XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 25:1-13
In this Sunday, we are presented with one more parable of the Kingdom of God. The parable refers to a wedding ceremony since the wedding feast is one of the great symbols of the Kingdom of God. According to tradition, after negotiations with the bride’s family, the bridegroom would come to take the bride to his house. Everybody was waiting for him but, as he was much delayed, many got tired and fell asleep. The parable centres our attention on the ten bridesmaids, that is the maids of honour who accompanied the bride. With her, they were waiting for the groom. Five of them had prepared themselves for a possible delay, which was to be expected. They took with them enough oil to top up their lamps, being ready for any eventuality. It would be embarrassing and shameful to accompany the groom and his bride without lamps to dispel the darkness of the night. The other five did not prepare themselves or were careless in their preparation. They took little oil with them and when their lamps went off, they had no way of bringing them on. As a first attempt to solve the problem, they asked the other five to share with them but they refused. We may be shocked by their callousness. Is it not against the command of love? However, their answer was explicit and reasonable. If we share, none of us will have enough and all lamps will go off. That would bring great shame on the bride who had no true and reliable friends. So, they had to look for oil somewhere else. And they were not there when the groom arrived. They came late and they found the doors of the wedding hall locked. They knocked, but the groom refused to open for them. They were useless and unreliable; they did not deserve to go inside and sit at the table feast.
The parable teaches us that we don’t have guaranteed a place in the Kingdom of God. We may be denied entrance and be excluded. We are not assured of salvation. We must be prepared, that is, we must have enough oil with us. There might be times of slackening. All of them fell asleep, but five of them had enough oil - the oil of faith and love, and they joined the groom in the wedding feast.
The parable makes it clear as well that there are things that cannot be shared. The commitment is personal and cannot be shared with others. The example of our commitment may help others to be committed, but they must have their oil of faith and love. Let us ask the Lord that we may be found prepared when the bridegroom - Christ - arrives.
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