[Readings: Wis 6:12-16; I Thes 4:13-18 or 4:13-14; Mt 25:1-13]
By Sister Olisaemeka Okwara, DDL.
In our everyday life, we are often confronted with situations in which wisdom and vigilance have to prevail. Not to be drifters, we are required to take a definite direction, having a clear understanding of our responsibilities, and a clear perception of our goals. As a matter of fact, to have the courage to give the right response to life’s deepest challenges. This is often the situation with the call to Christian discipleship.
The liturgical readings of the day, especially the gospel narrative of the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) draw our attention to the way we conduct our lives as Christians. Through baptism we received a special invitation to the wedding banquet of God and all our earthly life is a preparation for the wedding feast. All we need for the preparation has been given to us: God gave us his son Jesus Christ who lived among us as one of us to show us the way to the Father. The ministry of the Church provides us with a community of believers who accompany us in the earthly life. We have the Holy Mass, the sacraments, the prayers and intercession of the people of God, even the daily moments of grace that God offers us through the events of our life. We have the exemplary life of members of the Church, such as John Paul II, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, and others who live their lives for others and radiate the truth of the gospel. We have the word of God in the Scriptures that guides and enlightens us. God who is faithful and loving waits for us to answer his invitation.
The story of the ten virgins makes these invitations take a particular significance. The virgins had enough time and probably every other means to procure oil for themselves. Providing themselves with oil is definitely an undemanding task in comparison to the joy and fulfilment that awaited them at the wedding feast. Yet the foolish virgins neglected the necessity of this preparation and took the invitation for granted. They failed in their sense of duty. J. Maurus in his Fourteen Laws for Happiness (2004, 44) says that “Duty towards God and duty towards human beings are the common requirements for success.” Perhaps the “foolish virgins” wanted to take a nap before going for the oil, but deep sleep took them away. Perhaps it was rainy or snowy and so they waited for a brighter weather before they could step out. The point is that they weren’t alert. Through carelessness, inattentiveness and lack of vigilance, they failed in their duties to the Bridegroom.
Our life and our faith are not disconnected, but a unity. A lot could distract us from our ultimate purpose in our journey of life which eventually becomes our journey of faith. Our distraction could be the happenings in the Church, such as the sex-abuse scandals. It could be movements and practices that confuse the essence of the Christian faith and praxis. It could be the many debates and controversies of the so-called conservatives and progressives that bring confusion to our life of faith. It could be the failures of people we look up to as our models. Our own weaknesses, fears, doubts and failures could equally distract us from Christ’s calling to carry our cross along with him. In any case, faithfulness to one’s deepest convictions is often rewarded by the joy of knowing that one has acted rightly.
Thus, it seems, and it is in fact true that vigilance and wisdom always go together. If vigilance is paying attention to what truly matters in our lives, it is wisdom that gives us that capacity to make that choice in the first place, that is to know what is truly worth choosing. Let us pray for these two important virtues in our Christian vocation.
