Wise or Foolish? Take Your Pick

Today we hear the infamous story of the foolish women who tried to take the oil from the wise women. The wise women, realizing that there may not be enough for themselves and the foolish women, told the foolish women to “go buy some for themselves.” The bridegroom then came while they were shopping for oil, and took the wise women who were ready. Meanwhile, the door was locked for the foolish women. They weren’t prepared to meet the Lord.

Here we see the plight of the wise and foolish. The wise are ready and get to meet the Lord and be taken in with Him. The foolish are not ready, try to take from the wise at the last minute, and miss out on meeting the Lord. 

What Jesus is telling us today is that being wise matters. Wisdom is valued in the Kingdom of Heaven. Foolishness is not. You can’t make up for all the time you waste not on the things of God at the final moments of life. Rather, you have to build up the oil of readiness day in and day out with your choices.

The questions to ask ourselves today is: 

1. Am I a wise or foolish woman (or man) through the eyes of God? In what ways am I wise and in what ways am I still foolish? 
2. Am I caught up in pop culture, politics, and the foolish things of this world, or am I immersed in spiritual wisdom, growing in virtue, and charity?
3. Do I surround myself with the wise or foolish? What kinds of people influence me?
4. Do I recognize God now so I will recognize Him later? Is He even a part of my everyday life? Could God say that He truly knows me?
5. Am I filling my lamp with the oil I need with good deeds, prayers, and charity or do I intend to go shopping for it later?