Rev. Scott Emerson of St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church shared a reflection on the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

When we see the parable of the five wise virgins and the foolish virgins, we can have the tendency to think that the former are selfish for not sharing what they have with those who do not have anything. 

But we must understand the parable in the context of the culture of the time. 

“Their role in the wedding feast, according to customs of the time, was to welcome the newlywed couple to the bridegroom’s home after the wedding. That was their responsibility. To give away their oil would be to shirk their responsibility: There was simply not enough oil for ten lamps,” Rev. Emerson wrote.

In the same way, it is our responsibility to be faithful to the church. To fail in our responsibility would be a horrible act of omission. 

“The Book of Wisdom teaches the same lesson. Wisdom was understood by the ancient philosophers as the key to a meaningful and fulfilling life. It was the object of the human person’s greatest quest and must be sought after and desired beyond all other things,” Rev. Emerson wrote. 

We are called to look at the parable through the right lens, that of the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. 

“We all have the possibility of salvation, of entering into eternal life with God and the saints. But we also face the possibility of being excluded from heaven. Christ couldn’t have made it clearer,” Rev. Emerson wrote. 

It follows, then, that it is our first responsibility in this life to ensure that we build up our relationship with God. While he will not force a relationship on us, he stands, desiring that all people will come to him and cooperate with him.