Parable of the Ten Virgins
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Parable of the Ten Virgins
That night, two young men were to be married.
The wedding would be celebrated at night, as was the custom in Jesus' time.
There was the religious ceremony first, at the bride's house. Then, then, the wedding party, at the groom's residence.
Guests leave the bride's house in a procession. All carried oil lamps or lit torches because the streets were dark. In those days, you know, there was no gas lighting or electric light. The procession, starting from the bride's house, headed towards the groom's house.
Some invited people, who could not attend the religious act, were waiting, in front of their houses, for the passage of the procession, in order to go to the groom's residence for the wedding celebrations.
The religious ceremonies took a long time, however, at the bride's residence.
Ten girls who could not go there were waiting for the procession to pass, when the groom, the bride and the guests came to the first one's house.
Of these ten girls, five were foolish and unwise. The other five were prudent.
All knew that it was not allowed to take part in the procession without their lamps or torches.
The foolish, because they were not careful, took the lamps with little oil, but the prudent ones took the lamps and also small vessels with oil.
The groom was late...
"Why is the religious ceremony taking so long?" the girls asked one another.
Sitting, overcome by fatigue, they all fell asleep.
It was already midnight when someone, coming at the head of the procession, shouted: “Here is the bridegroom! Come the guests to meet you!"
The ten girls then got up quickly and prepared their lamps, lighting them.
The five unwise girls said, at that moment, to the other five:
— Give us your oil, because our lamps are going out… They have little oil…
The prudent ones, however, replied gently:
— Unfortunately, my friends, it is not possible, because the oil we have is not enough for us and for you. Go to the seller and buy it for yourselves…
The five reckless girls went shopping, looking for the seller at that late hour of the night. And because of that, they took a long time...
The procession passed, the five prudent girls entered the procession, and everyone arrived at the bridegroom's house. The door was immediately closed, as was customary.
Later, the five girls without sense arrived. The door was already closed.
"What shall we do?" they asked among themselves.
"Let's knock at the door," said one.
They knocked, shouting:
"Sir, sir, open the door for us!"
The groom, however, from the window of the manor, said to the girls who were in the street:
— Now it's not possible… I don't know you!
And they couldn't enter. If they had been careful, they would be at the party along with all the guests…
Matthew, chapter 25, verses 1 to 13
Did you understand dear brother, the great lesson that Master Jesus left us with this parable? He ended it with the following words: “Watch because you don't know the day or the hour”.
This parable is an invitation from our Divine Master to be vigilant, that is, careful. We must always be ready to do our duty. We must always be ready to respond to the call of Jesus for any service, however small, in the Harvest of the Gospel. We must always be ready for the unknown hour when He calls us from this present life to the spiritual life.
That's what surveillance means. Let us therefore take care of our souls with great zeal. Let's be like the wise girls in the parable, who brought their lamps and more vessels of oil. We must bring our souls like lamps always lit, fed with the oil of the Divine Word.
You saw that the oil in the parable could not be borrowed. Therefore, each one of us must take care to get our own oil for our lamp, that is, each one must take care to perfect and illuminate our own heart, because we cannot reach Jesus for the merits of others.
It is the “law of self-effort”.
Attention to another teaching: We must take care of the enlightenment of our soul while there is still time. Let us not act like the mindless virgins who left the purchase of oil to the last hour. By not being careful, they lost the right to enter the wedding parties. If we do not also take care, in advance, of the improvement of our Spirit, we will not have entrance to the Luminous Abodes of peace, happiness and cooperation with God.
Think of these very serious and holy things, my dear brother. And since now, “buy” in the Gospel, with the coins of his good will and of his effort, the oil of the Divine Virtues to light the lamp of his heart, preparing him, carefully, for the services of the Good, with Jesus.
Fraternal hugs
Priest Bruxo