[1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. [2] And five of them were foolish, and five wise. [3] But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them: [4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. [5] And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.
[6] And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him. [7] Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. [8] And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. [9] The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. [10] Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.
[11] But at last come also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. [12] But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not. [13] Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Now and forever. Amen.
This parable is a continuation of the previous set regarding the end times. Please read my previous post to get the wider context. However, please note the way Jesus opens the parable. He says, "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be..." As you may have seen from my previous posts, you might note that whenever Jesus says "the kingdom of heaven", it's typically a reference to the Church, and the parable that follows is a description of what His Church is like. In this case, it's a description of the Church at a particular time, since He beings with "then". So, at the consummation of the world, the kingdom of heaven will be like... ten virgins. Alright, let's dig into this.
Whereas in the previous parable, Jesus warns us against falling into wickedness, lest we be sent to eternal damnation when He comes (or when we die), Jesus here reveals that the avoidance of wickedness alone is not enough. We know this because Jesus likens the kingdom to virgins. Here it should be understood that He is referring to those who have the true Faith, and live within the Church. By ten, Jesus signifies the whole human race (or perhaps more specifically the whole Church), because a man has five senses, and this is doubled to ten to account both for men and for women. Even the Faithful are not guaranteed heaven, for even the Faithful may be foolish and not prepare themselves rightly.
So the scene Jesus sets up is of 10 virgins who are awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom and bride. They take lamps with oil, but the foolish virgins don't take oil with them. The lamps here signify the good works that we do, as Catholics; that is, the works of mercy. The vessels in which the oil is kept signify our bodies, our persons, and the oil signifies the love and joy of God in our hearts.
All of the virgins, those who hold the true Faith, go out with lamps. They all go out and do good works, in anticipation of the coming of the Lord. All of them know what they're supposed to do, as good Christians. But they don't all go with oil, with the love of God in their hearts. And, as the bridegroom tarries, they all slumbered and slept. That is to say, because Jesus' return is not immediate, because the consummation of the world is sometime in the unknown future, we die and sleep the sleep of death. Both the wise and the foolish.
At midnight--that is, at the end of time--the arrival of the bridegroom will be announced, and all will rise to meet Him. This signifies the general resurrection of the dead. All will rise, both righteous and wicked, to stand before all and receive their final judgement. And at this judgement, we are to give an account of our lives. That is what is signified when the virgins "trimmed their lamps." That is, they prepared themselves to give their final account. This is when the foolish realize their lamps don't have enough oil, and the light is out. This may signify that, though they did good works during their lives, their disposition was for the accolades of men, rather than for love of God. And, while they yet lived, their goods works shone before all, and they were lauded. But remember what Jesus says of such people, "truly, they have received their reward." At the end, when they come under judgement, and the truth of their hearts is revealed before all, they will realize that their works were empty, and instead have turned to their own shame.
This is why they turn to the wise. The wise have kept in their hearts the love and zeal for God, and He is their joy, and this is what lit the flame of their lamps, their good works. They didn't do the good works to receive reward, but because they wanted to share their joy, their light. And so they were merciful, and showed mercy in their actions to those who were in need. And the foolish, seeing that love in the hearts of wise, and not wanting to be found without it, sought after it from the wise.
But the wise understood that they had no ability to give it. Therefore, they sent them to those who could offer it to them: the poor--those who were in need. For, it is through the neediness of others, and our capacity to serve them, that we come to understand the great gift that God has given to us, who are also in need. This is what ignites our love for Him--seeing His great love for us. The poor, and our almsgiving, are a sign of that. This is what the foolish should have learned through their good works while they lived, and before they fell asleep (died), but they were too focused on the admiration of others, and they remained blind to the meaning of their good works.
While the foolish went away to try to buy more oil, the bridegroom came, and took the wise virgins, who were prepared to meet Him, with Him into the marriage feast, and the doors were shut. That is, the gates of heaven accepted those who did the work of Christ for love of Him, and it was closed to everyone else. The foolish virgins returned, saying Lord, Lord. Remember, they did have the true Christian Faith, but did not live it out as they ought to have. And He responded to them, "Amen I say to you, I know you not." For the heart reveals who we are.
Finally, Jesus admonishes His listeners to watch, because you know not the day nor the hour. Watch, because we must always keep our minds on the Lord. If we do not, we may be dazzled by the glamour of the admiration of the world. Only the Lord matters. Seek ye first, the Kingdom.
If you are curious what the works of mercy are, which all good Christians should live by, the Catholic Church defines 14 such works. They are divided into two sets of 7; the 7 corporal (bodily) works of mercy and the 7 spiritual works of mercy. The corporal works are explicitly stated by Christ in the gospels, while the spiritual works are referenced throughout scripture, but not explicitly grouped and listed together. They are:
The Corporal Works:
1) to feed the hungry,
2) to give water to the thirsty,
3) to clothe the naked,
4) to give shelter to the homeless,
5) to visit the sick,
6) to visit the imprisoned or to ransom the captive,
7) to bury the dead; and
The Spiritual Works:
1) to instruct the ignorant,
2) to counsel the doubtful,
3) to admonish the sinner,
4) to bear wrongs patiently,
5) to forgive offenses,
6) to comfort the afflicted,
7) to pray for the living and the dead.
So go out and do these works! And do them for love of God! He created each human person in His image and likeness, and this is what gives us our dignity and worth. It is this image in us, the image of God, that makes us worthy of mercy. Remember, though, that you can only offer mercy to those who seek it. Those who refuse to hear the truth, for example, you cannot instruct. So be careful when doing these works. Do not throw the pearls before swine. Go. Do these good works, and do them for the love of the one who's image resides in all men.
God bless you, and thank you for reading!
