was saying to the foolish ones in outside, “I don’t know you. That’s it (no negotiable – it’s final)”.

And, Jesus gives the punch-line of this parable: Therefore, stay awake (γρηγορεῖτε (gregoreite)), for you know neither the day nor the hour (Matthew 25:13).

What Jesus really wants to emphasize is summed in this biblical Greek verb used in Matthew 25:13: γρηγορέω(gregoreo), which literally means “to stay awake”.  In fact, this verb can also figuratively means “to be or to stay vigilant” and “to be responsible”. What is interesting in regard to the Olivet Discourse, in which this parable is found, is that γρηγορέω(gregoreo) is used also in Matthew 24:42 and 43, which make the point of the Parable of the Thief in the Night (Matthew 24:42-44). Furthermore, this verb is also used when Jesus told Peter, James, and John to stay awake while he was praying in agony during his dark hour in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:38, 40, 41). So, you know how important γρηγορέω(gregoreo) in our preparation for the Parousia, the second coming of Christ, the return of Christ as the King of the Universe, for his wedding banquet in heaven (Revelation 19:1-9). If we desire to be with Christ the King at his heavenly wedding, then, we must γρηγορέω(gregoreo) – be vigilant.

But why so? Why we must remain vigilant – to stay awake  - to meet the King at his return? If we knew when he is coming, then, we would not have to stay up, wouldn’t we?

To know why so, we also need to read Jesus’ Olivet Discourse from its beginning to the Parable of the Thief in the Night (Matthew 24:1 - 42-44) as it reminds that the time of the King’s return is unknown. In fact, Jesus makes it clear when he stated, “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36).

Not even the King knows exactly when his Father in heaven will send him to meet us for his wedding banquet. But, we know that it is not a matter of if but a matter of when – unless you lose your faith and hope in Christ and apostatize before that time.

So, the best advice Jesus can give us now is to γρηγορέω(gregoreo), because the return of the King at the end of time will be like a thief breaking in the night and the bridegroom coming in unknown hour with the last moment announcement.  If we fall asleep, we might miss the chance to meet him. And so be it. It means no second chance to meet him again.

Even the wise virgins fell asleep (Mathew 25:5). However, unlike their foolish counterparts, they were better-prepared to meet the bridegroom by keeping enough oil until his return.  That is why the Greek adjective used for the wise virgins is φρόνιμος(phronimos), for it not only means “wise” but also “prudent”. In fact, this word, φρόνιμος(phronimos) , reflects the inner ability, insight, to act wisely and prudently. While it is used in contrast to the foolish virgins in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), it is also used in contrast to the unfaithful and wicked servants in the Parable of the Faithful and Wise Servants and the Unfaithful Servants (Matthew 24:45-51).

An important lesson from the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), along with the Parable of the Faithful and Wise Servants and the Unfaithful Servants (Matthew 24:45-51), is our need to be φρόνιμος(phronimos)- to be wise and prudent, having the insight. This enables us to γρηγορέω(gregoreo)- to be vigilant and stay awake, so that we will not get caught off guard, for the return of the King is like a thief in the night and the bridegroom returning when unexpected (and when the foolish virgins let their lamp oil run out).

Now, the insight that enables us to be φρόνιμος(phronimos) – wise and prudent – is the wisdom, given by God through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8). And, along with the wisdom, the same Holy Spirit will give us the faith (1 Corinthians 12:9). So that we can be not only wise but also faithful as we prepare ourselves for the return of the King.

Wisdom is featured in the First Reading for the 32^nd Sunday (Wisdom 6:12-16). In this apocryphal book on wisdom, one of the Septuagint (LXX), not found in the Jewish Tanakh and in the Protestant Canon, known as the Book of Wisdom or Solomon’s Wisdom (though not written by Solomon but by an anonymous person during the 1^st century BC, in Alexandria), wisdom is personified as a woman, and in the First Reading, wisdom is portrayed as a woman sought out by wise men. It is about exhortation of seeking wisdom.

Seeking wisdom is worth exhortation because partaking her in us means gaining the indispensable insight to be φρόνιμος(phronimos) – wise and prudent. So, just as men seek their suiting beautiful women, we shall seek wisdom, which is resplendent and unfading (Wisdom 6:12). The true wisdom’s beauty really gravitates us. So, our hearts and souls desire wisdom – just as a man desires a woman with beauty. Of course, the beauty of wisdom is more of the inner beauty, the kind of beauty that unfolds from within. And we want to have this inside of us as our insights to make us φρόνιμος(phronimos) – wise and prudent. And it is unfading. So, seeking and having wisdom within as our sight is like keeping the lamp oil burning forever. Therefore, having wisdom within not only makes us wise and prudent for perfection but also free from anxiety (Wisdom 6:15)! We do not have to worry if we would run out of the lamp oil if we let the wisdom shine from within! So, with wisdom – becoming φρόνιμος(phronimos) – wise and prudent, we remain γρηγορέω(gregoreo) –  to be vigilant, as Jesus emphasized, in our preparation to meet the King when he is ready for his wedding banquet as his Kingdom will come to its consummation.

So, to be like the wise virgins and wise and prudent servants, to meet the King at his return (Parousia), we first seek the wisdom to gain the necessary insight to stay vigilant until his arrival, since nobody but the Father knows when. Now, in the First Reading text (Wisdom 6:12-13), replace the word “wisdom” with “Christ”, and see how it sounds. This exercise to is actually very helpful because Christ himself is, indeed pre-existing wisdom before the Creation, as indicated in Proverbs 8:22-31.  So now, we can juxtapose seeking wisdom to seeking Christ. In this exercise, we can also parallel seeking wisdom to put her within as the insight to be φρόνιμος(phronimos) – wise and prudent – to seeking and having Christ within. To have Christ within, as having wisdom within as the insight, means to live a life of faith but it requires us to die with Christ first (Galatians 2:20). But, this also means to rise with the risen Christ, as symbolized in the Sacrament of Baptism (Romans 6:4) and to have a life with him (Romans 6:8; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:10; 2 Corinthians 13:4; 2 Timothy 2:11). And all this is well-reflected in the Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) so that we can seek and to have Christ within – to seek and to have wisdom within, to be wise and prudent in order to stay awake until the return of the King, though we may have fallen asleep.

We must seek wisdom to have wisdom within as the indispensable insight to be wise and prudent to stay vigilant and well-prepared for the return of the King. And we have no reason to worry even though we do not know when he will return,  because the wisdom lets her beautiful lights shine forever. After all, this is to seek and have Christ the King in us, upon dying with him and rising with him.

So, the refrain for the Responsorial Psalm (63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) is: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God, as David, the father of Solomon, cried out for God in the desert of Judah. Our soul, indeed, thirsts for God, in juxtaposition too the wisdom.

Finally, once again, in regard to the word that Jesus has emphasized: γρηγορέω(gregoreo) – to stay vigilant, awake. When Jesus used this word repeatedly, it was not only during his Olivet Discourse before the Last Supper but once again also in Gethsemane after the Supper. The Discourse was given on the Mt. Olive and the Gethsemane basin is adjacent to the Mt. Olive. This suggests that we need to remain γρηγορέω(gregoreo) – to stay vigilant not only to meet the King at his return but to die with Christ in order to rise with him so that he will continue to shine forever from within as the wisdom to make us φρόνιμος(phronimos) – wise and prudent.