November 26, 2023
-
My Dear Parishioners,
“Here is a wise virgin, from among the number of the prudent, who went forth with lighted lamp to meet Christ.” The wise virgins are wise for they know the wait for the Lord can be long. Guided by wisdom they take extra oil. The oil in the lamp is the love of God and the love of neighbor filling up in the heart of someone on the way to the Lord.
The foolish ones probably didn’t see much beyond the party they wanted to enjoy. The oil of the foolish virgins’ ran out, because they had not given their hearts to the Bridegroom, because they did not think ahead of the extra oil they should have taken on this long night of vigil, waiting for the Bridegroom. The oil ran out because they foolishly allowed the distractions of this life to capture their attention and dull their desires. They were not at all prepared for the true joy. Instead, they let the little inconsequent joys along the way captivate their souls and their hearts. The darkness of the lamp with no oil is the tragic darkness of a life that does not love God. What was worse is that in their foolishness, they wanted to drag down the wise virgins with them by asking for their oil. We see this played out in so many areas of our lives: we see people revel in negative comments, in rash judgments, in suspicion, in gossips. Lacking in wisdom and charity, they suck others in, but in the end, they are still wretched and miserable - dark lamps with no oil. If the wise virgins had taken their advice, then there would have been ten foolish virgins left out in the dark that night instead of five.
What our Lord is asking us today is simple: we must take a look at the lamp of our heart and see if there is sufficient oil in it for the long haul. The wise virgins carried nothing with them but oil for the lamp - that is, charity: love of God and love of neighbor. They could see their way to their destiny, and they gained admittance into the eternal banquet. What do we carry in addition to the oil of charity or even instead of the oil of charity? How do we look at the things we own now, and how do we propose to make sure the lamp of our heart have enough oil for the long-haul trip to heaven!
