The Gospel of Matthew 25:1-13 Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Let us Pray: Loving God, we recognize our responsibility to encourage and uphold one another and to live together in peace and love. We also recognize our needs and our human weaknesses and come to you now with our prayers. Amen.
The custom at the time of Jesus was that the bridegroom typically took off to party with his friends after the wedding. Then late in the night, the groom would come and collect his bride. When the bridegroom finally appeared, the custom was for the bridesmaids to light the way to his house with lamps. The Parable of the Ten Virgins tells us primarily the message of readiness to meet our creator. Nobody knows the time or day. That is why the present moment is extremely critical. It is all we have. In the words of one song, yesterday is gone and tomorrow will never be ours. A lot of people like to blame their past for their current situation. However, one should know that nothing is dependent on the past. What you have to do is to give your best in the present. Therefore, we must spend every moment of our life preparing. What should we prepare? Let us make an inventory. Are we attired with the garment of purity? Do we have the oil of faith, the lamp of hope and the vessel of love? If our garment is stained with sin, there is still time to wash it with repentance and forgiveness. If our oil is at its lowest amount, let us increase it with prayer. If our lamp is not functioning, fix it with the inspiring Word of God Today, we also are waiting for the bridegroom to come to each one of us. Do we have our lamps lit? Are we prepared and alert? Or has our oil been used up and our lamp dark? Or perhaps we have fallen asleep? If our vessel is empty, allow the Holy Spirit to fill it with its power. The 5 wise bridesmaids understand the importance of responsibility and readiness. Sometimes not everyone today understands responsibility and being prepared, as a world we are fighting great problems that requires us to be ready and responsible. The 5 foolish bridesmaids were not ready, and they faced the consequences. The foolish ones tried to depend on others to give them what they should have thought ahead to get. Have you been in this position where you may not have thought ahead and needed others? This parable asks us if we are ready when the bridegroom shows up? We know that at any time our Creator will call us to His Kingdom. We just do not know the exact time. For the wise, there is no problem. Their entire life on earth is but a preparation for that moment of encounter with the Lord. But the fool continues to ignore this warning. It is to him or her that the Lord will say “I do not know you”. That they remain unrecognized by the bridegroom raises the question of knowledge in the parable. What is it to know the bridegroom? What is it to recognize the one called “Lord? “It is the spirit of the beatitudes that, more than anything else, characterizes those who recognize the bridegroom, the Lord. This spirit is the spirit of the cross that disrupts all of our categories, all of our judgmental predispositions. The life into which the beatitudes invite us is a life not centered on our works, not on our faith, but on the cross and how God is glorified through our lives. Within the community, it is impossible to tell who has enough oil in their lamps, who has been more faithful. This is not for us to see or to judge. Let us Pray: Heavenly Father, we are sometimes foolish, not wise; scatterbrained, not prudent; reactive, not responsive. Forgive our less commendable words and deeds. Remind us of the wonderful honor and high privilege of being called to your Son’s wedding feast! Give us the grace and wisdom of your Holy Spirit. Let us always rejoice; believe; and show the light of faith, hope, and love even in this dark world. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 