32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 12

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

The Old Testament talks a lot about Wisdom. A whole section of the Bible is referred to as Wisdom literature. But it’s not exactly what we usually mean by wisdom.
Wisdom is part of God’s very nature, almost to the point that Wisdom takes on personlike qualities. We can understand why the New Testament applies the description of Wisdom to the Holy Spirit in the Blessed Trinity.
Our first reading speaks about Wisdom as an introduction to the gospel parable. The bridesmaids in the parable stand vigil waiting patiently for the appearance of Wisdom. Wisdom is always identified as feminine, so it is appropriate that the ten virgins are especially eager for her arrival. This kind of biblical imagery may be a reach for us to grasp, but it has a long and rich tradition in the poetry of the bible.
—Walter Modrys SJ

This week’s readings can be found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 29

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

The readings this Sunday are all about the law. That means biblical law, the law the ancient Jews of the Old Testament believed came to them from God through Moses.
The first reading lists some of the prohibitions imposed by the law. It’s easy to update the literal terms to apply the law to our own world and circumstances. It stands as a rebuke to much of the way we deal with the social problems we face today in our own country.
The gospel picks up this theme of law and what it requires of us. It’s a radical assertion of what God requires of us.
In the second reading, we continue to hear from St. Paul about his experience in the Greek city of Thessalonica. When Paul first crossed the narrow waterway separating Greece from present day Turkey, one of the first Greek cities he visited was Thessalonica. Fortunately, as Paul attests, these people gave him a warm reception at the very beginning of his missionary efforts in the intimidating culture of Greece. He was deeply grateful to these people who gave him such a major boost in confidence to continue his ministry.
—Walter Modrys SJ

This Sunday’s readings can be found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.