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

Prayer under oil lamps at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem

 "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

On Saturday, we continued reading Jesus' discourse on end times and the time of His Second Coming:  "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  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.  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil 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 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.  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."  My study bible explains that this parable is an illustration of our need to be spiritually prepared while the bridegroom (Christ) is delayed in His return.  The Kingdom is frequently portrayed as a marriage between Christ and His Bride, the Church (see 22:1-14).  This marriage will be consummated at the end of the age, at the Bridegroom's return, when He will escort His Bride, the Church, into the eternal wedding banquet.  My study bible adds that this parable is primarily about the virtue of charity and almsgiving.  We should understand that in Greek, the word for oil (as olive oil, used for nearly all things in the ancient world, including lamps) and that of "mercy" sound alike:  elaion/ελαιον and eleos/ελεος.   It says that the wise virgins are those who practice charity and mercy in life, while the foolish are those who squander the gifts of God upon themselves.  The fact that all of the virgins slumbered and slept is representative of death:  the virtuous will die alongside the wicked in this world.  The cry at midnight, my study bible continues, is a signal of the Second Coming, when the wicked will arise with the righteous for judgment.  The inability of the righteous to share their oil is not understood as a lack of generosity; rather it is a true illustration about each one's responsibility.  It's understood to indicate that without one's own faith and virtue entry into heaven is not possible, and that one cannot change one's earthly life's state of virtue after death (see Luke 16:26).

In the ancient world, as we have indicated above, olive oil was used for practically everything imaginable.  It was the ancient base for perfumes in its most virgin state (therefore giving off practically no odor of its own) as in the fragrant oil of spikenard used by Mary to anoint Christ in preparation for His burial (John 12:1-8).  It was the basis for healing unguents (such as in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37; see verse 34).  As in today's parable, it was also used as the fuel for oil lamps, and its use is continued in churches today (see the illustration above).   It formed the basis for anointing oil, and it is still used today for the oil of chrismation.  Therefore this tie between the sound of the world for olive oil (elaion) and for mercy (eleos) remains important for us to understand, especially when we read this parable.  The "mercy" of inner virtue is as precious and as widely applied as olive oil in the ancient world, and it remains an essential symbol of our own capacity for living a good life by "being good" -- that is, by remaining in connection with the One above all who supplies us with a truly inexhaustible virtue or goodness.  That is, of holiness and all the things that distinguish it.  If we think of the work of the Holy Spirit in us and with us, then we can start to think about what "virtue" really does.  We are above all connected to the source of this life and mercy via prayer. St. Paul writes that the Spirit prays in us, when we don't know "what we should pray for as we ought" (see Romans 8:26-27).  He writes also of the fruits of the Spirit:  "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).  Christ Himself speaks of the Spirit as the Person who anoints with mercy and virtue, when He declares:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19).  All of these good things are a part of mercy -- the dynamic, active mercy of God at work in the world, personified in our Helper or Counselor, the Holy Spirit, the One who dwells with us and within us (John 14:15-18), and Who "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26).  It is the depth of the indwelling of Spirit, and our connection through prayer, that fills a lamp with oil through grace.  Jesus immediately follows His words about the Spirit by saying, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you" (John 14:27).  It is this depth of connection with the One who is the vine, and we the branches, that enables these gifts to be a part of our lives, and lived in the world.  But there is one way to keep a lamp full, and that is through a life of faith as lived in the ways Jesus teaches us:  His Spirit will bring His words and commandments to our memory, fill us with the grace of gifts for our use in the world as we fully live them, and as given through a prayerful life of life.  Let us remember this constant needed renewal as the way we keep our lamps full, and always be watchful and mindful of the Bridegroom's return.