THE WORD
1 Cor 1,17-25 / Mt 25,1-13
Jesus said to his disciples, “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 asks 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. After the door was locked. After wards 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.
IN OTHER WORDS
Some, if not most, seminarians are known for “cramming,” – often rationalized as say working better under pressure. I wonder how these “crammers” would take the message of today’s Gospel. The parable of the Ten Virgins is one of the three parables that depict the tension hastened by the Second Coming of Jesus, the Last Judgment. At the end of the betrothal period, in Jewish custom, the bridegroom, with his friends, make a formal procession to the bride’s home. The bride, with her friends, also join the make procession back to the bridegroom’s home for the wedding feast. As an evening event, lamps are important here, guaranteeing not only participation in the procession but also sustaining the feast. The crisis came when five of the Ten Virgins failed to bring enough oil for their lamps. Cramming to have enough, they left the company to buy extra oil. Unfortunately, they failed to beat the bridegroom’s arrival and missed the procession. The doors were locked before them, and worst, they failed to join the feast.
The lesson is clear! Because Jesus’ return is unpredictable, it demands our constant vigilance.
Jesus calls for a habitual commitment to following Him. This parable invites us to reflect on our patterns of conduct. When Paul said, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1Cor 17:25),” he might be referring to the death of Jesus on the cross as an unfathomable paradox of wisdom. It can also refer to the mysterious ways God reveals himself, which we often struggle to fathom. To discover God’s mysterious ways,
Jesus’ proposal is for us not to cram but to be vigilant.
- Fr. Samuel Agcaracar, SVD | Rome, Italy
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
