Hymnody and Chant

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, A

Wisdom 6: 12-16

Psalm 63

I Thessalonians 4: 13-18

Matthew 25: 1-13

With these readings, we are in “End Time,” i.e., the weeks of the lectionary which refer to the coming of the end of the world, connecting directly to the First Sunday of Advent.  The readings today connect “wisdom” and “watchfulness.”  The First Reading discusses personified Wisdom, and says that “he who watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed.”  The traditional Latin of the Responsorial Psalm is actually more fitting for this Sunday than the English, because it follows up that dawn theme with “O God, I search for You early…,” rather than the more literal, “O God, You are my God whom I seek.”  Nonetheless, the psalm applies both to the longing of the bridesmaids for the Bridegroom (Gospel) and for the search of humanity for divine Wisdom (First Reading).  The Gospel is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (NAB: bridesmaids).  This parable follows after the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, where Jesus discusses the end of the world, and therefore is interpreted in the Church as having to do with the last things. 

St. Augustine says, “Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch with love, watch with charity, watch with good works…make ready the lamps, make sure they do not go out…renew them with the inner oil of an upright conscience; then shall the Bridegroom enfold you in the embrace of His love and bring you into His banquet room, where your lamp can never be extinguished.”  (Sermo 93)

Our in-course reading of First Thessalonians continues today.  The short form of this reading leaves out the “juicy details” of Paul’s picture of the Second Coming of Jesus, and therefore may be opted for by many communities today.  Far too many of our literalist brothers and sisters get “caught up” (if you will please forgive the pun) in the details of this story, and miss the point, which is “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, God will bring forth with Him from the dead those also who have fallen asleep, believing in Him.”  That is the dogma—the other is window dressing.

The Communion Antiphon for today is taken from today's Gospel; it is recorded by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd, "Music for the Year of Matthew."  Three other pieces are also based on this Gospel:  the chorale "Wake, Awake!" recorded on "Music for Advent;" the Carpatho-Rusyn chant "The Bridegroom Comes in the Middle of the Night" and the metrical version of that text, "The Bridegroom Will Be Coming," both recorded on "Music for Advent II."  All of these are published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)  The last Sundays of Ordinary Time are oftencalled the "End-Time Sundays," and lead into both the solemnity of Christ the King and into the first Sunday of Advent.

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