Wisdom 6:12-16 / Psalm 62:2-8 / 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 / Matthew 25:1-13

Today’s first reading reminds us that attentiveness to the Lord, day in and day out, for the long haul, is always a response to the Lord’s attentiveness to us. When Jewish the writers spoke about Wisdom as a female figure, as in this reading, it was really a way of speaking about God. According to the reading, ‘Wisdom is found by those who look for her’ because ‘she is sitting at your gates’. The Lord is always near to us when we seek him. He remains at the gate, the door, of our lives, attentive to us, even when the night seems long. He asks us to be as faithfully attentive to him as he is to us.

The Wisdom of God has been given to us, and yet, in our folly, we allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations to sin instead; please let us all seek the wisdom of God, for wisdom is practical distinction which is used primarily to determine between the good and the bad, right and wrong. It must lead us to choose good and reject evil.

St. Paul in the second reading is comforting the faithful Thessalonica of the assurance of the life that is to come, the eternal life which the Lord Jesus Himself has promised to all of us through His coming. Paul had preached to them and left them with the impression that the second coming of Christ was imminent. Some died before the Parousia and their concern is what has happened to them. Paul understands their grief, but he does not want them to grieve like other people who have no hope, like those who have not yet heard the gospel. Paul reminds them that their faith allows them to be hopeful in their grieving.

So, he states firmly and categorically that what matters is that they interpret these events because of their faith and hope in the Lord.

The parable in today’s gospel reading again speaks to us about the importance of being alert to the Lord’s coming. The Gospel deals with the well – known parable of the ten virgins – five wise and five foolish. The five wise bridesmaids were fully prepared for the event that they attended, as they were supposed to welcome the bridegroom to the wedding banquet.

They brought extra oil with them so that if the bridegroom were to be delayed, they still had enough oil for their lamps. Meanwhile, the five foolish women, as we heard, did not bring any extra oil with them, and they ran out of oil soon after the bridegroom was delayed. Thus, as the parable mentioned, the five foolish women failed to obtain the oil in time, and they only arrived back after the festivities have started, and thus, were excluded from the banquet.

Beloved in Christ, we are all reminded that we have to be ever vigilant and ready, and to entrust ourselves unto the Wisdom of God, in following His path and having faith in His providence. The simple message that Jesus draws from the experience of this wedding party is, ‘Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour’. ‘Stay awake’ in the sense of being attentive’ or ‘being prepared.

Secondly, we should always keep in mind that whatever we say and do, when it is within our power and calling as Christians to do and we fail to do, will be asked of us, and they shall weigh either for us or against us on the day of Judgement. In short, we are each responsible for our own faith. It is up to us now to decide, aided by God’s grace, where we shall be found on the last day—with the wise bridesmaids or with the foolish. Procrastination in the matters of faith can lead to missed opportunities and exclusion from the joyous feast.

Lastly, the wise bridesmaids had resources of oil that enabled their lamps to remain lighten during the long and dark hours of unexpected waiting. We all need those inner resources that keep our faith, hope and charity burning brightly in those moments when we find ourselves having to deal with the unexpected. It is these resources that give us the wisdom we need to do what we have to do, regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

May the Lord, in His infinite Wisdom and ever enduring love for each one of us, continue to bless us and strengthen us at all times.