26-Aug-16

Gospel MT 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Reflection:
This parable was meant as a message to the Jews of Jesus' day as well as a lesson for us.
The Jews had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah for hundreds of years. Yet, when He arrived, they, like the foolish virgins, were asleep to His presence. Rather than accepting Jesus, they rejected and crucified Him.
Yet, even today, the cry goes out for all who have ears to hear, "Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!"
Christ is not hard to recognize; He lives among us if we have the eyes to see.
But, to see Christ, we must first prepare our hearts.
Mercy is the mirror in our heart that reflects Christ.
He is there in the poor pushing their shopping cart down the street. He is visible in the mother mourning for her son who overdosed.
"Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you."
There is always enough of God's love and mercy for those who love Christ to share with those who have not prepared.
"Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me." - - Alexander Pope