32nd Sunday, Ordinary Time

 


32ND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME 


The Lord arranges for Wisdom to be made available; all you have to do is commit yourself to the pursuit of Wisdom (see Wis. 6:12-17). The problem, however, is that for many of us, wisdom represents a kind of afterthought. For example, hindsight tells you that you should have checked your lamp ahead of time, to see if it was low on oil (see Matt. 25:1-13). Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, we have to appreciate the people of Thessalonica: note how they are in the habit of looking ahead (1st Thess. 4:13-18). 


And yet, sometimes looking ahead means fretting. In this case, the Thessalonians have become preoccupied with one specific subject: the prospect of the Lord’s Second Coming. Through the course of their discernment, an impression has formed: they believe that the Second Coming is something that will impact THEIR particular generation. The concern has to do with the fact that members of the community have grown old and some have actually died. This raises the question of eligibility: who all will be included in this final gathering? Will the departed be a part of that final assembly? Or having gone to the grave, will this place them out of reach? Perhaps the banquet will be reserved for those who are alive at the time of the Lord’s coming—open to those who have the capability of greeting the Lord when he comes. If so, this will diminish the overall level of satisfaction. In large part, the satisfaction will give way to disappointment. 


For his part, Paul confronts the issue directly. The grave does not place you—or any of your loved ones—out of reach. The Lord himself was lodged within the confines of the grave. We know that Jesus will undergo the experience of being raised. Those who are baptized into the Lord Jesus can also expect to be raised. The Lord spends time with sinners—fellowships with them! He even fellowships with the dead, by spending time in the grave (see 1st Peter 3:18-22). What would rank as his objective? This is the Lord extending his reach. He ventures across both man-made and metaphysical boundaries, so that his overall reach can be extended into every remote corner. 


One day a Rabbi steps out for a brief walk. He comes across a little boy who’s wearing a very sad expression upon his face. The Rabbi learns that the boy had been drawn into a game of hide and seek. But it turns into a cruel prank. The other kids decide that it would be worth a laugh to send the boy into hiding, and then withdraw so that they can resume their activities somewhere else. So the boy languishes for a period, before finally recognizing the unfortunate truth. He’s waiting, expecting the others to seek him out. Sadly, no effort will be made to seek him out. The Rabbi consoles the boy by reminding him that he does matter to somebody—most notably to the Lord: Your playmates did not bother to look for you. Yet try to remember that the Lord will always be looking for you. He will search high and low, exploring every possible hiding place. That’s essentially another way of saying that the Lord wants to be in communion with you. He wants to have a daily walk with you. And he wants you to be present when it’s time for that final banquet to get underway. 

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