Gospel of Matthew — Oil for Our Lamps

Matthew 25: 1-13

I like the point that the foolish virgins may not have done anything big to have empty lamps. Filling them with oil is just a little detail. But little details make a big difference, as we will see.

Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow, The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

First an overview of how the foolish virgins relate to our own Christian lives.

The Holy Spirit is teaching us that it is not enough just to have started out on the path that leads to Christ; we have to remain on it, continually alert, because the natural tendency of every man and woman is to lower the level of self-giving that the Christian vocation requires. Little by little, almost without realizing it, the soul gives in to the tendency to make Christ's call compatible with a comfortable existence. We have to be eternally on our guard against the pressure of an environment whose guiding principle is the insatiable search for comfort and the easy way. If not, we will end up like those maidens. ...

In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez, vol. 4

Sadly, I have to admit that sounds all too familiar to me. However, here are a few practical ways to think about this (and practice discipline).

On one level, it may not seem like a big deal to forget your oil—again. Or to show up to work ten minutes late every day. Or always to make time for watching TV but not enough time for prayer. The habits may be deeply ingrained, but every time we give in to them, we become a little more self-centered, and our ability to love God and the people around us diminishes. ...

What do you need to do to keep your flask filled with oil? Perhaps you could set your alarm a little earlier so that you are sure to have enough time to pray each morning. Maybe you could give up one night of television each week and offer to volunteer at church. The particulars may vary from person to person and day to day. But what’s important is finding a way to focus your life on God so that he can keep filling you with the “oil” of his love and grace. Because you never know when Jesus might show up!

Word Among Us, August 2020

Excerpts are from sources listed here. This series first ran in 2008. I'm refreshing it as I go.