Proverbs 31

When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Here is an excerpt from the Nuptial Blessing during a wedding.
“May her husband entrust his heart to her, so that, acknowledging her as his equal and his joint heir to the life of grace, he may show her due honor and cherish her always with the love that Christ has for his Church."

Keeping Our Lamps Trimmed and Burning

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus shares the Parable of the Ten Virgins. It is a familiar story: ten bridesmaids wait for a bridegroom. Five are wise and bring extra oil for their lamps; five are foolish and bring none. When the bridegroom arrives late in the night, the foolish bridesmaids find themselves entirely unprepared and locked out of the wedding feast.

At first glance, this parable can seem harsh. Why wouldn’t the wise bridesmaids share their oil?

The answer lies in what the oil represents. In the Christian tradition, the oil symbolizes our personal relationship with God, our faith, and our good deeds. It represents the life of grace sustained through prayer and the sacraments.

This kind of "oil" cannot be borrowed or transferred at the last minute. You cannot borrow someone else’s prayer life, nor can you stand before God on the merits of someone else's relationship with Him. When the Lord returns—or when we are called home to meet Him—we must each possess our own store of faith and love.

The Danger of Spiritual Procrastination

The tragedy of the foolish virgins wasn't that they were evil; it was that they were casual. They assumed they had more time. They expected the bridegroom on their own schedule, not his.

What is the capacity of a human being? We can discern the answer to this question from the Great Commandment. “Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Because he commands us he will also give us the capacity to fulfill. In John’s Gospel Jesus goes even farther. He says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” It is not sufficient to love merely with our human heart and strength. We must love with the heart of Christ.

Today is All Saints Day! Do not forget that you are called to be a saint! The most important thing is to be united to the source of life. We are creatures. We receive our existence from God. If we are not united to Jesus then it will be impossible to imitate his charity. The first step on the path to holiness is to recognize my dependence on God. If that is firmly established then I can truly experience the beauty of God and of all creatures in their proper order.

Matthew 6:33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you.

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches, without me you can do nothing.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.