“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”
32nd SUNDAY (A) November 8, 2026
Wisdom 6: 12-16; Psalm 63; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Matthew 25: 1-13
By: Jude Siciliano , OP
Dear Preachers:
This parable doesn’t sound very Christian, does it? Didn’t Jesus teach us to provide for the need, to take what we have and share it with those who have less? Jesus taught us about sharing in other ways, too. Remember the parable of the Last Judgment, when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats? The sheep were those who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited those in prison. The goats did none of these things and, as a result, were cast away. We know that parable – but this isn’t that parable. Jesus has something else to say to us here.
What an unusual parable! What is all this about ten virgins carrying lamps and waiting for the bridegroom? And why does he arrive at midnight to claim his bride? That doesn’t sound like any of our church weddings, does it?
In those days, fathers arranged marriages and signed the marriage contracts. Sounds like a business deal, doesn’t it? Where’s the romance?
Once the contract was signed, the bride remained in her family home for a year or more, until the groom came to take her to his home. The ten young women would have been friends and relatives of the bride’s family. Along with the bride, they would process to the groom’s house, where the wedding feast would begin. Now that sounds like a wedding!
But the parable raises still more questions. Where would those five unprepared maidens find oil to buy at midnight? Jesus has something to say to us, so let’s allow him to tell the story in his own way. Our task is to listen, learn, and gain wisdom for our lives.
What is wisdom, anyway? Is it another name for knowledge? Does having wisdom mean knowing all the answers or earning honors in school? Does it mean making a fortune on the stock market?
A woman I know who teaches religious education was consulting the books on her desk to find a definition of wisdom. She decided to turn to an expert for a fresh perspective: her eleven-year-old daughter. The girl replied, “Wisdom means knowing right from wrong. A wise person knows what is right and does it.”
It sounds as though she had been reading this parable!
Back to the parable. Five maidens recognized what the occasion required and came prepared. The other five faced the same occasion but failed to prepare.
They let time slip away. They thought, “Someone else will take up the slack.” The moment of truth seemed far off.
But in the parable, the opportunity eventually passes. The time for making a decision is gone. The time for taking action has passed.
All ten maidens were imperfect. All ten fell asleep. Like us, they were fallible. We, too, doze off and let things slip by. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, those closest to Jesus fell asleep.
So this parable is a grace for us. It is a wake-up call. It challenges us to reflect and gives us time to make changes. It asks us: What steps do I need to take to be ready for the unexpected? What must I do now, before life surprises me?
The truth is that we are neither completely foolish nor completely wise. Both are part of us.
The wise part of us says, “There is something I have been wanting to change in my life.” Or, “There is someone who needs my help – a sick person, someone in prison, or a hungry person who comes looking for food.” Or perhaps, “There is something troubling me, and I need to seek counsel and direction.”
That is the wise part of us speaking. Wisdom calls us to act. Remember what the eleven-year-old said: “A wise person knows what is right and does it.”
The foolish part of us delays. It procrastinates. We say, “There is still time to make that change,” or, “I can always seek advice later.” We tell ourselves, “Someone else will step in and take care of that problem.”
There is time. There is someone else.
But perhaps there isn’t.
The challenge comes at midnight, at the darkest hour. A crisis catches us by surprise, and suddenly there is no time to make up for what we have neglected. In the parable, the foolish maidens return after the opportunity has passed, only to find the door locked. It is too late.
Can you hear the sound of that door shutting and locking?
Remember the religious education teacher’s daughter who said, “A wise person knows what is right and does it”? Her mother went back to her and asked, “How does a person become wise?”
The girl replied, “I guess you have to ask God for it.”
We cannot buy wisdom, nor can we find a book that guarantees we will acquire it simply by reading its pages. Yet we urgently need wisdom throughout our lives. We are constantly called upon to make choices and act in situations that can be confusing and difficult.
Without wisdom, we can make serious mistakes. Without wisdom, we may fail to recognize God’s presence in our lives.
Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit. God is not stingy with this gift, nor does God withhold it to test whether we deserve it. Wisdom is available to us through prayer and openness to God’s guidance. We need it whenever life challenges us – when, in the middle of the night, we hear an unexpected knock at the door and must decide whether and how to respond to the need or challenge before us.
Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings.