In today's readings for Mass we hear: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.
Listen to my homily for today:
If you have trouble listening click here.
The Fathers of the Church have seen the five prudent virgins as a kind of life of watchfulness over the five senses while the foolish virgins are an icon of a life where the senses go unguarded. Charity is a kind of oil that suplies the fire for our spiritual life. Imprudent foolishness in the spiritual life is to not check the senses so that the soul may not have any charity in stock.
What is necessary is constant self-denial of the senses so that the life of charity may remain brightly burning in the soul. The Sacramental Life of the Church, especially fervent and frequent participation in the Eucharistic Mystery is one of the surest and quickest ways to staying watchful over the senses and keep the precious oil of charity filled and ready to burn in the lamp of the heart.
May Our Lady, Mother of Divine Charity, help us obtain and maintain this precious life of charity, that we may be found worthy to enter the wedding feast, not to be left out where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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