Gospel & Reflection
Gospel & Reflection for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Matthew 25:1‐13
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
Reflection
Friends, in the history of American College Basketball, one of the most controversial but successful coaches was Bobby Knight. Bobby Knight was nicknamed ‘the General’ and his career, especially with the Indiana Hoosiers, was legendary. His achievements were many, but often they were overshadowed because of his volatile nature. He had an explosive temper which often resulted in him physically and verbally confronting and fighting with officials, the opposition, and even his own players.
However, in 1976, shortly after winning one of his many national championships, Coach Knight was interviewed on the famous American television show ‘60 Minutes’. The interviewer asked him, “Why is it, Bobby, that your basketball teams at Indiana are always so successful? Is it the will to succeed?” He replied by saying: “The will to succeed is important, but I will tell you what is more important; it is the will to prepare. It is the will to go out there every day, training and building those muscles and sharpening those skills!”
What Bobby Knight understood about basketball is exactly what Jesus is trying to teach us with the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids. The difference between those who were prudent and those who were careless, those who entered the wedding feast and those left outside, was not their desire to get in; it was their will to be prepared. When the bridegroom was delayed, all ten bridesmaids fell asleep. Falling asleep was not the tragedy; the tragedy was that five of them lacked the preparation necessary for the moment the bridegroom would arrive. They had the lamps, the wedding garments, and the desire to see and meet the groom. But they did not have the oil.
The oil of the parable represents our personal, lived relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship cannot be borrowed, bought, or suddenly revealed at the last second. Of course, it can be influenced by others. For many of us, our faith was sparked by a parent, a grandparent, or a holy friend. But their faith cannot save us. Their oil cannot light our lamps. We have to cultivate our own relationship with God; we must choose for ourselves to know, love, and serve Him in order to be always prepared for His arrival.
But Faith is not automatic; it is a precious gift that must be actively guarded, strengthened, and honed over time.
This is why Jesus calls on us all to “Stay awake.” The word used originally by Christ is better translated as ‘vigilant’ or ‘attentive.’ So, the Lord is calling on us to simply live in a state of awareness. He asks us to be alert and ready to live and stand as a Catholic at all times. This means building our spiritual muscles and sharpening our moral integrity always so that when our faith is tested, we do not falter.
This is done by daily preparation. We will not falter when we choose prayer over distraction, and forgiveness over resentment. We build our Faith every time we receive the Eucharist and go to confession. We stand up for our Faith by refusing to live in fear or compromise, by having the courage to live truly as Christ taught us—with love, gratitude, and consideration rather than just bowing to what the secular world expects of us. To live with this kind of trust and hope requires a real, intimate relationship with God. Like the sensible bridesmaids of the parable, we must be personally responsible for what we believe. We must care for our faith; help it grow and have it shine bright in our lives and hearts.
We ask today for the grace of the “will to prepare”. Let us not wait for a crisis or the end of our days before finally turning to God and then training our souls. By choosing daily to grow and strengthening ourselves in the Lord, we ensure our lamps stay burning bright, that we are able to stand for Christ at any moment, and are ready to meet Him when He comes.
Fr. Richard
