This week every nook and
corner of our country ‘India’ is filled with lights and noise of crackers to celebrate
Diwali, the festival of light. As our Hindu brethren hope for prosperity and seek
light in the darkened world through the celebration of this light festival, the
readings of this Sunday are about Christ, the true light of the Eternal life. On
Easter Sunday, we celebrate the light that shined in the person of Risen Jesus over
the darkened power of death. ‘Anyone who comes to this light – Jesus Christ –
will have light of life’, is the promise made by Jesus in Jn 8:12. In adhering
to this call, we have come to the path of light through our Baptism. At the
reception of Baptism we are given a light symbolizing Christ the light which we
need to safeguard from burning out or running out of oil till we encounter
Christ in His fullness in Heaven. In the Gospel, we have some people who run
short of the oil for their lamps, leading to darkness and eventually miss the
encounter with the Lord. Yes, dear friends, the parable of 10 bridesmaids in
the Gospel is about our Baptismal light. As Christians we have duty to keep
that light burning until the end of time.
For a lamp to burn light, it
needs an energy. In our context, we need constant supply of electricity for a lamp
to keep burning. In Jesus’ time lamps were lit with the oil. No matter whether it’s
an electricity or oil or any other energy, the basic truth is that the lamp
needs something outside of it to keep the light alive. A lamp that is kept without
lighting is useless. So do bridesmaids whose lamps were without light. In this
parable, both the wise and the unwise fall asleep due to the delay in the
arrival of the bridegroom. Upon the hearing of the arrival of the bridegroom in
the middle of the night, the wise virgins get up and TRIM their lamps. On the
contrary, the foolish virgins start RUNNING AROUND for the oil to keep their
lamps alight. In this month of November as we commemorate the departed souls,
this parable is very fitting for further reflection on death and elicit more
understanding about the life after this present age. In the second reading, St.
Paul says to the Thessalonians that at the time of Judgment, the dead will be
raised first and then the rest who are alive at that time in this space and
time. At the time of Judgment, the people who TRIM their baptismal light are people
who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection to eternal life. Whereas,
the people who RUN AROUND at the time of Judgment are those who have failed to
keep the baptismal life in their life. These days we intensify our prayers for
souls in purgatory. Those souls are now running around for some faithful who
can offer them necessary prayer and penance for their rest in heaven. St. Peter
has already warned us sufficiently in his letter to be watchful about our
enemy, the devil who is ROAMING AROUND like a lion, looking for someone to eat
(1 Pet 5:8). Whoever becomes a prey to this ferocious lion will have to ROAM AROUND
at the end of time for the salvation. The wise virgins are those who carry extra
oil with them in case of emergency. They foresee what could happen in the
course of their life. Their asleep symbolizes their falling at the latter stage
of their life. They begin to TRIM their oil at the sound of the arrival of the
bridegroom, meaning to say; they rise quickly from their fall. Because they
have sufficient oil or energy to get back to their previous stage of readiness.
This getting back or TRIMMING happens at the sacrament of confession. The wise
grab this sacrament as soon as they realize their pitiful state. Their ability
to approach this sacrament so quickly, comes from their energy (oil) that they
have stored from the time of their Baptism. The foolish failed to have recourse
to this sacrament of healing as they have no enough oil. And so, they end up in
RUNNING AROUND looking for help from someone else to lift them up just like
foolish virgins in the parable.
The first reading very
clearly states, “One who rises early to seek her [wisdom] will have no difficulty,
for she [wisdom] will be found sitting at the gate.” (Wis 6:14). For “She [wisdom]
hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.” (Wis 6:13). Yes dear
friends, this Wisdom is referred to Jesus, the light of the world (Jn 8:12). If
we have this light – Jesus Christ – for our path, then we need not worry about
the oil for our lamp. Any lamp that is connected to Christ the light will keep
burning. All that we need to do at times is TRIMMING. Falling at times is ok,
because we are all humans. But do we have necessary oil in store to alight the
lamp that is going out? The act of falling asleep of wise virgins as the
bridegroom delays his arrival is about our struggle in perseverance in Christian
life. We may fall at times due to an irresistible temptations to commit
particular sin. But do we have enough oil in store to TRIM our lamps once we
realize our fallen state? If not, we may have to RUN AROUND. Where are we? Where are you? Where am I?
(Gen 3:9). Let this phrase of God to the first man in the bible reverberate in
our hearts this day to make us aware of our state; TRIMMING/RUNNING AROUND?
May God bless you all!
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