Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 30, 2019
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “Then 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 wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
“As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
“Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.
“Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’
“Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Reflection
Today’s gospel is not one that gives much comfort and consolation. It is not a gospel that gently assures us that, whatever has befallen us, the love of God and the Lord Jesus Christ will bring us through. Although that remains true, the emphasis is more on the finality of the end times This gospel reminds us that every day does count and that we, as Christians, honor Christ by preparing ourselves for his coming.
In the early 1970’s I was about thirteen years old when a friend gave me a book on the rapture and the tribulation of the end times which she received at a youth revival. I read it and it scared the wits out of me. I knew that this graphic and literal interpretation of scripture did not exactly reflect my own Catholic tradition. After all, wouldn’t I have heard more about it by now if we believed this? The book worried me but, as a young teen, my mind moved on quickly. There were boys and make-up and teen magazines to occupy my thoughts.
The book stuck with me, though. I remember it vividly to this day. I now understand that we simply don’t know what the end times will be like or when Christ will come again. That is why this parable is such an important reminder to be prepared. The women preparing their lamps in this passage remind me of studying for a test. We need to study as best as we can because when the appointed hour for the test comes, there is no more time to prepare. We just need to take the test right at that moment. If we are prepared like the women who kept oil on hand for their lamps, the suddenness of Christ’s coming will not hinder our happiness. It will be a source of great joy.
Prayer
No one can know the day or time of the Lord’s coming for us. Therefore, Jesus says, be ready at all times, be true and faithful in our service to him, be honest and courageous in turning to him for forgiveness and mercy. Jesus called blessed the servant whom his master finds doing so. Lord, grant us perseverance and fidelity in our prayer. Give us confidence in your mercy for us. Let us be ready for your coming as we wait with the knowledge of your love for us.
Saint of the Day
Pammachius was a prominent citizen in the ancient Christian empire of Rome, and his life is woven together with the lives of all of the prominent saints of his age. His devoted love for his wife led him to holiness, even after her death.
He was classmates with the great Scripture scholar, St. Jerome; they studied rhetoric together and remained close friends for the rest of their lives. Pammachius was a member of a noble family and grew up to become a Roman senator.
In 385, he married Paulina (who was also friends with St. Jerome; her mother is also a saint). Twelve years later, Paulina died in childbirth. Pammachius must have been heartbroken, as he received letters of sympathy and encouragement from many friends. “Your wife is now a witness and an intercessor for you with Jesus Christ,” wrote a friend, St. Paulinus. “Make her a partner in your charities. She is honored by your virtues. She is fed by the bread you have given to the poor.”
Pammachius took the advice and dedicated the rest of his life to works of charity. With another friend, St. Fabiola, he built a hospice in Rome to offer shelter to pilgrims, especially those who were sick and poor. He cared for the forgotten people of Rome—poor and disabled people gathered around him whenever he went into the streets. He saw his care for the poor as a way of following in his wife’s footsteps.
Pammachius corresponded with the great St. Augustine, and was fearlessly honest in his letters to St. Jerome, who was known to be bitter and vitriolic at times in his pursuit of the cause of truth. Pammachius wrote several times to urge Jerome to tone down his language. Jerome often refused, but their correspondence encouraged him into new ways of thinking.
St. Pammachius, the Roman senator, your devotion to your deceased wife led you to give your life to the poor—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Pammachius is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Last accessed March 27, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
