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 our current readings, Jesus has been in Jerusalem, teaching and disputing in the temple with the religious leaders.  The setting is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  He has been prophesying to His disciples regarding the end times, and also the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.  Reminding them what they must be and do as they await His return in this period of the Church, He taught the following parable:  "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 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."  Once again, Jesus gives another parable for this time in which we who are nominal believers await Christ's return, His Second Coming.  My study Bible comments on today's parable that it illustrates the need for being spiritually prepared while the bridegroom -- Christ -- is delayed in His return.  The Kingdom, it says, is frequently portrayed as a marriage between Christ and Christ's Church (see the parable of the Wedding Feast).  This marriage will be consummated at the end of the age, when Christ the Bridegroom returns to us in order to escort His Bride -- that is, the Church -- into the eternal wedding banquet.  My study Bible emphasizes that the parable stresses the virtue of charity and almsgiving.  The words for oil (meaning olive oil) and "mercy" sound the same in Greek.  So therefore the wise virgins are those who practice charity and mercy in this life, prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom, and filling up their lives (their lamps) with such.   The foolish, my study Bible says, are those who squander God's gifts on themselves.   My study Bible also explains that the fact that all the virgins slumbered and slept is an indication of death -- that all will die in this earthly life, both the virtuous and the wicked.  The cry at midnight is an indication of the Second Coming, when both wicked and righteous will arise for judgment.   Note also that the inability of the righteous to share their oil is not due to a lack of generosity, for mercy or charity or compassion are qualities that can only be gained through one's own efforts.  My study Bible comments that this illustrates the impossibility of entering heaven without one's own faith and virtue, and also the impossibility of changing one's state of virtue after death (see verse 26, in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus found at Luke 16:19-31).   

The question of mercy is rather a tricky one in the Gospels; and yet, it is also absolutely central to the gospel of the Kingdom.  In today's reading, it is clear that the wise virgins cannot share their oil for the lamps of the foolish ones.  In this sense, it seems rather out of place with the Christ that we know, who so shares His gifts freely with all, who feeds those in the wilderness (twice!) who followed Him and heard His teachings and stayed with Him.  This is the image of compassion and graciousness, and our understanding of the whole of the Incarnation, and all that it produced and produces and will go on producing for us and for our world, is sheer grace, a gift (and gifts) for all of us.  But in this question of mercy and of the showing of mercy and compassion, there is no compromise.  We each must do so for ourselves.  We are called to be "like God" and to fail to make an effort to be and to do so is to fail at life itself.  When Jesus teaches the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  In that case, debts function as sin committed against someone else, hurting of others, places where we've fallen short, so to speak.  But Jesus adds for emphasis this caveat, just in case we haven't understood properly:  "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15).  Trespass is another word for sin, this time for a violation of boundaries, so to speak, a breaking of a law.  But the gist of this teaching is clear:  if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven.  So it is with the acts of mercy and compassion which the foolish virgins have failed to do:  one must practice mercy in order to realize it.  This kind of mutual effort and recognition permeates the gospel of Jesus.  When He teaches the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), it is to emphasize precisely that it is we who become neighbors by being neighbors, by practicing acts of mercy and kindness, taking the initiative to do so.  That the compassionate man is a Samaritan emphasizes there are no other boundaries to define "neighbor" but that.  In the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, one who does not forgive as he was forgiven is sent to truly reap all that he has sown.  Jesus ends that parable with this statement, "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses" (see Matthew 18:21-35).  If we look closely at this parable, we will understand that this is, in fact, how judgment is rendered.  Our acts of mercy have greater power than we know.  When He sends out the disciples on their first apostolic mission, Jesus teaches, "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (see verse 42 in Matthew 10).  So how do we fill our lamps so that they shine brightly?  Going back again to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches disciples that they are the light of the world, and that they are to reflect the light of God, the Source of all light, comparing them to a lamp (see Matthew 5:15-16).  He finishes that passage by saying, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."    In today's parable, He affirms that not only is this the way He teaches us to live, but that all our lives -- and even an eternal life -- depend upon how well we fulfill this mission and take the initiative.  Let us follow His example and remember this teaching.  For this is what it means to be watchful, and we have been warned that we do not know at what hour our Bridegroom will return.

 

 

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 

 

On Saturday, we continued to read Jesus' discourse on the end times to His disciples:  "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 given 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 is continuing His discourse to the disciples regarding the end times, which specifically refers to this time in which we now live, this period of the Church since His Incarnation, as we await His return.   My study Bible has lengthy notes on this parable.  It says that this parable illustrates the need for being spiritually prepared while the bridegroom -- that is, Christ Himself -- is delayed in His return.  The Kingdom, it says, is often portrayed as a marriage between Christ and His Church (see, for example, Matthew 22:1-14 in this reading and commentary).  The marriage will e consummated at the end of the age when the Bridegroom returns to escort His Bride (the Church) into the eternal wedding banquet.   This parable is primarily about the virtue of charity and almsgiving.  In the Greek, the words for oil (meaning olive oil) and "mercy" sound alike.  (In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the pouring out of the oil upon the wounds of the hurt man by the Samaritan is an image of mercy, as is the image of the anointing of the Holy Spirit given to humankind and mirrored in chrismation in the Church.)   The wise virgins in the parable, therefore, are those who practice charity and mercy in this life, while the foolish are those who squander God's gifts on themselves.  The fact that all of the virgins slumbered and slept indicates death, my study Bible says.  In this world the virtuous will die alongside the wicked.  The cry at midnight is an indication 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 to be understood as a lack of generosity.  Instead, it illustrates the impossibility of entering heaven without one's own faith and virtue, and also the impossibility of changing one's state of virtue after death (see Luke 16:26).  In the Orthodox Church, the Holy Week services of Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are called the Services of the Bridegroom.  The themes of its hymns come from today's parable and Christ's parable of the Wedding Feast in this reading.  

The link between "oil" and mercy is important to understand.  In the ancient world, olive oil, in its various qualities, was used for all kinds of purposes.  It was the basis for medicines, including topical medicines and unguents such as was used in the parable of the Good Samaritan, as mentioned above.  Very pure olive oil was also the basis for perfumes, such as that which was used to anoint Jesus (John 12:1-8, Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9).  In the ministry of the apostles, when they were sent out on their first mission, Jesus instructed them to anoint the sick with oil (Mark 6:13).  We see this practice continued by the early Church, as the Epistle of James instructs (James 5:14).  The connection between anointing with oil and the anointing of the Spirit is clear as St. Peter quotes from the prophecy of Joel as he preaches in Judea, and speaks of the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism (see Acts 2:1-39).   In Greek, the word for this oil is ἔλαιον/elaion and the word for mercy is ἔλεος/eleos.  The only difference in pronunciation is in the final letter; in all other ways these two words are pronounced exactly alike.  So when we are to understand that it is this oil of mercy and compassion that fills the lamps that may burn with the light we shine to the world, we can make sense of the parable, and also out of why the prudent virgins who were prepared with oil could not share with the others.  This is one thing we must do for ourselves.  This understanding of the image and word for oil, and the linked meanings to the Holy Spirit, also gives us a picture of the fullness of the lamps as fruit of the spirit, those things which fill up who we are through the action of the Holy Spirit and our cooperation in its blessings and the manifestation of its goodness.   Jesus' choice of the image of the lamps echoes His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, that believers are the light of the world, and such light must shine so that the good works that are its product will glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).  As my study Bible indicates, this parable teaches us to seize the day, that there is no time like the present for a prayerful life, one lived in communion and faith, and -- moment to moment -- one in which we remember who we are and who we're supposed to be.  In this way we are the "wise virgins."  Again, the Greek of the text tells us something.  The word for "wise" here is the same word that Jesus used when He taught the disciples to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  It means shrewd, prudent, a practical understanding of what's sensible and wise in conduct.  Let us make good choices with the time we have in our lives, and think of the fullness of our lamps.

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 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been teaching about end times, and His Second Coming.  In yesterday's reading, He said to the disciples, "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 teaches a parable which illustrates what we are to be about while we await His return; that is, the return of the Bridegroom.  My study Bible says that this parable illustrates the need for being spiritually prepared while the bridegroom -- Christ -- is delayed in His return.  The Kingdom is often portrayed as a marriage (Matthew 22:1-14) between Christ and His Church.  This is a marriage which will be consummated at the end of the age, when the Bridegroom returns to escort His Bride, the Church, into the eternal wedding banquet.  This is made very clear in the imagery of the Revelation, and the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2, 9-10).   My study Bible comments that this parable is primarily about the virtue of charity and almsgiving -- as oil and "mercy" have the same root in Greek, and the words sound identical.  The wise virgins are those who practice charity and mercy in this life, while the foolish are those who squander God's gifts on themselves.  The fact that all of the virgins slumbered and slept gives an indication of death:  in our world, the virtuous will die alongside the wicked, my study Bible says.  But the cry at midnight is the Second Coming, when the wicked will arise together with the righteous for judgment.  The righteous cannot share their oil in the parable, and not from a lack of generosity.  Rather, it shows the impossibility of entering heaven without one's own faith and virtue, and the impossibility of changing one's state of virtue after death (see Luke 16:26).  

 

 The imagery of the Bridegroom is important, and it tells us so much about who we are as faithful.  If Christ is to be united to His Bride, the Church, then we also should understand this union on a smaller scale.  In each of our lives, as we pray, we seek to be in communion, united with the One to whom we pray.  This includes the saints to whom we pray for help and assistance, and the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit.   Of course, all of these persons -- the saints and angels, and the whole of the Holy Trinity -- are present in and with Jesus Christ.  Even symbolically, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is in itself a unification of heaven and earth.  And we who are human beings, who seek to live our faith, effectively seek through prayer and worship, and all the ways in which we "remember God" in our lives, this union of our lives with the holy, the guidance by which Christ teaches us to live, the holiness and beauty which may permeate through even the evil and the pain which we experience in a world that is also corrupted with selfishness in all its forms and outcomes.  Even the seeking of that union itself is the opposite of "selfishness," in the sense that if we seek only our own guidance, and nothing beyond ourselves, we are simply stuck within ourselves, like the Pharisee who "prayed with himself" in this parable.  To be unified with the Bridegroom should be our deepest desire.  It is the profound goal of the Church, and part and parcel of Christ's Second Coming.  In the Revelation, the merging of the heavenly New Jerusalem with the Bridegroom means that there is no need for a temple or a church, for Christ is everywhere dwelling with all (Revelation 21:1-4).  But when we pray, when we seek God, when we worship, when we turn for help and guidance for our lives, so we are also seeking the same, in real time, as we live in the here and now, today.  We seek that union, no matter how fleetingly or ephemeral, so that the fullness of the images of the Second Coming are just that:  the fullness of what we seek here and what we learn now through the practice of our faith.  This is not a "pie in the sky" kind of teaching, but rather just the opposite.  It is the power of our true lives in Christ, participating in His life, and merging worldly identity while we bear His image, and seek to live the love He taught us as we make our choices and decisions.  We seek His "righteous judgment" (John 7:24), discernment (Philippians 1:9), and even His discipline and correction (Hebrews 12:3-11).  For each of these are a part of His love, just as is His compassion and mercy (Romans 9:15).  The endurance and victory He asks of us takes place in this world, as we seek the union of all of these things within ourselves, for this is the real work of faith.  This is how we fill our lamps.

 

 

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.

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.  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

 Om Saturday, we read that Jesus taught His disciples, "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 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.  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 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 (22:1-14) between Christ and His Church.  This marriage will be consummated at the end of the age (the subject of Christ's discussion with His disciples over the past several readings, beginning with Thursday's).  It is then that the Bridegroom returns to escort His Bride, that is, the Church, to the eternal wedding banquet.  My study bible adds that this parable is primarily about the virtue of charity and almsgiving.  In Greek the words for olive oil and mercy sound alike and have the same root.  The wise virgins therefore, with lamps full of this oil, are those who practice charity and mercy in life; the foolish are those who squander God's gifts on themselves.    All the virgins slumbered and slept; this is symbolic of death -- the virtuous and wicked will both die in our world.  The cry at midnight is language symbolic of the Second Coming, when all will arise together for judgment.  That the righteous are unable to share their oil is an illustration of first of all the inability to enter the Kingdom without one's own faith and virtue, and secondly, my study bible says, the impossibility of changing one's state of virtue after death (see Luke 16:26).

 Whatever way we look at this parable, one thing is clear:  Jesus is telling this to us in preparation for the time in which we now live, in which we are to be faithful servants (see Saturday's reading, above) while we await His return.  As disciples, we are like virgins awaiting the Bridegroom; our goal is to remain "acceptable" and in good order for the wedding feast.  What exactly does this mean?  Acceptable in this context would belong to the sense in which St. Paul uses it in Romans 12:1-2:  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."   In this case, acceptable means well-pleasing.   Jesus has prepared us for this understanding with the parable of the Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant in Saturday's reading, above, in which it is clear that what He seeks is our following of His commandments, and in particular those commandments to treat one another well -- to love God with all one's heart and mind and soul, and one's neighbor as oneself.  In that parable, Jesus stressed that the one He's made ruler of His household while He's away has to be one who gives food to the servants in due season.  In today's parable He indicates that a part of that food is mercy, grace.  The oil of the lamp is the balm of mercy, healing, grace.  All of these things become synonymous in both language and symbol, as the same olive oil was the base for all healing unguents and even for the fragrant oil with which Christ was anointed in love and gratitude before burial in this passage.  To love God with all our heart and mind and soul is to seek to be like God, to reflect and grow in God's character of love.  We're given a panoply of illustrations through Jesus' words what that means through this simple symbol of oil that means so much.  This practice of grace, mercy, love is the fuel with which our lamps shine as His disciples, through which we may find our way to the Bridegroom.  Let us pay attention!

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.

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 current readings, it is Holy Week and Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He has made His Triumphal Entry , cleansed the temple, and engaged in confrontation, questioning, and testing by the various parties of the  leadership, with His own challenging responses.  (See readings from June 28 through July 2.)   Speaking in the temple, Jesus then made His final public sermon, an indictment of the hypocritical practices of the leadership, ending with a lament over Jerusalem (see readings of July 4 through July 6).  Leaving the temple, He told His disciples of the coming destruction of the temple, and began to teach them about end times and the time of His return (see readings from Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8).  On Saturday, we read that He taught them, "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 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 gives us another parable about "end times" in which His return is likened to a great marriage ceremony, in which He is the Bridegroom.  Again, we're given the image of delay in returning, similar to the image in the parable from Saturday's reading, in which the master of the house was delayed in his return, indicating that the time of His return is something we don't know, and may take longer than we expect.  My study bible notes that the Kingdom is often portrayed as a marriage between Christ and His Church (see Jesus' parable of the Wedding Banquet in chapter 22).  This is the feast of the eternal wedding banquet at the end of the age, when the Bridegroom (Christ) return to escort His Church (the Bride) "home," the union of God and God's people.  This parable focuses again (as in Saturday's reading) on what we're to be doing in preparation for this return of the Bridegroom.  In Greek, the word for oil sounds identical to "mercy."  This is about the virtue of the practice of mercy, such as charity and alms-giving, but mercy takes on a much wider image than that in our understanding.  The wise virgins are those who practice charity and mercy in our worldly lives; the foolish are those who squander God's gifts.  My study bible says the fact that all sleep means all die alike in this life.  The cry at midnight is the Second Coming, when all arise alike for judgment.  Why can the wise not share their oil with the foolish?  Each must "provide" for him or herself by the kind of life one chooses to live.    Again, Jesus' emphasis is on preparedness, and the fact that we do not know when He will return.

"Mercy" is eleos in the Greek.  "Oil" is elaion, coming from the word for olive.  The two words are pronounced alike (the endings in Greek change according to the way the word is used).  Throughout the New Testament, the ties between the two words repeat, such as in the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which the Samaritan treated the wounds of the injured man with oil and wine.  In the ancient world, olive oil was used for many things, from fuel for lamps to a base for fine perfumes to healing balms of all kinds.  We can see the link in the parable of the Good Samaritan between oil and healing as an image of the practice of mercy.  Christ or Messiah means "anointed one."  That is, one upon whom an anointing oil has been poured, indicating an action of God, holiness.  And the Scriptures teach us about the "anointing" of the Holy Spirit.  In Acts chapter 10, Peter says that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power (v. 38), and immediately afterward the text tells us that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been "poured out" on the Gentiles too (v. 45).  The apostles make it clear that the true anointing is from God.  What all of this says is that we are given of this oil, this anointing from God that endows us with the quality and potential of mercy.  As we speak of the gift of the Holy Spirit, mercy is also identified with wisdom and discernment.  That is, good judgment, righteous judgment (John 7:24).  Will we squander this great gift of grace that has been given to us?  What do we do with it?  In this image, the parable is correct:  it is up to each of us to provide for ourselves by the sharing of this gift, by its use in our lives, our practice and growth in the gift.  We can't give our own "goodness" to someone else.  We can share and let our light shine (to use another metaphor contained in the parable of the lamps), but no one can take or give away the choice that belongs to the soul.  This practice and nurturing and growth in this gift  is something we each must do for ourselves.  The oil of Chrismation was given at baptism (and on other occasions) from the earliest establishment of the Church, making firm the tie between "oil" and "mercy" or grace, the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  The practice of Holy Unction is that of anointing, calling for grace to heal all infirmities of body, soul, and spirit.  In these sacraments, oil is used as a sign of God's presence, strength, and forgiveness.  This parable asks us then what we will do with this great gift of grace.  What will we do with this precious ointment that is the fuel for the light we shine, the lamp we light?  It's all in how we value the gift in the first place.  There are those of us who leave it dormant and never touch it, and those whose lives are tinged through and through with it, fuel for the lamp of light that grows brighter and so shines that it glorifies our Father in heaven.  It's all up to us, everything depends on what we love and where our treasure is. 

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

On Saturday, we read the end of Jesus' prediction to His disciples of both the destruction of Jerusalem and of His Second Coming.  The earlier parts of this dialogue took place in the readings of Thursday and Friday.  Jesus continued, "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 in 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 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 wailing 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."  Of today's entire parable, my study bible points out that it illustrates the need for being spiritually prepared while the bridegroom (who is Christ) is delayed in His return.   It says, "The Kingdom is often portrayed as a marriage (see 22:1-14) between Christ and His Church.  The marriage will be consummated at the end of the age when the Bridegroom returns to escort His Bride -- the Church -- into the eternal wedding banquet.  This parable is primarily about the virtue of charity and almsgiving, as oil and 'mercy' have the same root in Greek.  The wise virgins are those who practice charity and mercy in this life, while the foolish are those who squander God's gifts on themselves.  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 indicates the Second Coming, when the wicked will arise with the righteous for judgment.  The inability of the righteous to share their oil is not to be interpreted as a lack of generosity.  Rather, it is an illustration of (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). "   In the Holy Week hymns of the Orthodox Church themes of this parable and the one before it (in yesterday's reading) are woven together.   Repeated on several days, one such hymn begins, "Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching."  Midnight, naturally, reflects the great midnight celebration of the Resurrection, the dawning of the light.

So the message here is one of preparation, being ready.  This is to live each moment in the light of Resurrection, in the light of understanding that He may return any moment.  We hear a lot from pop culture and psychology and all kinds of sources of living "in the moment," or "in the now."  Another term for it is being "mindful."  But this is the great message of Christ:  to be mindful, to remember who we are and where we are, right this moment, and never to forget.  The key here is to take each moment and to understand that we are always ready to listen to the Master's voice, to see right where we are at, to take up what we need to take up and to put down what we need to put down.  A mindful focus has alacrity, alertness.  It is to "come to oneself" as it says in the parable of the Prodigal Son (see verse 17), to realize who we are and what we must be about.  Do we need to forgive someone?  Do we need to feel something and let it go to God?  Do we need to apologize?  Some interpreters of this parable suggest that it also denotes our need for proper rest at the proper time.  Do you need rest, a retreat, perhaps good nutrition or even a period of fasting?  Whatever it is that God calls you to, there are all kinds of ways in which we remember who we are, to recollect -- and one of the best ways is a kind of interior prayer, just sitting before God, talking to Christ.  The parable of the Virgins here gives us the understanding that in this act of "remembering Christ" we come to ourselves, we think about our own state of being, our practice of mercy, and the rest, the unessential, falls away so that we may come to see what is of true importance.  Let us remember also that a wedding, in this traditional and historical context, is not merely an individual affair.  It is about community.  It is about how we live in our world, with others, even with the Creation of God and all that is in it.  This is how we know who we are.

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.