August 28
Saint Augustine, Bishop
& Doctor of the Church
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
Today's Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 (Parable of the Ten Virgins)
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten
virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them
were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since
the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At
midnight, there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then
all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the
wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise
ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to
the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the
bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord,
Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do
not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Reflection:
Augustine spent years as one of the foolish
virgins in this parable. He carried a lamp and went through the motions. He had
a brilliant mind, but he was an empty vessel. He chased pleasure and false
philosophies while his mother Monica prayed and wept for him without ceasing.
He even prayed, in his unconverted years, "Grant me chastity and
continence, but not yet." He wanted the lamp without being ready to fill
it.
Then, in a garden in Milan, the oil finally caught and he converted completely.
He became a bishop and wrote some of the most searching theology the Church has
ever produced. All of it flowed from a heart that had finally understood what
today's Gospel warns about: readiness can't be borrowed at the last minute from
someone else's vessel. You either store up the oil quietly, day after day, or
you're locked outside when the bridegroom comes.
Our Lady never experienced a foolish virgin season. Her lamp was full, from the
first moment she said Yes. But she interceded constantly for people like
Augustine, people still fumbling in the dark for oil they hadn't found yet. His
conversion is proof that her prayers, and his mother's, were never wasted, even
during the years the oil looked completely dry.
If the bridegroom came tonight, not in some distant reckoning but
tonight, would they find a lamp you've been quietly filling for years, or one
you've been meaning to fill as soon as things settle down?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
