The strange allegory of the foolish and wise bridesmaids is the focus of today’s gospel reading. The bridegroom is coming, and at night, but where is the bride? She is ever waiting for his late arrival. The mysterious sense of time and place, and the feelings of anticipation and tension, colour this story. The Kingdom of God is near but we never know when the call to enter the Heavenly Banquet will come. Summer is near. At last it feels as if the season of light and heat has returned. We approach the end of another Church Year. Our gospels look ahead to the end of time. We are invited to ponder the mystery and place of wisdom, the focus of our first reading, in our journey through time. Like a dry weary land without water, do we thirst for God, as the Responsorial Psalm confidently proclaims? Do we have enough oil in our lamps to welcome the Lord when he comes?
By virtue of their baptism, all Christians are called to discipleship, which includes active participation in the mission of the church. In today’s first reading however, Jesus’ condemnation, along with the condemnation of the priests should be a warning to all who in any way exercise leadership. We must always be on our guard lest the trappings of leadership ensnare us and we fail in our responsibilities toward God and the community we serve. There is a mode of leadership that reflects the very meaning of authority. This way of leadership authors life. It is characterised by the striking image of a nursing mother who both gives and sustains life. Those who exercise leadership in this way create a community where life is fostered, not stifled, where talents serve all of the members, and the talents of all of the members are invited to serve. Such a community not only nurtures its members, it is itself the author of life in the world.
Our religious tradition is founded on love. Actually, life itself is grounded in love. We may not always feel this love, but if we allow ourselves to reflect on life, we will realise this truth. We have been called into being by God’s love; and we will only be happy if we live in that love. Thus, when we are directed to love God and love one another, we are not being asked to do something contrary to our nature. Rather, we are being told to live in accord with that nature. We come from God who is love, and so it is in our very nature to love and to be loved. We may sometimes think that it is easier to love God than to love others. It may actually be just the opposite. Other people are tangible. We can see and hear them, interact with them and so we show that we love God in the way we love our neighbour. Love, the foundation of the reign of God, is contagious. When we love others, the reign of God spreads throughout the world. The compassion that we show toward others is a form of evangelisation. It proclaims much louder than any words that the reign of God has been established.
God cares about and cares for all people and God works through all people to accomplish good in the world and we are all called on to praise God. Human beings have always realised that, in comparison with the grandeur and expansiveness of the universe within which they live, they are weak and vulnerable creatures. This has led them to believe in and offer homage to a divine being, or beings. Praise of God has always been an expression of awe and gratitude as well as humility. Today’s readings suggest that it is service of others that helps to break down the walls of prejudice. Social activists of our own age liberate not only the oppressed groups to which they belong, but also those who oppress them. The lives of these dynamic people show us that service of others draws them into our circles and encircles us in theirs. With open arms God invites all into an embrace of divine love. As God has embraced us, so we are called to embrace all others.
As incredible as it may seem, some people turn down the invitation to the heavenly banquet. This is the case, both in this week’s parable and in our world today. This invitation seems much less interesting than life’s other pursuits. So much time and energy is spent either climbing the economic ladder or just trying to keep our heads above water. Even if we are interested in the banquet, many struggle to find the time and energy it might require. And so we send our regrets. What a shame! We can forget that everything is tending toward the end; all of our plans, interests and distractions will cease. Only the banquet will remain. All God asks of us is that we receive the blessings that have been prepared for us. We need not work for them. In fact, we cannot work for them on our own. All we can do is accept them. God provides whatever we need in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. We needn’t negotiate with God.
The reign of God must be tended and protected from what might endanger it, so that it may produce abundant and delectable fruit. In the gospel account, the vine does indeed produce an abundant crop. In fact, it is the very productivity of the vineyard that sets the stage for the treachery described. We can see ourselves in both uses of the vineyard metaphor. There are times when, regardless of what God seems to be doing for us, we simply rebel against God’s plans. We stand in defiance. There are other times when we, who are disciples of Jesus, act as if the kingdom is ours. We might even marginalise or force out others with whom we do not agree, so that we have sole control. When we consider the justice of God, it is important that we place it within the right context, lest we create a picture of God that is false and misleading. It is because of God’s tender love for the vineyard that treachery cannot be tolerated. If we have produced unacceptable fruits, it is for our own good that God steps in and dismantles the structures that enabled us to produce bad fruit. It is appropriate that God would snatch the vineyard from our grasp and entrust it to one who will faithfully carry out God’s plans.
We are called to discipleship, and it is an invitation that is to be accepted freely. As is the case with life itself, options are placed before us all the way along the road. We are invited to choose in favour of the reign of God, or we are free to ignore the invitation. However, the invitation always remains open to us, because God’s desire for our acceptance is persistent and enduring. The real choice set before us today is the imitation of Christ. The specific characteristic of Christ today is his humility. Since demanding one’s rights can undermine the loving quality of community, Jesus’ humility is offered for our imitation. It is very clear that whichever aspect of discipleship we examine, some aspect of community is also present. To be a disciple of Jesus is to follow him humbly as a member of a believing community.
Today’s gospel reading shows how the graciousness of God can be easily mistaken for injustice. On the one hand, it does not seem fair to pay all of the labourers the same wage regardless of the amount of time they worked. On the other hand, they all received exactly the amount for which they had contracted. Therefore, there was no injustice. In the owner’s payment we find the shift in perspective that we have come to expect in Jesus’ parables. He demonstrates the eschatological reversal: the last shall be first. The real paradox is seen in his generosity, which supersedes his justice. It is clear that justice and grace do not always fit well together. This parable shows that the reign of God is based on the latter, not the former.
How many times …? What are the limits of love? Can love be measured? These questions lie behind Peter’s query about forgiveness. He obviously considers seven a most generous number since it echoes God’s words through the prophet Amos, ‘For three transgressions and for four, I will not revoke the punishment.’ (2:1). Jesus replies with an incalculable number ‘seventy times seven’. Forgiveness, like love, has no limits. This week’s parable sets up the measuring stick for Christian love and this measure is that of the generous, forgiving master. From the experience of God’s extraordinary generosity we ought to be able to be generous in our turn. The servant in the parable forgot his experience of being forgiven and focussed only on his being wronged. Christians need to be people with long memories, able to recall the times they have failed and been forgiven, and from this place reach out in forgiveness of others. Remembering that we fail again and again and again might enable us to forgive ‘seventy times seven’.
Gathering two or three together in prayerful collaboration is not as easy as it sounds. If collaboration is to be effective, we have to be open and honest about our opinions and our biases, and respectful of the opinions and biases of others. We must work for the common good and not merely for what we personally think is best. We must be willing to accept and implement decisions with which we may not totally agree, and we must live with them gracefully. All of this calls for unselfish love. Love fulfils the entire law only: when we honour our personal commitments and the personal commitments of others; when we value the life, dignity and reputation of others; and when we respect their possessions. It is only because love is so demanding that it covers all of our responsibilities.