You Either Have Oil (The Holy Spirit) Or You Don’t!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we approach the end of the liturgical year many of the gospels focus on the Kingdom of heaven, one of Matthew’s favorite themes.  Also during this month of November we are reminded to pray for loved ones who have gone home before us, and to visit their graves.  Perhaps some need to be reminded to bury the cremains if they still have not done so; so many families comment on how it gives them peace and closure at this time of year.

The Kingdom of Heaven is not only ‘like’ a marriage feast, but it actually ‘is’ the Marriage Feast from which every earthly marriage feast derives its meaning.  The ten virgins went out to meet not just a bridegroom but THE bridegroom.  This encounter is what the Kingdom will be like.  We will meet face to face our Bridegroom, and we need to prepare for it.  There is no bride in the gospel because all of us are meant to be the bride of Christ.

In those days the date of the marriage was announced but no one knew the time because the groom had to negotiate the dowry with the family of the bride.  This often took a long time and would go long into the night.  When all was settled the bridesmaids would make a procession and lead the couple to their house or the house of the bride’s parents so the lamps needed to be bright so that they could make the procession possible.

All ten virgins share the same calling to wait for the Bridegroom and go out to meet him, but not all are fully prepared to respond appropriately.  They all have the desire to meet him, but do they possess the practical wisdom or prudence to do so?  I like the fact that all the virgins fell asleep.  They are all weak; they are all equal.  It is not that the wise virgins were five superstars.  They were prudent; they prepared ahead of time.  They had more than good intentions.

There is an eschatological thrust to this parable, which points to the end times of our life. And the gospel asks us if we have used our life to prepare well for this moment. In a way, none of us have done so, but it is not too late to change.

It is also beautiful to realize that the oil comes from crushed olives.  They represent our acts of charity or self-denial or going out of our way for the other, not just a few times a month or year.  Five olives will not make much oil, but five hundred would.  The olives might represent how many times I died to myself in my marriage or in my family.

Often people are shocked that the wise virgins don’t share their oil with the others.  The oil represents the Holy Spirit, which a person has or doesn’t have; he cannot give it to another.  I cannot say, ‘Forgive me for being a jerk’ for another person; I can only say it for myself.  The oil is unique to me.  Either you have the Holy Spirit or you don’t.

This judgment that we face at the end of our lives is like opening night of a new Broadway play.  The actors and singers need to be ready.  They have had six months to prepare so opening night is make it or break it.  Judgment day for us is the opening night for all eternity.

The gospel ends encouraging us to be ready.  No one knows the day or the hour, but we know that it will come and for some of us it will come soon. So gather some oil today, not tomorrow.  Those who seek wisdom shall not be disappointed.

 

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