Five of them were foolish and five were wise. (Matthew 25:2)
In Jesus’ time, weddings were events to be anticipated: seven days of nonstop feasting and celebrating. So we can assume that all of the ten young women in today’s parable wanted to go to this particular wedding feast. And yet, when the bridegroom was delayed, five of them were not ready. Their lamps died out, and they had no oil to refill them.
Who knows why they weren’t prepared? Maybe they were distracted or too busy to make sure their oil flasks were full. But what we do know is that, as a result, they were not where they were supposed to be, and they missed the chance to come into the feast. What a shame! These young women seriously needed to reexamine their priorities!
As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church uses our Mass readings to encourage us to examine our own priorities as we await the coming of the Lord. We have been invited to the wedding feast of Jesus, when his Bride, the Church, will be united to him forever. Of course we want to go!
That means we need to make sure our lamps have enough oil. We need to heed Jesus’ last words from today’s Gospel: “Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). But it’s not about going to a store to stock up on supplies. Staying awake means looking at how we spend our time and making sure that we’re putting the Lord first and cultivating our love for Jesus, our Bridegroom.
Look back over this past week. Think about the decisions you made and how they reveal what is important to you. Is there one priority you could reshape that would help you be closer to where you need to be when the Bridegroom returns?
“Jesus, thank you for inviting me to your wedding feast! Help me be ready for you!”