Posted by The WORD in other words (2022) by Fr Rodel Liguid – Germany
Friday 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Photo: Goma Cathedral half buried in volcanic lava, North Kivu, Congo
Who waits who?…
Everybody loves a feast. We want to celebrate and enjoy delicious food, drinks, and good company. What if you look forward to attending a wedding feast, but when you arrive at the venue, you are not allowed to enter. Worst is, the bridegroom who is your good friend says: he does not know you. I can only imagine the disappointment, anger, or pain that you feel.
Let us highlight the aspect of “waiting“ in the parable. At first, the ten virgins wait until midnight for the bridegroom to arrive. And the situation suddenly changes. The bridegroom has to wait for the return of the five foolish virgins who have to leave to buy oil for their dying lamps.
Do we really think that it is us who wait for God? Is it not that he is the one waiting for us? God patiently waits for us to finally return and come home. He waits for the day when we stop using the oils of this world for our lamp (of life) to keep burning—those worldly oils of ambition, fame, riches, positions, and power. At first, they may make our lamp burning strong and attractive, but soon they fade and die faster than we think. Those oils cannot keep our life truly happy, contented, and peaceful.
Let us not be like the five foolish virgins who, at the last hour still tried to follow their worldly inclinations. In the stubbornness of their hearts, they thought that they can still manage to remedy their salvation and just invoke the mercy of God, and everything will be all right. But much to their surprise, they remained outside.
Let us pray and hope that when we finally stand at the door and knock, he may open and welcome us because it is not yet too late to return and come home to him.
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