Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

- Matthew 25:1-13

In the readings from last week, Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and also the siege of Jerusalem, warning His disciples that they must flee when the time comes, and that they were not to believe deceiving reports of His return. His disciples had asked Him, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" He differentiated the two events by teaching that "as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." On Saturday, Jesus taught the parable of the fig tree: that when it puts out leaves we know the summer is near -- so they should think when they see the things He's taught. He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." He taught that of that day and hour of His Second Coming no one knows, only the Father in heaven. Therefore their emphasis is on preparation, and awareness: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." He taught a parable of a servant awaiting the return of the master. He must be a good, conscientious servant and ruler over the household in the meantime. If, however, the servant says "in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish." We go back here to the parable of the wedding feast, which Jesus has already told to His disciples. My study bible adds, "The Old Testament prophets portray the covenant between God and Israel as a marriage covenant. The marriage will finally be consummated when the Bridegroom returns at the end of the age and the righteous form a wedding party to go forth to meet Him." "The Bridegroom," it says, "represents Christ in His Passion, who dies out of love for His Church (Eph. 5:25-27)."

"Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept." We have the contrast here between those who are prepared for this eventuality, and those who are not. According to my study bible, sleeping is part of the preparation, and wisdom: It "suggests that once prepared, a person rests as needed." We put the emphasis here on preparation, in the sight of the parable just preceding and the words Jesus has given us about being in a constant state of becoming prepared for His return (see Saturday's reading).

"And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' " Again, we turn to Jesus' words emphasizing preparation, and especially advising us that His return will happen at an hour that we do not expect.

Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'" My study bible points out that "their refusal to give oil to the foolish ones is not lack of love. It portrays the fact that spiritual preparedness cannot be conveniently given or borrowed." I think it clearly illustrates the kind of preparedness that Jesus is talking about. How do we use the grace available to us? The Greek word for "oil" here is for olive oil (traditionally used for lamps). But in sound it is practically identical to the word for "mercy." We remember that oil was for anointing (as in the Greek word "Christ" or Hebrew "Messiah" which means "anointed one"), and it was also for healing, the basis for every balm. So in this sense the word for oil came also to symbolize the Holy Spirit's work indwelling in us and in the world. Hence, its association with grace.

"And while they went to buy the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." The story is one of preparedness for the hour which we do not expect, the time we can't foresee from our own perspective, when we don't think He's coming. It's similar to the man at the wedding feast who is there without having put on the wedding garment provided by the host. We each are responsible for our own garment here, our own lamp, our own oil.

While the parable seems to indicate a standard way of thinking about preparation, the mysterious lack of sharing on the part of the virtuous or prudent here shows us that we are in mystical territory, a place where the usual rules governing material scarcity don't really apply. How do you share virtue? How do you give someone else the mercy they haven't cultivated in their own lives? Here, the virgins are those who in some sense are prepared to meet the Bridegroom, but in another sense, have been foolish. Where is the oil for their lamps? What about the well of mercy within us, that which we may need to be ready in any case? In this case, a level of preparation as in the state of being becoming prepared (see again yesterday's reading) -- a constant evolution -- is what it is to participate in the life of the Church, to continually be aware of the impending return of the Bridegroom at an hour we have been promised that we do not expect. To light a lamp is to help to show the way, to help to reveal wisdom -- a quality the prudent are already displaying. So Christ wants more of us than simply be ready in a kind of static sense, that in our minds we know He'll return. Our preparedness is a kind of ongoing reality, we must be awake to all circumstances, to what we need to do right now, in the here and now, what new things come up before us. I have heard prayer compared to a "well of grace" -- keeping ourselves in that place keeps the well of the lamp full, prepared and ready for anything that comes our way in a spiritual sense. That is especially any type of contemplative prayer, or that which keeps us in a prayerful state. So how do you increase that well of mercy and grace within yourself, and keep it going for the Bridegroom's return? Our faith should lead us to wisdom in the purest sense. We are expected to use our minds, our spirit, and the grace given to us to be His thoughtful sheep. The oil of mercy is that which we use for others in acts of charity and love of any kind; but we must be sure to take care that our wells are filled and ready. We rest in Him and in prayer with the love He gives us to share.