Staying awake

Friday, August 30, 2019
21st Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading:
1 Thes 4: 1-8
Gospel: Mt 25:1-13
Jesus said to his disciples, “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)
Have you ever climbed over your own fence because nobody opened the gate for you? I did. That was when I watched a concert and the guard of the institution I was formerly assigned to was sleeping in his post. This experience plunged me into deeper reflection on the same Gospel we read today. Salvation is not about the gate guards of heaven sleeping but about us sleeping on our Christian duties.
When we are oblivious to the possibility that death can happen anytime, we are no better than the stupid virgins who stood unprepared as the gates opened. To be prepared all the time today’s Gospel suggests that we keep oil in abundance so that no matter how long the appointed time comes, we can still keep our lamps burning. Keeping our lamps shining is living in integrity (see Isaiah 62:1) by following the commandment of love (see Proverbs 6:23). The oil of love makes our light pastoral (Matthew 5:16 ff.) as we spend our waiting by helping the poor.
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” can also be said of matters relating to salvation. The waking up of the stupid virgins as the gates opened is not the kind of vigilance that merits heaven. Waking up at the last minute is no vigilance at all. There is no way the unprepared can enter, not even by climbing the fence, for the guard of heaven never sleeps. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.