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 our recent readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  It is what we know as Holy Week, the final week of Jesus' earthly lifetime, and Passover Week.   In the past few readings, Jesus has been prophesying the destruction of the temple to come, the wars in Jerusalem, and also speaking of end times and His Second Coming.  In yesterday's reading, He gave a parable of the times in which we live, and how we are to live as His servants:  "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 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.  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 tells us that this parable illustrates the need for being spiritually prepared while the bridegroom -- Christ -- is delayed in His return.   The Kingdom is frequently portrayed as a marriage between Christ and His Church (22:1-14).  The marriage is to be consummated at the end of the age, when the Bridegroom returns to escort His Bride -- the Church -- into the eternal wedding banquet.  My study bible explains that this parable is mainly about the virtue of the practice of mercy.  In Greek, the words for oil and mercy have the same root and sound the same.  The wise virgins are those who practice charity and mercy, while the foolish are those who squander God's gifts.   The fact that all the virgins slumbered and slept indicates death:  in this world the virtuous will die alongside the wicked.  The cry at midnight is the announcement of the Second Coming, when both wicked and righteous arise for judgment.  My study bible adds that the inability of the righteous to share their oil is not due to a lack of generosity.   But it rather illustrates (1) the impossibility of entering heaven without one's own faith and virtue, and (2) the impossibility of changing one's state of virtue after death (see Luke 16:26). 

The ancient lamps mentioned in today's parable were oil lamps.  A small vessel held a "pool" of oil, in which floated a wick.  The lamp would burn until the oil ran out.  These are the lamps of the virgins in the parable, who would go out to meet the bridegroom.  Clearly the Bridegroom is Christ.  In the Greek, the sound of the word for oil is identical to mercy, and so the fuel for our own burning light is the oil of mercy.  Adding another meaning, oil was used as the base for healing balms in the ancient world (see the parable of the Good Samaritan), and so the idea of mercy is intertwined with the use of "oil" in Jesus' parables.   There is another Greek word to study in terms of today's parable, and that is the word for grace.  It is charis/χαρις, from which we derive the word charisma.  The original meaning for charisma in Greek is a gift of grace.  That is, the various God-given gifts each of us has for use, either selfishly or service-oriented -- whether we allow the dictates of mercy to guide us, or we squander those gifts, is really what today's parable is all about.  It's as if Christ is saying that we are each given the opportunity to build that pool of grace and mercy in our own lives through our own considerations and priorities, through the way in which we each live our own life.  This is the fuel that truly burns the lamp with a bright flame, so that we may go out to meet our Bridegroom.  All of Jesus' teachings for preparation of the life to come at His Second Coming regard the practice of mercy as the true key to that life.  The faithful and wise servant cares for the other servants and all in the master's household in order to "give them food in due season" (see yesterday's reading, above).  In today's parable, it is that pool or well, our own supply of mercy and grace, that allows us to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).   This is the place where we connect our God-given gifts with the ways in which we choose to live -- and that we know that faithfulness is in how we live, not simply what we think or believe.  Can we live within His model of mercy and grace, using our own time and talents for His work and purpose?  How is the pool of grace made deeper and wider by your choices and works?  How is the fuel for the fire of Christ's light made bright through your choices?  This is how we are prepared and awake for His return.  It's how we are to meet Him.

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming

 "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 recent readings, Jesus has been speaking both about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (and the temple) and also the time of His second coming, the end of the age  (see readings from Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday).  In yesterday's reading, He continued, "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 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.  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."  Jesus today gives us the parable of the Ten Virgins:  all about those preparing for a wedding, for the bridegroom.  The Bridegroom, as we know, is Christ.  The Kingdom is often portrayed as a marriage (see Matthew 22:1-14) between Christ and His Bride, who is the Church.  This is a marriage that happens at the end of the age, when the Bridegroom returns to escort His Bride in to the great eternal wedding banquet.   My study bible suggests to us that this parable is mainly about the virtue of charity and almsgiving.   The words for oil and "mercy" have the same root in Greek; they sound alike.  And we have to also understand that all healing medicine up until quite recent history was based on balms which used the same olive oil base:  so in Scriptural language, mercy and healing are tied as well with the idea of anointing.   When we understanding anointing as that which sanctifies, as Messiah is "the Anointed One" and as the Holy Spirit anoints the world, and each one of us at baptism (chrismation), then we begin to understand the intertwined nature of mercy, holiness, healing, and Christ:  all contained linguistically in this word that sounds like the word for olive oil (which by tradition also fills the oil lamps in churches).  We can take a further look at this Scriptural implication when we read the parable of the Good Samaritan, who also uses oil (and wine) to heal the wounds of the injured stranger.  All of this is for us to understand that mercy is the essence of Christ's call and of the Church itself.  So, the wise virgins are those who practice mercy and charity in life, while the foolish are those who squander God's gifts in a self-centered way.  My study bible tells us that the fact that all the virgins slumbered and slept indicates death -- in our world, the virtuous will die alongside the wicked.  The cry at midnight, at the coming of the bridegroom, is the Second Coming, when, as my study bible puts it, the "wicked will arise with the righteous for judgment."    We also have to consider why the righteous can't share their oil:  it's an illustration that we each must have our own faith and virtue for this Kingdom; it also teaches us about the necessity of "having" such virtue in this lifetime -- that our capacities really do depend on our practice.

The teachings in today's parable, and in yesterday's reading about the "good servant," tie together in the essence of Christ's teachings.  We return again and again to His commands that we are to love God wholeheartedly and with all that we are, and to love neighbor as oneself.  We remember also that He left us with a new commandment:  to love one another as He has loved us.  If this is the practice of mercy (and these commands encapsulate active love and mercy), then by following these commands, and remembering what we are to be about, we keep our lamps full of the oil of Christ's mercy, the active love He calls us to be always a part of.  Recently a friend shared with me an excerpt from a book quite popular in some circles, and whose author has received numerous awards, which I've written about earlier this month (in this reading).  In it, the author stated that in his younger days, he defined himself by the people he hated, the "others" who were different.  But what we see repeatedly with Christ is just the opposite teaching:  the call to community is through love, through who we love and love actively.  Love of God and love of neighbor, and love for one another as He has loved us:  these are the basis of identity in Christ.  This is so important, because it sets us in the right place of "right relatedness" to do so, to practice His commands, as He has taught.  We can't forget what that means, and how it roots us in the oil of His mercy.  If we look around the world, we see a lot of hate being fostered in various ways.  There is tremendous violence being expressed on both personal and social levels.  We have terrorist groups that encourage individual hatred and rage be channeled into some sort of social statement of blind mass violence.  We have individuals in copycat scenarios who use their personal rage to assault others in frequently suicidal rampage as well.  These scenes are antithetical to the life to which Christ calls us.  He does not ask us to live out rage and anger.  It is Christ who taught us that even name-calling is akin to the statute against murder (Matthew 5:22).  Rage and anger do not provide us with longterm solutions to problems.  There is a "righteous anger" that may be directed toward the identification of injustice, lacking love.  But our activities must be done in His love.      In Jesus' great critiques of religious practices in His day, He speaks the clear truth about hypocrisy, and bad, unjust practice.  He tells the truth and He doesn't mince words.  But truth must be spoken in the kind of love that He calls us toward.  This isn't a "minced words" sort of statement that somehow everybody is right.  No, it's a clear statement about where His love leads us, and where the failure to practice that love takes us:  the abuse of the "widow and the orphan" (in violation of the Law), the harm and lack of care of "the littlest ones" or "the least of these."  To protect the powerless, to love one another the way He teaches, is His way.  Let us remember to be guided by what we love.  To take our cues from prayer and seeking His way reminds us that we are to be both "wise and faithful," as His words taught in yesterday's reading.  The Kingdom come near means we participate in it; we live in it and it lives in us.  The only way to keep our vessels full is to do as He teaches.  If we truly pay attention to the words of this parable, the time to do so is right now.

Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!

 "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

It is Holy Week in the Gospel readings, and Jesus is in Jerusalem.  At the present time in our readings, Jesus is engaging in the discourse outside the temple, speaking to His disciples.   This discourse began with Saturday's reading, in which He began speaking of the time to come in Jerusalem, after His Passion and death and Resurrection.  In Monday's reading, He began to speak of His Second Coming.  In Tuesday's reading, He spoke of the preparedness for this event, the way of being ready for His return in this time to come.  Yesterday, Jesus continued:  "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 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."  Of this parable, my study bible tells us that it illustrates preparedness, or lack of it, while the bridegroom was delayed (verse 5).    It says, "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 represents Christ in His Passion, who dies out of love for His Church (Eph. 5:25-27)."  Ten virgins, I would venture to say, clearly indicates the wedding of a great King.

"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."  My study bible says, "That the wise virgins also slumbered and slept suggests that once prepared, a person rests as needed."  Surely the delay of the Bridegroom, in this story, is the parallel to the perceived "delay" of the return of Christ.  The real question becomes, "What do we do with this time of the perceived delay?"  How are we prepared?

"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 says of the wise virgins in the story:  "Their refusal to give oil to the foolish ones is not a lack of love.  It portrays the fact that spiritual preparedness cannot be conveniently given or borrowed.  This parable encourages the proper use of God's gifts:  to bear fruit.  Some interpreters say lamps indicate the gift of purity and holiness, and oil, works of mercy -- the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Traditionally, virginity has been considered a special 'lamp,' and almsgiving or help to the poor a special 'oil.'"

The story of the wise and foolish virgins gives us something to think about in this time of awaiting Christ's return.  Surely we can't help but think of this Bridegroom's "delay" ourselves.  But it also gives us a hint about the purpose of this time.  There's a great play on words here in the notions of "alertness" and sleeping portrayed in the readings of the past couple of days.  What does it mean to be alert or wakeful?  We've spoken in the past couple of commentaries about remembrance, or memory.  Remembrance and memory play a great part in Christian worship.  In our liturgical services, we enact the great sacrifice that Christ will make in His Passion and death on the Cross.  We take the sacrament of bread and wine as body and blood of Christ, as Jesus instructed when He taught that His disciples must "do this in remembrance of Me."  We could even extend that "memory" to each time we "eat bread" and remember the One who died for us, the One who asks us to be good stewards of all that we are given, of all that is truly His.  Memory is a necessary part of our faith, in so many dimensions.  And here, memory plays an important part in defining just what we do with this time when the Bridegroom seems to be delayed.  We have time to prepare, to consider what we need -- the oil of mercy and grace with which we fill our lamps.  A few readings ago we spoke about the holy fire of love that appears in so much literature of saints and mystics.  An individual lamp is something like that fire that belongs in each of us, an individual soul.  With what energy does it burn, how does it shine?  And we remember again Jesus' teaching about His disciples (here in Mathew's Gospel, part of the Sermon on the Mount), how they are to be like lamps which "give light to all who are in the house."  Memory, again, plays a role in our understanding of this Gospel, of these teachings, and the many ways one teaching will reflect upon another, Jesus' words echoing themselves to teach us, to enforce, to bring to mind, to understand.  Our alertness, our awake state, our alacrity, are the things we therefore must treasure in this time of the delay of the Bridegroom.  It's all tied in with remembrance:  remembrance of the things that the Master wishes us to be about (as in yesterday's reading and the parable of the "wise and faithful servant"), to remember our Master who is true owner of all that we are given and all that we have, to remember that He's coming at an hour we don't expect, to remember what it is to be prepared.  My study bible points out that oil is often considered an analogy to acts of mercy and grace, and if we look closely at the Greek, we'll understand why.  "Elaion" is olive oil, and "eleos" is mercy.  In sound, they are identical (the ending of the word depends on context).  When the Good Samaritan, in the story in Luke's Gospel, binds up the wounds of the hurt man, he uses elaion, olive oil, as a balm.  When Jesus asks which was the neighbor to the hurt man, and the lawyer replies, "The one who showed mercy on him," the gospel is using the word eleos.  This symbol of olive oil -- the basis for all healing balm in the ancient world --  this golden oil, becomes a symbol for the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the anointing poured out upon the whole world, but also needing to be active in each one of us.  Therefore, we have another image of what it is to remember to keep our lamps full of this oil.  When we "remember God" we also fuel the fire of grace in ourselves, taking time for prayer and worship, and the acts of grace that work with us and within us.  So, we come to a tie between "remembrance" and "grace" --  and finally back to the purpose of this time of delay.  It is so we remember what we are about, we "take rest" in His grace as we need to, so that our lamps burn bright, and are full of the fuel for the fire of God's love in us.  In this sense, waking or resting, we remain alert to the fire of love, the memory of God's grace, the oil of the lamps that anoints us with grace.  Let us "remember" to rest in that place, to be alert to God's love, to know what we must be about as we await the return of the Bridegroom.

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.

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock

"Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

- Matthew 7:22-27

Today's reading follows the verses in the reading from Saturday. Jesus taught, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." He warned us to beware of false prophets, who come to the flock in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are like ravenous wolves. He taught that "a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." He continued, ""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

"Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" I think it's very important to note the spectacular feats Jesus notes as done by those who are not truly His sheep, but are in fact wolves in sheep's clothing, predators among the flock. We are not to trust in such works, because these who cannot follow His teachings don't belong to Him at all. As Shepherd, He tells us, He will declare, "I never knew you." In fact, these are "lawless" - they don't follow at all His teachings, His Way. It is in this Way that the fruits of true faith are found, the care of the flock, the love and the inner life He teaches and has taught throughout all the readings of the Sermon on the Mount, the law written on the heart. It is not works of "power" we are to observe, but the fruits of those who come in His name.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." In the end, where is our security in faith, in Christ? It is in the teachings that He has given us. Today's words come at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. If we are to understand Him, we must go back to His teachings in this Sermon. It is in this Way that we find our security, that we build our lives upon a foundation of strong rock. Christ, throughout the Sermon on the Mount, has gone beyond the mere appearances of the Law and has broadened and deepened our understanding of it, fulfilling it. He has taught the Law and the Prophets in teachings about the practice of mercy and forgiveness, and the necessity to guard our own hearts, and to cherish the fruits and blessedness of the life of discipleship.

"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." Here is a testimony to the gift of His teachings, the gift of grace that is offered to us. To hear and not to do is to reject something unwisely, to be foolish. His words and teachings are sure; to reject them is to build a home on the sand that shifts every day, and cannot stand up to the difficulties of life in this world -- the winds, storms and floods that come in life. Only in the surety of the rock will we stand as disciples.

Repeatedly throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has preached against hypocrisy. We remember that He is speaking to those people who would be His disciples. Where do we build our spiritual homes? On what foundation do we stake our identity, our lives? I believe we have to consider the storms and winds and rain that come in life, the emotional floods, the things that will turn us upside down, wondering what will come about, what will happen, where is life leading us. In discipleship, we find the surety that we need in terms of the place we build our true homes, and find our shelter. His teachings give us the sure steps we need -- not the spectacular feats of power that may impress the mind, but the security of righteousness, good judgment, right-relatedness, and it is in this that we take the peace of the heart that has its foundations on solid stone, something dependable, which we can rely on. Let's not forget His warnings about predatory wolves in sheep's clothing, who would lead us away from His teachings for their own gain and profit. We are the rational sheep, we are to keep our eyes open, and to depend upon His teachings. He has given us His gift and His grace for our own welfare and well-being. All of this is there for everyone who would be a disciple, He has made sure of it from the beginning. In that we can trust, in His gospel, in His word - even when we may be misled by those who would use us, we have the word and the teachings of our Good Shepherd, in Whom we can trust. He wants us to be wise and not foolish; in this discipleship His flock finds its roots, its solid foundation for life.

The Wise and Foolish

"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

Over the course of the past several readings, Jesus has been teaching his disciples about the destruction that is to come in Jerusalem, and answering their questions about the end of the age and his return. These concepts are bound with one another in Old Testament scripture, and they remain bound as spiritual realities in this gospel as well. (See the previous readings of Do you not see all these things?, The End of the Age, and Heaven and earth will pass away for the earlier part of this discourse.) In today's reading, Jesus gives us the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.

"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." My study bible has an extensive note on the whole of this text, which I will begin here: "This parable illustrates preparedness, or lack of it, while the bridegroom was delayed (v. 5). 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 represents Christ in his Passion, who dies out of love for his Church (Eph. 5:25-27)." Clearly, the idea that the bridegroom was delayed in this story indicates to us that this period of awaiting his return may indeed be a long one. Certainly it was longer than expected for many of the first disciples of the Church, who felt Jesus' return may happen in their lifetimes, and for many who have followed since, wondering when he will return. I find this concept extremely important, because it is a clear indication that we are to be in a period of waiting - and that truly is the characteristic of the whole history of the church. The important question here is: what are we to do in this period of waiting and expectation?

"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.'" My study bible continues in its note: "That the wise virgins also slumbered and slept (v. 5) suggests that once prepared, a person rests as needed. 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. This parable encourages the proper use of God's gifts: to bear fruit. Some interpreters say lamps indicate the gift of purity and holiness, and oil, works of mercy - the grace of the Holy Spirit. Traditionally, virginity has been considered a special 'lamp,' and almsgiving or help to the poor a special 'oil.' " To understand this concept of oil as symbolic of mercy, one has to recall the Greek for mercy. It is eleos, which is the same word for olive oil. As I have written repeatedly in these commentaries, the notion of mercy as oil is extremely pertinent to our understanding of what it is that we pray for when we pray for mercy. Olive oil was the base for all healing balm in the ancient world; and, also, the fuel that burned in lamps to create light. (It is still used among the Greek Orthodox for the lamps that burn in the church and before icons in homes.) So this beautiful symmetry of meanings clearly fits Jesus' teachings about mercy, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan, for example, or the many ways that healing takes place -- spiritual, emotionally, psychologically and physically -- when people in the gospels ask for mercy. Mercy, or the practice of righteousness, is also the way to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven," as we have been taught earlier in Matthew's gospel, during the readings of the Sermon on the Mount. We can't get this fuel, this healing balm, from others in terms of possessing it for ourselves. It is not something to buy and sell, really - it is something we gain through our own relationship in the heart, and that grows as we express it ourselves and open to receive more.

I also quite like the note from my study bible that teaches us that there is a proper time to rest. Being a part of this kingdom is not just about collecting good works. That's not really the way mercy works. Jesus did not hand out free food to the world nor heal everyone en masse. This is not something that works simply in a materialistic way: the gifts of the Spirit are those that make connections between people who are willing to engage and participate in these relationships. The heart must be open - and healing in these gospels transforms people. It is not something merely added to them, but something that changes them and makes them a part of Christ's family through adoption. "Change of mind" is metanoia in the Greek - and that is the word which we translate as "repentance." We should not lose its original meaning and emphasize a negative understanding of this change: it is the change itself - in whatever way that needs to happen - that is important. This change is highly positive, it is a way to lose our delusions and change, to open to spiritual truth and freedom, and our own true natures.

"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." This parable emphasizes clearly our need for preparedness for the event of the return of the Son of Man, or the Second Coming of Christ. How do we do this? By "letting our light so shine" and by practicing mercy - and keeping our fuel with us through relationship. We remember that we also take rest in this relationship, as we "abide in Him." The Spirit connects us with those who need this help and healing and who are open to it. We are here to help one another, and as Jesus has indicated in the previous reading, we are to be like the good stewards who take care of the master's household in as loving a way as the master would himself. This is the way we await the Bridegroom - we keep our lamps full of fuel and burning brightly. There are so many ways to do this, and we remember that we also rest and recharge (refill our oil) in prayer and meditation. In the story of Martha and Mary, Jesus called this the "one thing necessary."

So, the emphasis in Jesus' long discourse on his Second Coming is that we must be prepared. How do we do this? We are to practice mercy and righteousness. We fill up our lamps with oil through prayer and meditation, study and understanding. We cannot neglect our rest in this sense. It is not a question of adding up good works, but a question of living in that relationship of fidelity, of being true to the One whom we await - of being about the master's business, as our previous reading has taught us (and also the next will do, as well). How do you practice and grow mercy and righteousness? How do you refill the fuel of this light? Remember to take rest in Him and do the "one thing necessary" as well. We can't be prepared without it, and without that fuel which will continually change and transform us in our fidelity and relationship to the One we love.