Readings: 1Cor. 1:17-25, Ps.33, Matt.25:1-13
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
AS YOU KEEP YOUR LAMP OF FAITH BURNING REMEMBER TO CARRY YOUR FLASK OF OIL OF GRACE
Reflecting on how footballers, boxers, athletes, engineers, doctors, farmers, businessmen and women devote time and energy to rigorous preparation towards achieving their goals. I wondered if we can go to this length of rigorous preparation for things in this passing world; it will be even more demanding when it comes to preparing for eternal life. That is why, in the parable of the ten maidens in our Gospel passage today, Jesus emphasises the need to be well prepared.
For if we can devote such time and energy towards our spiritual life, which we often neglect, we will be more awake and prepared than the ten maidens, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. When the bridegroom delayed, their lamps burned out, and as they went out to get more oil, they missed out because the door was shut after the bridegroom had passed.
In this parable of the ten maidens, Jesus emphasised the need to be well prepared for the coming of God’s kingdom, warning us not to be like the foolish five maidens who were not well prepared and missed out when the bridegroom came. Thus, Jesus commanded us to stay awake, because we do not know either the day or the hour when the Lord will come. Therefore, we must learn to be like the wise maidens who carried their lamps along with the oil.
These lamps symbolise the faith we have in all material things we have acquired in this world: our statues, beauty, handsomeness, properties, our gifts, our academic qualifications and positions, which without the oil of God’s grace are worthless. Also, the extra flask of oil in this parable symbolises the grace of God made active by our inner spirituality, our virtue, and our faith that has been nurtured carefully, which we accumulated gradually through the sacraments we have received.
That is through our righteous deeds, our fasting, our prayers, preaching of the Gospel, studying the scriptures, and our acts of love, mercy and forgiveness. This is what we see in the life of St Augustine, whose memorial we celebrate today when he realised that true happiness is found in interior living and not in material things we possess, he embraced God and became a great instrument in preparing humanity towards the kingdom of God. We, too, can be another great instrument of preparation in God’s hands if we make ourselves available.
Dear friends, as you keep your lamp of faith burning, remember to carry your extra flask of oil of grace. For we can acquire all the lamps of material things of this passing world, but without the extra flask of oil of grace, such as goodness, righteousness, love, mercy, and forgiveness, we will be left behind in this passing world. We will be robbed of both our worldly possessions and heavenly glories.
Hence, our life as Christians demands that we should be alert; we should be prepared at all times and be ready to make sacrifices by carrying our extra oil of grace found in righteousness, commitment, obedience, wisdom and love, like the five wise maidens. Therefore, we should be watchful for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will call us.
Little wonder we are reminded today that this world is passing away, so we need to stay awake and be ready carrying the extra oil of grace, goodness and our righteous deeds. For St. Paul in our first reading today made us know that God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength
LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we often fail to listen to your warnings concerning the things of this passing world and the need for us to stay awake and be ready for your coming, give us the grace and wisdom to be well prepared to stand before you whenever you call us, may we never be among those You will say: I do not know you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.
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