Your Lamp, Your Oil, Your Responsibility
Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ~Mt 25:11-12
Yesterday’s gospel reminded me of the need to persist in living faith. Today’s parable highlight preparedness and responsibility.
I read the gospel a few times and couldn’t understand the point of the story. After reading a few homilies, articles, and reflections on the story, there was one approach that resonated with me the most.
At first, I thought it wasn’t Christ-like for the virgins with the extra oil to not help the others who ran out of oil, especially when all of them fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom.
There are multiple interpretations to this story, some more theological than others, but this article clarified things for me.
Here’s how I internalized it:
- The oil can be seen as our level of preparedness and consistency in living our faith until the end.
- The timing is the unknown of when we may be called to our judgment or when Christ will come for us.
- Not sharing the oil alludes to each person being responsible for their actions and readiness. Others aren’t expected to do the work for us.
- The lamps represent our commitment and intention to grow closer to God over the course of our lives.
Each virgin was invited and free to bring whatever they needed. Each virgin had the responsibility to care for their lamp. They just had to show up and wait for the bridegroom.
Half of them took the bare minimum with them and hoped for the best. The other half chose to prepare for emergencies. Analogous to yesterday’s reflection, some hit the cruise control and others kept working at it.
Yesterday’s take was about not resting on our laurels; today, it’s about taking responsibility for what’s in our care and continuing to prepare for what is to come. May we receive the grace to notice where we have grown complacent in our faith so that we strengthen the light of God within us.
In peace,
~Juan
