August 31, 2012
Friday
Weekday
by Rev. Fr. Chris Habal
(Morning Mass at Edsa Shrine)
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
HOMILY
St. Paul portrayed in the Gospel the person of Christ, as the strength and wisdom of God. For St. Paul, the signs being looked for, being awakened for by the Jews were all fulfilled in Christ. The wisdom being searched for by the Greeks are all found in Christ. That's why he said,
"For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
That is why it is very important that we stay close to Him. That His life will live in our own life. It is very important that we are faithful to His teachings. It is very important that we follow the way of the Cross. Although at times, we may find the Cross foolishness or weakness, but with faith, we know that if we are united in Christ, we are strong, we are wise, not only on human estimation, but with the strength that comes from God. This is something very clear to St. Paul.
And when we turn to the Gospel, we are presented with the ten virgins - five of them were foolish, five of them were wise. What was the basis of their being foolish or their being wise? The foolish ones brought no extra oil for them. They failed to anticipate that the bridegroom whom they await might come late, that their oil might not be enough. But the wise ones anticipated all these things. They brought with them flasks of oil - extra oil, sufficient enough, even though the bridegroom might be late.
The Fathers of the Church explain this image, this symbol of extra oil, this lamp filled with oil and a light waiting for the coming of the bridegroom. The Fathers of the Church said that this image can be compared to faith. The oil, the lighted lamp that is sufficient to wait until the coming of the bridegroom, pertains to faith. And so we ask ourselves - are we really the five foolish virgins, or are we the wise ones? Is our faith in Jesus crucified - is our faith affiliation, identification to His teaching, to His Cross, enough to persist until He comes again? Is our faith in Him persisting, persevering, until He comes again?
Pwedeng mangyari na at the middle of it, mauubusan tayo. But let us be like the wise virgins - ready, and who have brought extra oil - sufficient oil. Let our faith be also sufficient, lasting, persevering - so that when the bridegroom comes, when the Lord Jesus comes again, He may find our lamps alive, our lives alight with faith. We pray for this grace. We pray for persevering faith. We pray for constancy in faith in Jesus Christ - the wisdom of God, the strength of God, Amen.
