Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor
Friday of week 21 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13In today’s Gospel, all ten bridesmaids are waiting for the bridegroom, but only five have prepared enough oil for the unexpected delay. Their wisdom lies not simply in staying awake, but in being ready to love faithfully for as long as necessary. Preparation in the Christian life is not anxious planning for the future; it is allowing our hearts to be filled today with the “oil” of prayer, faith, grace, charity, and a living relationship with Christ. The more deeply we are rooted in Him, the more freely we can love when circumstances become difficult, when patience is tested, or when someone unexpectedly needs us. Love often fails not because we do not want to love, but because our interior resources have become empty. We cannot improvise a deep spiritual life at the moment of crisis. Augustine of Hippo discovered after years of searching that only God could fill the deepest hunger of his heart. Once his restless heart found its rest in God, it became capable of an extraordinary life of love and service. The Gospel therefore invites us to keep our lamps burning and our hearts filled: the more we prepare ourselves through daily communion with Christ, the more ready we will be to recognize Him when He comes, and the more generously we will be able to love Him in every person and every situation. Let’s reflect: Am I filling my heart each day with prayer, grace, and the love of Christ, so that whenever love is demanded of me, I have enough “oil” to give myself generously?
Don Giorgio