The Struggle

Today’s Gospel Text: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Matt 25:1-13

Reflection:  How often we sit to pray and fall asleep? We could be criticized for it or we ourselves could wake up with guilt for not having spent quality time in prayer.

Similar could be our guilt in our fight against the temptations of daily life and we could suddenly find ourselves fallen from grace and end up with guilt and shame, sometimes depending on the public embarrassment it can bring us.

There is difference between a person deliberately walking in sin and the one’s struggling to overcome the daily temptation of life.

The parable tells us that we could be caught napping, but there could be hope for the struggler, because they, like the wise virgins, could be carrying some oil in their lamps through all their years of sincere struggle, so as to enable them to enter the bridegrooms presence.

A man who has struggled at the waters to swim, may fail many times but has a better hope if in troubled waters than a man who has never taken advantage of an opportunity that has come their way.

Oil is the outcome of the great effort due to the crushing of the seed. Likewise, each one has to be crushed in the oil press of the Lord and need to have enough of the oil, through their sincere struggle than the no struggle of a miserable sinner or a self-righteous man.

                                                                                                                        

Prayer: Lead me Lord, not into temptation but deliver me from every evil, each day as I labor in your holy presence and seek to do your will.

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