Mt. 25: 1-13
We have the pious practice of coming together every Thursday for Lectio Devina in small groups. We mediate on coming Sunday’s gospel passage and share personal reflections basing on our life experiences. We were amid examinations in the past one week. My companion shared an insightful reflection during the last Lectio Divina that we had and it touched all of us deeply because all of us were thinking on the same line and undergoing similar experiences – We had two exams came together. In our normal circumstances, we used to have a study day after every exam so that we could relax and prepare for the next exam. Since our academic programme is running short of time due to pandemic inconveniences therefore, we did not have that privilege this time.
This companion wanted to begin his study immediately after the exam. However, he was called for some urgent work connected to his community responsibility and he had to sacrifice his time for this job. After this work, he started his study in the evening but he felt very tired and decided to go to bed early and wanted to get up early and continue his preparations for the exam. Anyhow, he got up sadly; he was too tired and thought that since the subject is connected to Holy Eucharist, he could make use of the mediation time for this purpose. Unfortunately, he forgot about this Lectio Divina that happens instead of common mediation on Thursday, and the entire plan was collapsed. During the mediations time with a heavy heart, he shared this reflection linking with the gospel passage, “I am least prepared for this exam and I am not sure how I would manage the final exam i.e. the encounter with Jesus… all the seven of us were in the same boat, who failed to prepare early and kept awake the previous night…slept off… foolish virgins…”
Our call to the Christian way of living is a gift and at the same time, it is a responsibility. All the religions are providing away and helping their followers to have a God experience. The uniqueness of Christianity is that the Son of God himself becomes the way to the fullness of truth and life. “I have come so that they may have life, life in all its abundance.” (Jn.10:10) we did not choose this way of life rather it is given to us. “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me.” (Jn.6:44) The adult baptism and conversion into this way, the initiative is from the Father even though we may take this deliberate choice. This gift dimension of our faith demands a response from us that is our responsibility. We can’t take for granted the gift of faith that we have received. Most of us received the baptism at an instance wherein, we were not aware of the gift of faith that we had received. The Godparents professed faith on our behalf. However, we have the responsibility to make all our efforts to personalize this faith through our passionate desire to seek God and His will in our life. It is this God encounter of Christ experience that sets the metal of our identity as followers of Jesus. It is a process and it will not happen without our deliberate choice. In our times, we see many of our brethren who received baptism but living as passive followers of Jesus. Why is it so? The reason is that they did not seek a Christ experience or consciously denying that choice.
This Christ experience may not come to our life on the account of the baptism that we received. All the God experiences, the initiative is from God. At the same time, what about my desire and preparations for this encounter? This gospel passage of the day presents to us the parable of five wise virgins and five foolish virgins. Both the groups were eagerly waiting for the bridegroom. Meanwhile both the group slept off and all of a sudden the announcement about bridegrooms’ coming announced to them. Nevertheless, the wise virgins were prepared enough with extra oil, and the foolish virgins were not prepared to meet this emergency. The wise virgins were prudent enough not to share so that they may not run short of oil. Anyhow, they instruct foolish virgins to go and buy the oil. They leave the place for buying oil at midnight meanwhile the bridegroom comes and they were denied entry to the banquet hall.
It is quite clear that the bridegroom is Jesus himself and it is a depiction of his Second coming. As it is presented in the parable the time of his coming is uncertain but this is not an excuse for us from preparing for this encounter. Those who prepare well with perseverance and foresight, they receive an entry for the banquet. The wise virgins preserved sufficient oil to keep their lamp burning. This oil is the merits of one’s own virtuous life by responding to God’s calling at every situation of our life. The foolish virgins lacked this aspect. They were invited to the banquet but they took for granted the life and grace that they received. Therefore, they did not think much or prepare sufficiently for this encounter. As a result, they had to face the stringent judgment of not allowing them to partake in the banquet. In our life too quite often taken for granted our Christian call and did not respond it adequately with sufficent preparations. At times, we might have lived our life as part of our daily routine and never kept in mind our ultimate encounter with Jesus. Every day is another chance for us to prepare for this encounter. Finally when the bridegroom comes and we are not ready then we may be denied another chance and remain unknown to the Lord. As we continue our faith journey let us renew ourselves every day by listening to the promptings of the Spirit and live our calling with lots of passion and love for Jesus… and let us thrive to belonged to the category of wise virgins…