Friday, Sept. 01, 2017
21st Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading:
1 Thes 4:1-8 Gospel:
Matthew 25:1-13
This story throws light on what will happen in the king dom of heaven. Ten bridesmaids went out with their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were careless while the others were sensible. The careless bridesmaids took their lamps as they were and did not bring extra oil. But those who were sensible, brought with their lamps flasks of oil. As the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.
But at midnight, a cry rang out: ‘The bridegroom is here, come out and meet him!’ All the maidens woke up at once and trimmed their lamps. Then the careless ones said to the sensible ones: ‘Give us some oil, for our lamps are going out.’ The sensible ones answered: ‘There may not be enough for both you and us. You had better go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.’
They were out buying oil when the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the wed ding feast, and the doors were shut. Later the rest of the bridesmaids arrived and called out: ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered: ‘Truly, I do not know you.’
So, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today’s Gospel reading takes me down memory lane amused by an experience when I had to climb the gate to get back to my room after attending a concert. I had tried to make so much noise to awaken our gate guard but the noise only attracted curious night vagrants. I saw a ladder nearby and wanted to borrow it. To my disappointment, the ladder was chained to the wall.
The experience plunged me into deep reflection. What’s the use of climbing a ladder that is leaning on the wrong wall? Stephen Covey, author of the Seven Habits, wrote that we must begin with the end in mind. In climbing the ladder of success make sure that your ladder is leaning on the right wall. Some rush through their ladder without knowing where the rungs of the ladder will end. To what avail is reaching the top only to find out that you have scaled the ladder that leans on the wrong wall? It is a kind of reverse fall – a failure made lofty.
Knowing where the ladder ends, or beginning with the end in mind, requires clarification of the consequences of one’s acts. The stupid virgins in today’s Gospel reading paid little attention to the consequences of leaving the gate in order to buy oil for their lamps. What was the use of re-fueling their vigil lamps when the gate would open and close without them?
I decided to disregard the option of climbing the ladder that was leaning on a neighbor’s wall. I threw a pebble at the sleeping guard instead! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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