Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 30, 2024
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“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.”
To be frank, what gives?!? First, the bridegroom is late to his own party. Then, the five wise virgins don’t share any of their oil. Finally, after buying the oil, the groom shuts the door on the five foolish virgins!
Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus instructs, “Give to the one who asks of you.” If this parable 20 chapters later commends the five wise virgins, why don’t they share their oil?? Close attention to Matthew’s Gospel reveals that light symbolizes one’s good deeds: “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Mt 5:16)
The oil that produces the virgins’ light symbolizes their good deeds, as St. Augustine writes, “in the burning lamps [are] good works.” The oil, then, is a non-transferable commodity because good deeds are non-transferable. The five wise virgins refuse to share their oil not because they are selfish but because they can’t distribute their good deeds—no one can become holy for us.
Even though the five foolish virgins try midnight shopping for oil, their hasty rush to attain last-minute good deeds doesn’t work. Christ won’t recognize us with our light substitutes. We can’t hastily make up for authentic acts of love, and we certainly can’t light our lamps with the good deeds of others.
Heeding Christ’s call to “stay awake” should inform our daily routines and inspire our spiritual lives. Today’s Gospel reminds us that we must prepare now to meet Christ, for we “know neither the day nor the hour.”
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’ image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Pammachius, the Roman senator, your devotion to your deceased wife led you to give your life to the poor--pray for us!