Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Something Worth Counting

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, A                                                                 November 8, 2020
Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette

Replace “virgins” with “poll-watchers” and “oil” with “votes” and you could apply this parable to current events. People are awaiting the joyful arrival of a new president, the result is long delayed, and there’s a fair measure of foolishness involved. The whole country has been keeping a vigil long into the night… multiple nights at this point. When the final answer arrives, those who are on the wrong side, who aren’t ready to welcome the victor will more than likely be left out in the cold.

It all seems so important, but the reality is that, compared to what this parable is actually about, the result is somewhat trivial. I don’t mean we shouldn’t take voting and elections seriously, only that what Jesus tells us through this parable ought to really shift our perspective. For all the rhetoric on both sides, it’s not the end of the world. Even if it is the end of our country or a few lives, it is not the end of the world.

Part of what heightens the tension of this election is the natural human need to look for a savior. Whether they hoped Trump would save us from the New World Order or hoped Biden would save us from Trump, there is an implicit desire that someone somehow will step in and make it better. We instinctively know something is wrong with the world. Most of us quickly figure out that we can’t fix it ourselves, so we look outward into the late night of this world, seeking a solution.

So long as we put even part of our hope on the shoulders of a worldly leader, we will be disappointed. One of the psalms warns us to “put no trust in princes.” No trust, none. If you find yourself anxious or worried about the outcome of this election – or about anything else really – take to heart what scripture offers us today and channel some of that concern into something much more meaningful: preparing for the real end of the world. And in this regard, there is a better kind of vigil to keep and something better than votes to count.

As our first reading puts it, whoever keeps vigil for wisdom “shall quickly be free from care.” True wisdom is resplendent and unfading – unlike politics. It is the ability to see and act with the fullest perspective possible, the perspective of God himself. And the perspective that He offers for us is a celebration, a wedding feast. Especially as Catholics – as people already in relationship with Jesus Christ – the end of the world is not about fear, but joyful anticipation. It’s not about combat and conquest, but about love and fidelity. When we look at worldly struggles, we are filled with anxiety about who wins and how long it lasts. When we look at what God tells us about the end, we should be filled with hope and eagerness.

Yes, there is a warning attached to this story, but the warning is not meant so much to scare you straight as it’s meant to highlight the importance of not missing the party. The challenge is not that you’ll fail the super hard test, but that you’ll miss or reject the invitation because you’re too focused on the wrong thing.

This is the problem with the foolish virgins. Although they wanted to accept the invitation, they were careless and too distracted to bring enough oil. And they had no chance to make up for the missing oil once the wise virgins went in. Contrary to popular belief, there is no rapture where the righteous escape and some are left on earth for a final tribulation and possible repentance. The idea of a rapture comes from a misinterpretation of the book of Revelation and of our second reading today. The line about being “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” does not refer to people suddenly vanishing. It simply means that when Christ comes again, all those who have died and are in heaven will come down with him and that then, anyone still alive will be taken up to meet him and all those who’ve already died. There will be trials and tribulations near the end of time – there always are, actually – but we all face them together and the Second Coming of Christ affects all of us at the same time. And it is that final coming we should prepare for by bringing enough oil.

The oil is a symbol. It represents good works, acts of love for God and neighbor. We know this because the Gospel of Matthew says elsewhere that your light should shine before others, that they can see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father. What makes the virgins foolish is that they stop doing good deeds. They wait until the last minute to fill up, to live up to the call of every Christian to act on our faith through love, expressed in good works. More than voting every four years, much more than counting up the votes of others, we should focus on how we can rack up the total of good deeds and acts of love.

Not that we earn heaven of course. The virgins still had to be invited – that is salvation through faith and it cannot be earned – but part of accepting this invitation is to show up ready, to bring the oil of good deeds which light our way into the heavenly wedding feast.

So, whether you are excited about the outcome of the election or afraid – either way – this is a call to focus instead on wisdom and on acts of charity. Wisdom, unlike knowledge, is not just information. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of reflecting on what we know about God, and part of our relationship with him. To gain wisdom, we should read and study scripture. We should pray with Scripture and the Church’s teaching. Much like savoring a good wine or dessert, we ought to savor the truth so that it doesn’t just fill our minds but reshapes them.

And then do good. Go to Mass and confession. Practice the works of mercy: Pray for your enemies, feed the hungry – which includes your own children by the way – console the sorrowful, bury the dead by going to funeral Masses even if you don’t know the person, visit prisoners, instruct the ignorant and, perhaps most relevant, bear wrongs patiently. That’s the good news even in the midst of worldly trial. The greater the mess in the world, the more opportunity we have to unite sufferings to the cross, to practice forgiveness, and to serve the victims of whatever injustice we encounter. We know this world and it’s evil will end even if we don’t know the day or the hour. Do Not Be Afraid. Trust in God, seek his face, and collect the oil of good deeds in whatever circumstance you find yourself. Stay awake in this way, and you won’t miss the only victory party worth going to.