Today's
Gospel parable is well known to us.
There are ten virgins. The five
wise virgins have enough oil for their lamps; the five foolish virgins don't. The bridegroom is delayed and the virgins
fall asleep. At midnight, the bridegroom
arrives. The foolish virgins go to a
merchant to buy oil and when they return the door is locked.
In this
parable, the bridegroom is Christ, who comes at a time we do not expect. We are the virgins. Some of us are wise and some are
foolish. The oil is our overflowing love
of God and neighbor. We don't know when our
day of reckoning will occur. As the
parable tells us: "Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor
the hour."
The door in
the parable is our entry into heaven. It
is interesting that once this door is locked the foolish virgins cannot enter
and the wise virgins cannot exit. Once
we get to heaven, we will be there eternally with God. Otherwise, we must spend eternity without God
in hell.
The foolish
virgins say: "Lord, Lord, open the door for us". Jesus, the doorkeeper, doesn't say
"you're too late, the door is closed." Instead he replies: "Amen, I say to you,
I do not know you." The foolish
virgins don't have a relationship with Jesus, so they cannot get in. We get to know him through prayer and by
receiving him in the Eucharist. Our relationship
with Jesus is reflected in our actions, especially our love for others.
The emphasis in today's Gospel
is on becoming wise. Being wise in terms
of Jesus means knowing that we are waiting with the confident assurance that he
will come. This waiting is an important
part of life, showing good faith in the promise of Christ's return. And part of waiting is being prepared to
greet the master. The wise are aware
that they are always waiting for the Lord to come.
Waiting is not
a virtue in our culture. For most
people, waiting is something they don’t want to put up with. I must confess that, if I can, I try to avoid
it, by gently accelerating through yellow lights and checking out various lines
at the store for the shortest one. I can
be very impatient when I have to wait.
But I, like all of us must wait, in eager anticipation, for the Lord.
When we come here to give thanks, to participate in the
Mass, we are acting wisely. Being here
reminds us that we are waiting on the Lord.
We come to the meal that is a reminder of the heavenly banquet that
awaits us.
The
difference between being wise and foolish is not some unusual effort on the
part of the wise, but a habitual way of living.
The wise anticipate the One who will come, even though they don’t know
when. When the bridegroom arrives, it's
too late for the foolish virgins - their eternal destiny is sealed. They cannot get oil from the wise virgins and
they cannot purchase the oil, the love, they need.
Fortunately, it's not too late for
us. The door isn't locked. Jesus reminds us that we still have
time. Jesus has shown us what we must do to keep a good supply of oil-
love God and love our neighbor. At this Eucharist, we acknowledge
our need and dependence on God. We yearn and search for Wisdom --
it is given to us in these scriptures and in the food prepared at this table
set before us.
We may not know the day or hour but we
can be prepared. We have been given the gift of faith—we have a relationship
with God—a relationship to which we must cling with all of our strength. The
virgins, and all of us, are ultimately either wise or foolish- there is no grey
area. We will either be welcomed into
heaven- possibly after a stop in Purgatory, or will be dispatched to hell. Let us pray that we will be fully prepared to
meet him on the last day and will celebrate forever at the heavenly banquet.
