How Much Oil Do You Have?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins. The wise ones, while waiting for the bridegroom, had extra flasks of oil with their lamps, and the foolish ones did not. They all fell asleep while waiting and at midnight, when the cry that the bridegroom was coming came, they all ran out to meet him. The foolish virgins, upon realizing that their lamps were going out, asked the wise virgins for some of their oil. “No,” said the wise ones, “for there may not be enough for you and us. Go to the merchants and buy some.” While they went out to buy the oil, the wise virgins went into the wedding feast with the bridegroom and the door was locked. When the other virgins returned, they knocked and asked to be let in, saying “Lord, Lord, let us in. But He said in reply, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I do not know you.”

In his homily this morning, Father Patrick Mary, one of the friars at EWTN, explained this parable using commentary from some of the Church Fathers like St. Gregory the Great. They explain that the lamps represent faith and the oil that the wise virgins had represents charity and good works. Both the wise and foolish virgins had faith, but only the wise ones fortified that faith with their works and acts of love for others. When the foolish wanted to buy some of these works, they were refused because, as Father Patrick said, no one can live someone else’s relationship with God for them. You cannot claim someone’s love for others as your own; rather, you must live with this love, which is God’s love, on your own. You must also ask God to transform you now, instead of waiting until the last minute to change, because you might not get the chance.

So how much oil do you have? Are you striving to be more charitable and loving every day to the people around you? If we want to be a part of the group of wise virgins, we must continually ask God to change us so that He can love others through us and we can be admitted to the wedding feast of heaven.