—- St Monica – Pray for Us!
BE READY—SHINE YOUR EYES
Introduction
In the first reading Paul admonishes the Thessalonians to journey to God in right moral living. In this passage he stresses purity, as impurity was typically a pagan vice. Christianity is not in the first place a morality, but moral living in accordance with the gospel. This is expected because we participate in the death to sin and resurrection to life of Christ. In this we are ready for the kingdom.
The key point of the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins in today’s gospel is not so much vigilance as foresight, readiness for the kingdom, and only then, consequently, vigilance.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, source of all wisdom,
you invite us to be wise
and to encounter your Son
with burning lamps in our hands.
Help us to be prepared to meet him
in the events of daily life
and in people around us,
that we may enter with him
into your feast that lasts for ever. Amen!
1 Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God – and as you are conducting yourselves – you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honour, not in lustful passion as do the Gentiles who do not know God; not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, for the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you before and solemnly affirmed. For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Responsorial Psalm 97:1 and 2b, 5-6, 10, 11-12
R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. R.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory. R.
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them. R.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name. R.
Alleluia: Luke 21:36
Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 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.”
Commentary
No one can substitute you
The parable of the ten virgins is a bit confusing: the foolish virgins could have joined the wedding with the little oil they still have! At midnight, when the markets are closed, where would they buy the oil from? The wise virgins are so selfish that they refuse to share the oil that they had, and it is very much un-Christian! Lack of charity. Do you think so?
Fr. Fernando Armellini gives a beautiful reflection of the parable and says that the call to “stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour” is not fully true: even the wise virgins slept, and have not been vigilant. The figure of the groom behaves strange – he was late to arrive, but then slams the doors on a few who, in fact, waited for long for his arrival.
Both the number five and the image of virgins are symbols of the people of Israel. Number ten indicates the totality. The ten virgins represent the people of Israel awaiting the Messiah. Only a few of them – the five wise virgins – are prepared to accept and enter into the Christian community, while the five foolish virgins are not attentive to God’s plans. This was the message of the parable of Jesus.
But, Fifty years later, when Matthew writes his Gospel, the problems faced by his community are different. Therefore, Matthew adapted the parable to the catechetical needs of his communities. The early Christian communities were expecting an imminent second coming of Jesus. Many decades have passed, but nothing has happened. Gradually they lose patience and return to their previous lifestyles and behaviours.
Matthew adapts the parable to emphasise the importance of being prepared.
Here, the ten virgins indicate the Christian community that awaits the return of Jesus – in his second coming. But why are some of them foolish here? The co-existence of good and bad was a theme that Matthew had developed already: the wheat and the weeds grow together; the good fishes and the bad are in the same net; clean and dirty people sit at the same table; thus, the wise and the foolish are side by side.
The wise virgins, who refuse to share their oil with their companions, contains a valuable message. It is not because they are selfish (as I suggested earlier), but it shows that no one else can substitute for your faith and preparedness. The closing of the door indicates the end of every opportunity to accept Jesus. It is urgent to discern how to use life well. Being open to Christ’s invitation has time limit.
Jesus comes not only at the end of our life. He comes in every moment and wants to find us engaged in service to our brothers and sisters. The lamp of hope, love and justice should always be on, in our rooms – in our lives, for the poor and the stranger seeking help.
Intercessions
– For our pope, bishops and priests, that they may constantly remind people of the eternal dimension of life and lead us with wisdom, patience and vigilance, we pray:
– For those discouraged and wounded in life, that they may not grow bitter and that from our presence and friendship they may draw fresh strength and hope, we pray:
– For our beloved dead, that they may live in the joy of the Lord, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
you invite us all
to the feast meal of your Son.
Let the bread and the wine
of this Eucharistic celebration
be the sign of the great feast
you have begun with us on earth
and our strength to go all the way
to its full celebration in heaven,
where your Son lives with you for ever. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, in your kingdom
to wait does not mean
to be bored and inactive,
but to go out and meet your Son
and to build the future with him.
Do not allow any of us
to remain apathetic to a fellow human being
who waits for a word or gesture
of sympathy or encouragement,
for he is your Son to us.
Let your Son stay with us
to make your kingdom live and grow
until you complete it for ever. Amen!
Blessing
Be ready for the coming of the Lord, always. We know what we are waiting for: the Lord, full life, great happiness. No fear then. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!