As preached by Brother Luke
Holy Wisdom Church
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
"The foolish
virgins took their lamps but they took no oil with them."
When I was a student
I can remember some kids thinking it was cool to be able to get someone else to
write your term papers for you. It also wasn't unusual for kids to
try to get the answers to tests before the exam to increase the likelihood of
passing or doing even better. But in the end, these strategies fail. They don't
prepare you for life. Someone else can't do that for you. When the darkest moments in life come, like the foolish virgins discovered, without fuel the
source of light will flicker and fade.
Jesus opened this
parable saying "the kingdom of heaven will be like this." And he goes
on to describe the wedding banquet as the image of the kingdom of heaven. And
remember Jesus also tells us elsewhere in the gospels
that "the kingdom of God is within you." [LK 21:17] We can make this
a reality if we do as St Paul exhorts the Philippians: "have this mind in
you that was in Christ Jesus." [2:5] Putting on the mind of Jesus can only
happen if we really focus and pay attention to Jesus' life and teachings. That means
spending time in prayer and with the scriptures.
This was the error
of the foolish virgins. After running off to get a supply of oil, they returned
only to hear the Lord say to them: "I don't know you." The oil they
needed was not available for purchase. For the
message of the parable isn't about oil or banquets. It's about being known by
Jesus in a way that he can recognize. Can Jesus recognize himself in us?
Jesus Christ is the
Light of the World. Our daily challenge is to always be searching for ways to
bring that light to the world. But in order to do that we
first have to bring it into our own heart and soul. We may need help in doing
this. This is the vocation of the church.
Our participation in
worship as community and in sharing the eucharist unite us with fellow
believers. The seasons and feasts of the church year constantly remind us of
Christ's life, teachings and sacrifice for our salvation. It also brings to
our awareness the witness of the saints, martyrs and confessors who model for
us the Christian vocation. Other church institutions including monasteries can
offer opportunities for retreats, conferences,
spiritual direction and quiet spaces for deeper personal prayer.
At the end of the
parable Jesus exhorts his listeners to: Keep awake! What does this mean? It
means that all of us are called to be prepared, be alert, be conscious, be
searching, be filled with wonder and awe before the magnificence of God's creation. It doesn't say to be perfect. Remember, this
parable is not about good and bad, it is about wise and foolish. For all 10
virgins fell asleep. We are not called to be perfect, but rather to strive to
be wise and at every opportunity be mindful of
Christ's teachings, so that when the call comes, he will know who we are and
welcome us into the kingdom of God where he has prepared a place for us.
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
