Readings:
Wisdom 6:12-16
Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13

Many of us think about the end of life with fear: illness, separation, death, and the uncertainty of what follows. In the Gospel reading of this Sunday, though, Jesus does not compare the end of our road to a funeral. He compares it to a wedding, which is a celebration of love, joy, communion and belonging. Our whole existence moves toward union with Christ, the Bridegroom. We were not made only to grow old, suffer and disappear. We were made for love, and our final destiny is the fullness of that love.

For a Christian, then, the question is not only “When will I die?” but “Am I learning to love the One I am going to meet?” Two people who love each other and live far apart know this well. Their love gives meaning to the time of separation; they stay in touch and get ready for the day they will see each other again. Our relationship with God should be like that. The one we are waiting for is Someone who already loves us.

This is also the comfort of the second reading. Saint Paul tells the Thessalonians not to grieve like those who have no hope. He does not say Christians should never weep at a death, since Jesus himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Our sorrow is carried by hope, because death does not have the last word. What awaits us is communion with Christ.

There are two details in today’s parable that are easy to miss. First, all ten young women fall asleep, the wise as well as the foolish. Second, the wise do not share their oil with the others.

Regarding the first one we learn that wisdom is not about never getting tired, never experiencing weakness, or always being perfectly alert. What sets the five wise women apart is that they have prepared their lamps for the night.

The wisdom Jesus speaks about is not simply a matter of knowing the right things, but of putting the Word of God into practice. Someone can know the Gospel very well and still fail to live it. We can hear the readings every Sunday, know our prayers, take part in the liturgy, and speak beautifully about God. But the fundamental question remains: Has the Gospel changed my life and the way I treat others?

Elsewhere in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the story of two men who build houses, one on rock and the other on sand. Both hear the Word of God, but only one puts it into practice. That is the difference between wisdom and foolishness, and we find it again in today’s parable.

All ten young women have lamps, but only five have the oil that keeps them burning. The lamp represents the faith we profess, while the oil represents the faith we actually live. A lamp without oil looks perfectly fine until darkness comes. In the same way, a religious life without love may look impressive from the outside, but when life becomes difficult, its emptiness is revealed. Every act of genuine love allows the light of Christ, already given to us, to shine more brightly through our lives.

The second detail seems a bit more uncomfortable. When the foolish women ask for some oil, the wise ones refuse to share it. At first, this sounds selfish. Aren’t Christians supposed to be generous and share what they have?

But Jesus is not teaching us to refuse help to others. He is using a striking image to reveal a deeper truth: there are certain things that nobody can live on our behalf.

Someone can teach you to pray, but no one can pray with your heart in your place. Someone can show you how to forgive, but the decision to forgive is yours. Someone can inspire you to love, but no one can love on your behalf. Each of us has to respond personally and freely to God’s love.

That is why the oil cannot be borrowed at the last moment. Faith cannot simply be inherited, and love cannot stay something we admire in others. Both have to become part of the way we live. Too often we put things off: we mean to be more patient, to make peace with a sister or brother, to spend more time with the people we love, to take our faith more seriously, and we keep leaving it for later.

The Gospel puts a hard question to us: why wait? Why not today? Love postponed without end can turn into love never shown. Jesus invites us to look at our priorities. Suppose that tonight someone asked you: “What have you done with the love you received?” That question is not meant to frighten us, and the Gospel does not ask us to be afraid of midnight. It asks us to be ready for the Bridegroom, and the way to get ready is simple: love today, forgive today, be generous today, make peace today, and notice the person who needs you today. Don’t wait until life is easier, until you have more time, or until everything is in order. The Bridegroom may seem slow to come, but the chance to love is already here.

Fr. Enzo Del Brocco, CP