Homily of the Day

Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus teaches as the first and most important commandment that we love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. The extent of observance of this commandment is exemplified in this parable of Jesus about the ten bridesmaids.

Five of the bridesmaids practiced this commandment with their whole heart, soul and mind. They desired to accompany the bridegroom, Jesus, to the wedding feast, to heaven. Hence, the five sensible bridesmaids in their desire to accomplish their goal, prepared for the needs of the journey by bringing flasks of oil for their lamps.

The five careless bridesmaids followed the commandment with all their heart and all their soul, but they failed to observe it with all their mind. They did not fully prepare for the journey by not bringing the necessary oil needed for their lamps, and thus failed to attain their goal. The sensible bridesmaids could not give them oil from their own lamps because that would have caused them also to fail to reach their destination.

How often do we presume that our loving God would provide for all that we need to get to heaven and cause us to get there? God does provide all the means but are there times when we do not choose to avail of those means because we are too preoccupied with loves other than for God?

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