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IN THIS ISSUE:

Cover Page

VOCATION

by Bro. Pete Lapid

BIBLE CROSSWORD

The Father Speaks

BECOMING MORE HUMAN

By Fr. Siegfried Binzler, SJ

Our Faith

WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS (Concluding Part)

By Fr. KJ Veeger, MSC

Place of Refuge

CALLED TO HOLINESS

By Philip Yuson

Surabaya Corner

THE MILKING PROCESS

By Ramon Martillano

Sharing

BEING HOLY

By Michael

Here's the Latest

SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER

By Tintin Magbitang

Catholic News

SITES AND BYTES

By Armand Sol

God Answers Prayers

THE POWER OF INTERCESSION

By Beth Manibog

Saints for the Month

SAINTS ANDREW TIM KAEGON & PAUL CHONG HASANG


Meet the Staff
Catholic Links

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The parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25: 1-14) refers to the personal condition of all Christians here on earth. Actually all of them are waiting for the final coming of Christ, the bridegroom, on Judgment Day. However, in many a case their life of faith is not more than just a matter of social adjustment and outward appearance, while that of others expresses inner life and love symbolized by their lamps being filled with the oil of God’s goodness.

The parable says that the bridegroom was late in coming, so that they “all slumbered.” Often these words are interpreted as if waiting a long time makes people’s love grow cold, and they become unaware of what they are doing. But if so, the text cannot be applied to “all.” Hasn’t Jesus said, “who holds out to the end will be saved.” – Matt. 24: 12-13

What then is the meaning of “they all slumbered?” There is another sleep, which no one escapes. The Apostle Paul referred to it when he wrote, “I would not have you to be ignorant concerning those who are asleep.” (1 Thess. 4: 13), that is, concerning those who are dead. Indeed! Everywhere in the world people spontaneously speak of the dead, as if they have fallen asleep forever.

“It was already midnight,” when the bridegroom arrived. It means that his arrival was at an unexpected hour. Whether somebody is wise or foolish, nobody knows for sure the time when he will experience himself standing face to face before his Creator and Father. Using the words of Jesus, “the time and occasions are set by My Father’s authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be.” (Acts 1:7). St. Paul would write, that “the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.” (1 Thess. 5:2)

“Then the cry rang out: here is the bridegroom.” What cry was that? It is what the Apostle says, “when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we all will be changed.” (1 Cor. 15:52)

What is “they all rose?” We already know, that we may not interpret these words literally as if they all woke up from their sleep. Says the Lord Himself, “the hour is coming, when all the dead will hear His voice, and come out of their graves.” (John 5:28-29)

At this moment in the parable we see the difference between the wise and the foolish girls. When they tried to trim their lamps, the foolish ones come to the painful discovery, that their lamps were without oil and of no use.

In the reality of life and death the wise virgins are the people who always carry in their hearts God’s love and the resolute will to please Him. Their life is burning all the time with the inward oil of love and charity, the assurance of a good conscience and with an inner glory, of which St. Paul has said, “the purpose of this order is to arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a genuine faith.” (1 Tim. 1:5). Their glorying in is the love of God and the cross of Jesus, His Son.

The foolish virgins, who in the parable, all of a sudden saw that they were without oil, are the people, who during their life, received the glory and praises of the world in the way they always wished for. It had kept them going! It had made them think that they were shining and burning. It had satisfied them and been always easy to attain. For the world is generous with its praises, however false they are. But when “at midnight” their eternal bridegroom arrives, they realize that now their lamps are without oil and not shining at all, and nobody is there pleasing them. How much they are in need of “true oil!” What initially they had taken for light appears to be pitch darkness. So they started begging from the wise virgins, “give us from your oil.” They did what they always had one in life: making themselves dependent on others for their inner needs!

Then the wise virgins answered, “No! There is not enough for you and for us! Go back and buy some for yourselves!” It was not the answer of those who give good advice, but irony and mockery: “go rather to those who sell.” They thought, “you never will get what you need; you never lived well; your only concern was to keep up good appearances; for that they sold you oil.”

What means this, “Sold you oil?” Sold praises, that’s what! Were they not flatterers only giving away what in itself was useless and without value? How much better would it have been not to have lived for the flatterers of the world, and to have carried oil “within themselves,” and for a good conscience’s sake to have done all good works.

Does it come to any surprise, that at the end of the parable the bridegroom said to the foolish girls from behind a shut door, “I don’t know you!” If people have lived for themselves only and in order to receive from others, God has not been given any room in their lives. Jesus has put it this way, “make certain that you do not perform your good works before men to be seen by them, otherwise you have no reward of your Father in Heaven.” (Matt. 6:1, 5)