Biblical scholars tell us that this Parable of the Ten Virgins was likely cobbled together from a few sources meant to drive home the message of always being prepared – a Gospel theme we will hear often between now and Christmas. But was does that mean to you and me? What does being prepared look like? And tapping into one of today’s Gospel metaphors, what is the oil that we need to be placing in our lamps? Check it out…

1. 1 Deacon Jim Knipper
12 November 2023 32nd
Sunday in Ordinary Time Princeton, NJ
For the past thirty-two weekends we have been walking through the Gospel of Matthew which was
written primarily for a Jewish audience about 40 years after Christ died. One of its primary
purposes was to convince Jews that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah of the Hebrew
Scriptures. So, as we near the end of Liturgical Year we are given this Gospel passage, largely
written to address a concern of those times – namely, a realization that Jesus was not coming back
anytime soon.
For twice in Matthew, we hear Jesus himself declaring that his generation would not pass before
the coming of the Son of Man. But as the years went by, with no sign of a second coming, the
authors wrote passages and parables in order to remind Christians that no one knows the time nor
the place when Christ will return and thus the need for us to always be prepared.
Biblical scholars tell us that this Parable of the Ten Virgins was likely cobbled together from
material from Mark’s Gospel and a few other sources, with some later edits. Rooted in a
foundation of the then current Jewish wedding rituals, it is enriched with a number of metaphorical
images - all meant to drive home the message of always being prepared – which is a Gospel
theme we will hear often between now and Christmas.
But was does that mean to you and me? What does being prepared look like? And tapping into
one of today’s Gospel metaphors, what is the oil that we need to be placing in our lamps?
To answer that I think we need to first shift our focus away from the fear of what is to come and
when it will happen. It is said that about 98% of our thought process is either reprocessing the past
or endlessly worrying about the future…even though Jesus warned his disciples not to do so. For
when we focus on this fear-based theology we too often forget that the Kingdom of God is here
and now and we are called to “fill our lamps” by participating in all of it – and thus bringing to life
the current presence of Christ.
And we do this by being awake and alert to the Christ who meets us in our daily lives in so many
ways: Whether it is holding your grandchild for the first time or sitting by the side of a dying parent
or friend. Perhaps it may be the beauty of a sunset over the ocean, or gazing into the face of the
one you love so much. All these and more are occurrences of the Christ. But do we pause to
recognize and embrace those moments…or, are we asleep and too preoccupied and miss them?
Next, we have to look within, keeping in mind that our spiritual life is not a competition on who gets
in and who doesn’t. For, unlike the parable, none of us are all wise…nor are we always the fool –
for we are both weed and wheat – no one is perfect – only God is perfect. Rather we need to work
on transforming our weaknesses and foolishness by examining what in each of our own lives
needs to change – to look where we are asleep to God’s presence.
In the words of theologian and scientist Sr. Ilia Delio: “For God is the root reality of our lives; God is
what we do with our lives. We are called to participate in the very acting out of the life of God”…or
in other words to be more of God. Thus, we need to stop trying to placate God and instead allow
ourselves to be held by God. I am not sure why it is so hard for us to believe that God has pure
unconditional love for each of us but yet we still spend so much of our time placing conditions and

2. 2 Deacon Jim Knipper
restrictions on God’s love for us and others? And when we do that, we go through life with a
spirituality focused as if we are just working on a personal evacuation plan for the next life…just
seeking the answer to the question - “What do I need to do in order for ME to get into heaven?”
So rather than being focused with fear on what is to come – can we redirect our energies on living
a faith filled life in the present? A life that allows us to recognize the inner presence of God in each
of our lives…even when we find ourselves in personal crisis – even when there is such suffering in
the world as there is in Ukraine, and Palestine and Israel…or the pain experienced with the
proliferation of mass shootings in this country. And instead of fear or retribution can we respond
with forgiveness and love? For when “love touches suffering, suffering turns love into mercy”1
where God’s presence is made known to everyone without measure, without exception and without
regret.
Shane Claiborne, founding partner of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner-city Philadelphia
which helps connect faith communities around the world wrote this:
“There’s something powerful that happens when we can connect our faith with the pain of
our world. When we are concerned not just with going to heaven when we die, but with
bringing God’s kingdom down here. That means figuring out how we can be a part of the
restoration of our world. So, as we look at our neighborhoods, what does it mean for us to
pray the Lord’s Prayer that God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven?”
For this is what it means to fill our lamps and trim our wicks thus allowing us to burn brightly,
stamping out the darkness that at times seems way too prevalent in our lives and in our world. So
as Jesus tells us so often in the Gospel - Do not be afraid…Instead work on being prepared -
which has more to do with now versus later…where we are focused:
…on presence and never fear…
…on love versus hatred
…on using our hearts and souls more than our minds
…on how we care for others versus just focusing on ourselves.
For we are called to live the Gospel message not focused on End Time – but rather in Now Time,
This Time. And if we do, we will be taken to places that we least expect…we will connect with
others in ways we never thought were possible… we will be evermore aware of God’s presence in
our daily lives…and we will fill our lamps, and those of others, with an abundance of oil allowing
the light and love of Christ to burn brightly.
And, finally when the time comes, without knowing the day nor the time, after our work in this life is
done, we will be called back home...Where we will join those that have gone before us - better
known as the Communion of Saints...where we will be more of God not through any merits we
have earned…but by simply filling our lamps with God’s love and mercy and compassion and
burning brightly upon all those who come into our life.
1
Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ