BEING WISE AND PRUDENT
First Reading: Wisdom 6: 12-16
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
Gospel Reading: Matthew 25: 1-19
*First reading is from the book of Wisdom. Wisdom is personified and praised. The author instructs us that Wisdom can be found by all those who seek her. Wisdom is discerned by those who love her. Further it adds that those who are worthy of Wisdom will find her.
* Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Thessalonians. Paul consoles the people of Thessalonika who were worried about the fate of their loved ones who have died. He assures them and us that God will raise them up as He raised up Christ. Paul speaks about the second coming of Christ which will be sudden and unexpected. Only those who have been eagerly waiting for Him and preparing themselves to meet Him will have the joy of His presence.
The parable of the ten virgins Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. We have the parable of the ten virgins for our reflection. It speaks about a wedding celebration where ten virgins went to meet the bridegroom with their lamps as was the custom of that time in Palestine. Out of the ten, five were foolish who did not take extra oil for their lamps. However the other five were wise and they took extra oil for their lamps. The bridegroom and party arrived late at night. When the bridegroom came the foolish ones could not light their lamps because they did not have oil with them. As a result they could not join the marriage party. On the other hand the wise virgins had their lamps lit with the oil they had carried along and they joined the marriage party. This parable warns us that there are certain things in the world which cannot be obtained at the last minute as it happened in the case of the foolish virgins. Further it tells us that we should keep awake and be ready when the Lord come into our lives - it may be at an unexpected hour. Finally the parable tells us that there are certain things which we cannot borrow. The foolish virgins found it impossible to borrow oil when they needed it most. A person cannot borrow a relationship with God. A person cannot borrow a character. He or she must be clothed with it. Hence the oil for our journey to heaven has to be acquired by each one of us.
"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." - William Shakespeare
"Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it." - Harper Lee
"Do not be wise in words be wise in deeds." - Jewish Proverb
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