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."
Homily
In today’s first reading Wisdom is given two characteristics: First, her eagerness to give us her gifts, and second, her reliance on our eagerness to receive them. Why? Because our friendship with God is based on freedom and love. That’s why he won’t force himself on us; he respects us too much to do that. Instead, God quietly and lovingly invites us to be a part of his life, always hoping that we will respond to his invitation of friendship. And this ties in to the parable in today’s Gospel.
But first, as we take a closer look at the Parable of the Ten Virgins, we have to remember that a parable is not an allegory. An allegory is a story that has a lot of points of reference to our human experience—a lot of punch-lines, so to speak. But a parable has only one point. And the point of this parable is: Be ready, be prepared, stay awake, for you do not know when the Bridegroom will return.
The foolish virgins didn’t prepare themselves adequately for the wedding feast. They didn’t take it seriously. They were careless and superficial in their relationship with the Bridegroom. They weren’t eager, or intelligent, or active in their pursuit of wisdom. It’s as if they called themselves Christians—and it appeared on the outside that they were—but it was all just a show. Their lamps were empty because they themselves were empty of any deep faith or meaningful spirituality; they simply did not love or trust the Bridegroom in their hearts.
The refusal of the wise virgins to share some of their oil with them may appear selfish. But, again, this parable isn’t about lamps and oil—it’s about being prepared. Besides, there are certain things you just cannot borrow or inherit. Your parents may be the best people in the world, but even then you can’t assume that you’ll automatically become a decent and caring human being. You can learn from one another and be inspired by one another, but in the end, you are responsible for your own destiny. Maturity and character cannot be transferred or borrowed. You have to build it for yourself.
The same is true of faith. Parents, you know that it’s your responsibility to hand on the faith to your children. But again, faith is not a piece of land, or a house that can be inherited. Of course, all kinds encouragement and good example can be offered, but in the end, your children, at some point in their lives, have to accept God’s invitation of friendship on their own.
Are you ready for the Lord’s return? Do you have the lamp of wisdom and oil of faith ready and waiting for his return? If heaven is our final destination, shouldn’t we be preparing for it at every moment of our lives? No one knows the day or the hour when the Bridegroom will return. That’s why this parable is so important for us, because it teaches us how vital it is to be ready, to be prepared, to stay awake spiritually. And the Church is here to help her children in this valiant effort. Every day Holy Mother Church freely offers her children the lamp of wisdom and the oil of faith. The only question that remains is this: Are you making every effort to prepare yourself for the Lord's return?