Friday, August 30, 2019


Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

(I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Matthew 25:1-13)

Should not the five virgins who brought extra oil have shared their excess with the ones who didn’t?  Perhaps, but that is not what Jesus was getting at in this parable.  A parable is not just a moral lesson; it is a comparison that engages the listener to make a point.  In this case the point is not the need to be generous but something deeper.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells his disciples that they are the “light of the world.”  In other words, they are to shine like the lantern in a lighthouse to give testimony to him.  They thus shine when they perform works of charity.  The lamp oil of today’s parable is the goodness that is transformed into charitable works for the world to see Jesus.

We too are Jesus’ disciples with the mandate to give light to the world.  In doing this we not only assist the poor but also show kindness to those around us.  People will take note and give glory to God.  They will recognize us as Jesus’ disciples fulfilling his mandate to enlighten the world.