The end of the liturgical year is fast approaching; in fact, we are now only two weeks away from the Feast of Christ the King and the season of Advent will be beginning soon. Because of that, the readings for our Masses have become a little more eschatological, meaning they have started to focus on the End Times and the return of Jesus. Today is no exception.

In our readings this morning, the Church is inviting us to reflect on an important question: do we truly know the Lord…or, really…does the Lord know us and are we prepared for His return?

The five wise virgins eagerly awaited the bridegroom, they came prepared for every possible thing that could happen. They were enthusiastic about His coming and brought more than enough oil to make sure that if, for whatever reason, He was delayed, that they would have enough to last until He arrived. They didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see Him. We are called to take their example and to imitate it; we are called to be just as joyful, to be just as excited as they were.

The foolish virgins, on the other hand, didn’t come prepared. They didn’t bring enough oil, they weren’t ready in case the bridegroom was delayed. It begs the question: did they not anticipate the importance of the bridegroom’s coming with sufficient fervor? Did they not think ahead to what could have become a long wait? Obviously, something distracted their hearts from being truly prepared. It almost seems as if they weren’t willing to be inconvenienced. And, in the end, it cost them dearly.

In this parable, the oil represents what keeps our hearts aflame, what keeps them aware of the Lord’s presence and what allows our hearts to be open to receive Him. The wise virgins knew the Lord and the Lord knew them. That filled them with enthusiasm and joy at His coming. It made them be prepared for every possible outcome. They anticipated His return and even His delay. The foolish virgins were the opposite. They weren’t prepared, they were caught off guard.

Who are we? Are we the wise virgins, prepared for the Lord’s coming…or are we the foolish virgins?

For all of us, the fulfillment of every single one of our desires is Jesus, the Bridegroom. He wants to espouse us, which follows a beautiful tradition in the Scriptures where we see God’s relationship with His people as a spousal relationship. So it is in Christ’s relationship with us. He wants to have us join Him in eternity, entering into such deep and intimate communion with Him. He is coming to see us, to bring us into the great wedding banquet – the wedding banquet of Heaven.

Remember, the Cross is the marriage bed, where Christ gave Himself totally and completely in sacrifice for the sake of His Bride, for the sake of the Church, for our sake. That’s what we remember at each Mass, that is what is celebrated on this altar each and every day. The Lord has shown us the lengths that He is willing to go to make union with Him possible. He has shown what He is prepared to do for us. He has given His life for us so that we can be with Him. And He longs for us to experience that union with Him completely and totally. That will happen when He returns in glory, when the Resurrection of the body takes place, and when He creates a new Heaven and a new earth. But we have to be prepared for that day. We have to be ready.

Are we enthusiastic about His coming? Do we anticipate the possibility that He may be delayed? Have we brought enough oil to keep our lamps lit? In other words, do we have a consistent prayer life? Do we cultivate a taste for Jesus in the regular reception of the Eucharist? Do we strive to remain in the life of grace through frequent confession? Do we continually strive to follow the commands of the Lord, to be those disciples that He has called us to be? Do we actively seek to make Him present in the world to others? Do we pick up our crosses and follow Him daily?

We can be assured of one thing: the Lord is coming back; He will return. That’s a promise given to us in Scripture. And that return will only be at a time when the Father decides for it to happen. But until that occurs, we must be prepared. We must have enough oil if the Bridegroom is delayed. Because when He comes, we don’t want to be like those foolish virgins who missed out on the greatest wedding banquet there ever was.

This week and in the days leading up to the celebration of Christmas, let’s get serious about preparing our hearts for the return of Jesus. In prayer over the next few weeks, ask the Lord to reveal whatever it is that prevents us from getting closer to Him, what is blocking us from embracing a life of true discipleship, what is stopping us from being in deeper relationship with Him. The more we strive to foster that relationship, the more we invite Him into our hearts, the more prepared we will be for His coming…whenever that might be. Let’s take the words of our Lord seriously: “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Painting: The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (unfinished), Peter von Cornelius. Museum Kunstpalast. Acquired 1861 at the Allgemeine Deutsche Historische Kunstausstellung zu Köln by the Verein zur Errichtung einer Gemäldegalerie from the estate of J. A. Koch. Used under public domain license, Wikimedia Commons.