Matthew 25:1-13

1 Corinthians 1:17-25

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, the image of your Son as a bridegroom is a powerful one. It speaks of your love for me. It tells me you are ever faithful despite my unfaithfulness. I will strive to be ready to welcome the bridegroom and look forward to enjoying the eternal wedding feast in heaven.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Wise and Ready for the Bridegroom: Jesus is the Bridegroom who has ascended into heaven to prepare a place for his bride, the Church. He will return and when he does, we must be ready to greet him, with our lamps burning brightly. Today’s parable tells us about five foolish virgins who were unprepared and about five wise virgins who were ready to welcome the bridegroom. The five foolish virgins do not persevere to the end. They brought enough oil to light their lamps for a time, but eventually, they ran out of oil and had to leave to buy more oil. While they were away, the bridegroom returned. The oil lamps can be seen to represent the light and fire of the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the Church. Those who are wise, filled with the Spirit of God, and ready for the bridegroom, are welcomed into the wedding feast of heaven; those who are foolish and unprepared are locked outside.

2. Revealed Wisdom: In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul also speaks about wisdom. For the Gentiles, Jesus’ death is foolishness. It looks like he failed. For the Jews, Jesus’ death is a stumbling block. It doesn’t seem to correspond to the role of the Messiah-King. For believers, Jesus’ death shows forth the mystery of God’s love and gives the ultimate answer that human reason seeks about the meaning and purpose of life. In his letter, Paul presents the opposition between “the wisdom of the world” and the wisdom of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross is a challenge for every human philosophy or wisdom. We should not and cannot reduce the Father’s saving plan to mere human logic. “The wisdom of the wise is no longer enough for what God wants to accomplish; what is required is a decisive step towards welcoming something radically new: ‘God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise...; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not to reduce to nothing things that are’ (1 Cor 1:27-28). Human wisdom refuses to see in its own weakness the possibility of its strength; yet Saint Paul is quick to affirm: ‘When I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Cor 12:10)” (John Paul II, Fides et ratio, 23). Without God’s revelation, we cannot grasp with our reason how death could be the source of life and love.

3. Wisdom and Watchfulness: In the Gospel, Matthew connects wisdom to watchfulness, life in the Spirit, and perseverance in love. In the First Reading, Paul connects wisdom to the Cross of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, wisdom is knowledge of God and the wise man judges all things in the divine light. True human wisdom tells us that God created the world and providentially governs it. Revealed wisdom goes beyond this and tells us that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that the Father sent his only Son to redeem us from sin and conquer death, that we are called to be God’s children, through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit, and to share in his eternal life.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your words are true wisdom. I pray that I always welcome them in the soil of my heart. May they bear supernatural fruit for your kingdom.

Living the Word of God: What do I struggle to accept and understand in my life? Do I complain about suffering or do I offer it up as a pleasing sacrifice? Am I ready to welcome the bridegroom in this moment? Do I possess the anointing oil and divine light of the Holy Spirit?