Here we invite you to take time for yourself in personal prayer. The following spiritual reflection offers words and images which we hope will evoke for you an experience of God.
By: Sister Melissa Gernon
Opening Prayer
God our Father, You invite us to share life with You every day. Sometimes we are ready, and sometimes we are not. As we pray with the Scriptures, help us strive to be prepared with the right attitude and focus. Help us to know how much we are loved by You and help us to bring that love and light to others. We ask this in Your name, Amen.
Gospel
Matthew 25:1-13
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ‘Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Reflection
It is easy to look ready for something wonderful to happen. Externally, our house may be clean, we may have the best of our outfits on, freshly showered, and have everything ready. But if our interior selves are not ready, we may experience the event we are waiting for with disappointment.
I believe this parable asks us to make sure our interior selves are more ready than our exterior selves. God asks us to love one another and if we do the external acts of appearing to love others but do not have the internal attitude of love, we are missing the mark. God only asks that we strive to love. He knows it’s difficult. He knows we will sometimes not be ready, and yet he continually asks us to.
As we wait for God to take us to our heavenly banquet, will we be ready? Not with a physical lamp and with oil but with the internal light that he gave us when he called us his child. Pray that grace.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me be ready for you whenever you come, no matter the day or the time. Help me keep my tasks focused on interior readiness so that I will always be ready, waiting for you. Remind me daily that love for you and others is of most importance, not what I look like, what I am wearing, or what I am carrying. As I strive to dwell in your eternal banquet hall, give me the strength to wait with the right preparedness. In your name, I pray. Amen.
