3rd Advent
Matthew
25, 1-13
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| Burnand |
The
kingdom in the heavens will be like ten maidens who took their oil lamps and
went out to meet the bridegroom; but five of them were foolish and dull of
soul and five were alert and sensible. You see, the foolish ones took their
lamps without taking any oil with them, whereas the sensible ones took flasks
of oil with their lamps. The bridegroom being delayed, they all got drowsy and
lay down. Then at midnight, the cry went up: “Here comes the bridegroom,
everybody out to meet him!” Then all those maidens got up and trimmed their
lamps. But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your
oil, our lamps are going out.”
And the sensible ones answered, “No,
the oil would not be enough for us and for you as well; you’d better go to
those who sell it and buy oil for yourselves.” After they went off to buy oil,
the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding,
and the door was shut.
Then later the other maidens came
along saying, “Master, master, open up for us.”
But he answered, “I tell you once
for all, I do not know you.”
So be alert of soul, because you do
not know the date or the hour.
3rd Advent
December 13, 2019
Matthew 25: 1-13
Human consciousness grows and expands. When we were children,
we simply took events as they came. But as adults, we can be a bit more
far-seeing. We can plan and prepare for the events that we can see coming.
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| Burnand |
Today’s reading gives us an announcement about an event
that is most definitely coming. It stresses the importance of being ready. All
ten maidens know to expect the bridegroom. They are to be his welcoming
committee. They just don’t quite know exactly when. The wise ones carry
everything they need with them, just in case. The foolish ones miss their
appointment because they have to go shopping.
Christ, the soul’s bridegroom, is coming. He needs the
light of our well-stocked inner lamps so that we can travel with him to the
great feast. He needs the light of our wide-awake awareness, our presence of
mind. Otherwise, the door of the heart is shut for him. The poet describes our
inner state:
We live in a world of motion and distance.
The heart flies from tree to bird,
from bird to distant star,
from star to love; and love grows
in the quiet house, turning and working,
servant of thought, a lamp held in one hand.*
*Philippe Jaccottet, “Distance”, in The Selected Poems of
Philippe Jaccottet, translated by Derek Mahon
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