Oil for the Night: The Wisdom of Being Ready

Wis 6:12-16, Psalm: 62, 1Thess 4:13-17, Mt 25:1-13

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

There is a moment in everyone’s life when the door closes. A moment when preparation meets opportunity, or when negligence meets consequence. The ten virgins in today’s Gospel all wanted to meet the bridegroom. They all brought their lamps. They all waited. But only five brought oil. And when the cry came at midnight, only five were ready. The others were left outside, knocking on a closed door, hearing words that should chill every soul: “I do not know you.”

The Book of Wisdom sets the stage. “Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her.” Wisdom is not hidden from us. It is not reserved for scholars or mystics. It is available to all who seek it, all who long for it, all who rise early to find it. But here is the key: wisdom must be sought before the crisis. The foolish virgins did not lack lamps. They lacked oil. And they did not realize their lack until it was too late.

Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Thessalonians, gives us the reason for our vigilance. He speaks of the dead in Christ, and he does not want us to grieve like those who have no hope. “If we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” Our hope is not in this life alone. Our hope is in the resurrection. And because of that hope, we live differently. We live in readiness. We live with our eyes fixed on eternity.

The connection is this: The oil in the lamps is the life of grace. It is faith, hope, and love. It is prayer, the sacraments, good works, and the daily carrying of the cross. It is the wisdom of living for what lasts. The wise virgins had oil. The foolish did not. And the difference was not a last-minute panic. It was the accumulation of small, daily choices. They trimmed their lamps. They filled them. They prepared. And when the bridegroom came, they were ready.

Pope Francis has said, “The Lord does not ask us to be perfect, but to be ready. To be awake. To be vigilant.” Saint John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, wrote, “The wisdom of the Christian is the wisdom of the Cross—the wisdom of knowing what truly matters.” And Saint Augustine, contemplating the parable of the ten virgins, said, “The oil is the gift of love. Without love, the lamp is useless. It flickers and dies.”

What does this mean for us? We are the ten virgins. We have our lamps. We have our faith. But have we filled them with oil? Have we cultivated the life of grace? Have we sought wisdom while it can still be found? The cry will come. The bridegroom will return. But the question is not whether we are waiting. The question is whether we are ready.

Today, let us examine our hearts. What is the oil that we are accumulating? Is it the oil of prayer, of charity, of faithfulness? Or are we running on empty, hoping that someone else will lend us what we should have bought ourselves? Let us ask the Lord to give us the wisdom of the wise virgins—the foresight, the preparation, the vigilance. For the door will close. And those who are ready will enter into the joy of the Lord. Those who are not will hear the words no one wants to hear: “I do not know you.”

Be wise. Be ready. Fill your lamps with oil. For the Bridegroom is coming. And He will not wait. Amen. May God bless you all!