Today we commemorate the memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Doctor of Church. This comes after we just celebrated his mother Monica yesterday. St. Augustine conversion life is highly attributed to the prayers of his mother. There are many things that we take from St. Augustine given his extensive wisdom on Theology, Philosophy and Scripture. Augustine born from North Africa, Algeria today, was baptized by St. Ambrose, and later became a bishop. There is a famous saying of him that, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” This restlessness of not despair but of hope in waiting. Hope in doing all what is necessary, that we do not miss to be part of the wedding when the bridegroom comes. It is a calling to be alert, wise, and keep our lamp with oil always.
The parable of ten virgins we heard was Jesus' teachings at Mt. Olive just few days before his arrest, and crucifixion. It is quite extensive, spiritually enlightening, and a warning of staying awake. In the Jewish wedding, it stretched for days. The bridegroom would come to the bride's home mostly after nightfall. The bridesmaids/virgins were required to meet the bridegroom on the road and escort him. Through the street the party would continue and so they needed lamps. Lacking a lamp and oil was a shame, failure and insult to the bridegroom.
St. Augustine interpreting this parable which mostly taken by Church is that the ten virgins are all who carry the faith of Church. These are all people of faith. All of us waiting for the Lord. All the Ten fall asleep. All ten carry lamps. The difference is interior, hidden, and even personal. The wedding feast is eternity that all faithful are invited, waiting for it, and welcomed. Those who make to it are those with perfect union with God. Those remain in the state of Grace. Since all fall asleep and at midnight the bridegroom comes, is taken as moment of death that each will experience.
The biggest difference between the ten virgins was the oil. Five lacked oil at the time the bridegroom came. Oil is interpreted as our actions of love, sacrifice, and all good works. In waiting of the hour there will be temptation of letting go good work due to personal interest or mere abandonment of charity, love, forgiveness due exhaustion feeling of cross becoming heavy. Even so, we must remain consistent in doing good. A spouse who forgives the other. Seeks reconciliation rather than separation and revenge. A family that sits together to listen to each other and pray rather than each choosing his own path. In the scripture (Mt 5:16), we hear, “let your light so shine before people, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” The light is your good works, and the oil is your interior life. Interior life is life of grace, prayer, sacrifice, and active love (Catholic Answers, n.d).
The biggest challenge is that the oil cannot be borrowed or bought; it is personal. I cannot borrow one person's fidelity, prayer life, sacrifice, and continuous life of prayer. St. Augustine would say, “Grace builds in nature.” Let us allow ourselves to be built by grace through our continuous acts, especially stemming from interior life. God speaks in our conscience which is His sanctuary. This is where our interior life is found. This is where our oil is kept. We may ask ourselves, how is my interior life? Where nobody knows BUT only me and God. May God give us his grace and sanctify us that in our waiting we may be wise in our discernment, and may he grant us eternity when our day comes. Amen.