Brought flasks of oil with their lamps

Hos 2,1 6b.17b.21-22; Ps 44; Mt 25,1-13
9 AUGUST

A true example of wisdom is the Father of heaven. Knowing that no man can do his works without his Holy Spirit, He gives Wisdom and the Fortitude of his Spirit to every person who was called by him to do his will. Solomon is an inexperienced young person. He might never govern the people of God without the Wisdom of God. He asks only for Wisdom to the Lord that appears and invites him to ask.

In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: “You have shown great favour to your servant, my father David, because he behaved faithfully toward you, with justice and an upright heart; and you have continued this great favour toward him, even today, seating a son of his on his throne. O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?” (1Kings 3,5-9).

Jesus is also an example of true wisdom. He too, full of the Holy Spirit, knowing that no one could have worked a single conversion without his Holy Spirit, promises and gives him. Missionary and Holy Spirit will have to be one.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim (At 2,1-4).

Solomon forgot that Wisdom must be asked without interruption. He did not ask for it to lead his life, he ended up in folly. All his greatness shattered with his death. Even the apostles of Jesus have to know that the Spirit must be asked moment by moment. The Spirit is not asked, no conversion will ever take place. The wise virgins are such because they think of the after and not the moment. The foolish are such because they think of the present moment, but do not think of the future. The future of the lamp is oil. Why are the disciples of Jesus foolish today? Because they do not think of the afterwards either of the earth or of eternity. They waste the present in futility, idleness and vice. Then tomorrow, when virtue is needed for a decision of truth, they are deprived of the oil of life. Living without oil on earth, even at the gates of Paradise we will present ourselves without oil. We do not enter. Oil is the key so that the doors of blissful eternity open up for us.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 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.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The whole Gospel is divine wisdom and grace, truth and light in view of the eternal future, which is built in the present. Not believing in the Gospel what did we invent for our eternal future? The cancellation, the abolition of eternal death. By now, it is everyone’s belief that there is only Heaven. The Gospel is useless. With this invention, four thousand years of divine wisdom descended on earth have been cancelled.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, convince each heart that the future must be well prepared.