Of Meetings & Pre-Meetings, Helplessness & Hope

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Readings: Wisdom 6: 12-16; Psalm 62 (63): 2-8; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Matthew 25: 1-13

Picture: By Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

My dear friends, how do you feel when you hear the word meeting, or pre-meeting? You know, a prior meeting to prepare for the actual meeting? Perhaps corporate culture has conditioned many of us to be turned off by these words. We associate them with other words, like going round in circles, and total waste of time. Still, not all work meetings are pointless. And not all meetings have to do with work. Such as a friendly catch-up over coffee. It’s good to keep this in mind, as the word meet appears in all three of our readings today.

In the gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to two groups of bridesmaids going out to meet a bridegroom. The wise ones are prepared for the meeting, but the foolish ones are not. In the second reading, St Paul imagines what it’ll look like at the end of time, when the Lord comes in glory to meet all who belong to him. Those still alive, as well as those who have already died in Christ. And the first reading assures us that Wisdom graciously shows herself to all who seek her, coming to meet them in every thought they might have.

So whether it’s at the end of time, or at every moment of every passing day, there are ample opportunities for us to enter God’s kingdom. But we have to be prepared for the meeting. We need oil for our lamps. In the gospel, oil likely refers to good works done out of love for God and neighbour. And isn’t oil itself the product of a meeting? How is olive oil made, if not by applying pressure to the fruit of the olive tree?

This meeting between pressure and fruit resembles what we find in the psalm. Here the psalmist compares his longing for God to a dry, weary land without water. A touching image that resonates with those who know what it’s like to feel helpless. Helpless either in the face of one’s own stubborn personal problems, or the needless sufferings of others. Such as the many children in the Middle East, tragically caught in the deadly crossfire of war. Even so, the psalmist doesn’t let his helplessness plunge him into despair. He directs his gaze at the Lord’s presence in the sanctuary of the Temple. And, through the night, he remembers and muses on the Lord’s steadfast love. This meeting between his own helpless longing and his memories of God’s undying love produces in the psalmist hope. Moving him to praise God with joy.

And isn’t or shouldn’t this be our experience too, whenever we gather for the Eucharist? Here we allow the pressures of our own helpless longing to come in contact with the fruitful memory of Christ’s loving sacrifice for us on the Cross. A meeting that engenders in us a joyful hope for the future. However volatile or uncertain that future may seem to be. Hope which can then be expressed not just in a cheerful mood, but in concrete acts of charity and mercy. Following the example of the One who first showed mercy to us. Producing the oil we need for the lamp of our Christian life.

Sisters and brothers, even if we may be turned off by some meetings, what can we do to help one another better prepare to welcome the Lord, whenever he comes to meet us?