Preparing for the Wedding Feast

This is a computer-generated transcription that has been included to make the homily searchable.  It has not been verified by the author.

“The kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.” We have again today, a parable which the Lord speaking to us again of a parable involving marriage. We were talking about this a couple of weeks ago with another parable. And in the first reading, the first reading from the Book of Wisdom is about a young man who becomes enamored of Divine Wisdom, falls in love with divine wisdom. And here we have a parable of 10 virgins, five, who are wise, and five, who are foolish. And this, the Lord using this parable of marriage, your marriage we know today is very challenging, very difficult. Marriage is so much under attack. But a true Christian marriage is something so good and so beautiful, that the Lord uses it, to speak to us of heaven, of that moment in which a soul leaves this earth and enters into heaven. Maybe some souls will have to, first of all, be prepared in Purgatory. But if a soul is faithful, then eventually there will come that moment in which it will enter into union with God, which is represented here by marriage. But what would have been like to hear Jesus sharing this parable? Because the gospel they have to, the gospel writers had to summarize it a lot. What would it be like to be there as he’s sharing it and explaining it? And because there’s so much in these parables, these parables, in some ways, seem simple. But there’s so much richness and mystery in them. And I think one person who can help us, help us a lot with that is the Italian mystic that many of us are familiar with, Maria Valtorta, who passed away in the 1960s. And I’d like to share with you her meditation on this passage. And if you want, you can close your eyes as we listen to this. So first of all, the setting, Jesus is speaking in the presence of some local farmworkers, and many disciples, including the women, amongst whom there’s the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Martha, and many people from Bethany, all the apostles are present. And Jesus says, it is because of this sensation of fear that I realized is so sharp in you, that today I wish to tell you a sweet parable. Sweet for those of goodwill, bitter for others, but the latter can remove the bitterness and then become persons of goodwill, and the reproach provoked in their consciences by the parable will no longer exist. And so then the parable, “the kingdom of heaven, is the health of the nuptials of God with souls. The kingdom of heaven is the health of the nuptials, the marriage of God with souls. The moment a soul enters it, is the day of nuptials.” So that puts our life in a very different perspective. If, humanly we think life just declines, eventually into death. But if we see actually life, as this, this preparation to for the great infinite divide, marriage of the soul with God, so that’s the great light of faith. “Now listen, it is accustomed with us, that virgins escort the bridegroom when he arrives, to take him with light and songs to the nuptial house, together with his sweet bride. When the procession leaves the house of the bride, who’s wearing a veil, and deeply moved, turns her steps to the place where she will be queen, that is to a house, which is not hers, but will become hers, the moment she becomes one body with her husband.  The procession of the virgins, who are generally friends of the bride runs to meet the happy couple forming the circle of lights around them.” So that was the tradition of the Jewish people then. “Now it happened, that in a town there was a wedding, while the bride and bridegroom were making merry with relatives and friends in the house of the bride, 10 Virgins went to their place, that is to the hall in the groom’s house, to be ready to go out and meet him with the sound of cymbals and songs warn them that the young couple had left the bride’s house to come to the groom’s. But the feast in the house of the nuptials extended and night fell. As you know the virgins always keep their lamps lit, so that they do not waste time at the right moment. Now of these 10 virgins, five are wise, and five were foolish, and all their lamps were lit and shining. The wise ones, full of wisdom had provided themselves with small flasks full of oil to fill up their lamps in the event that they should have to wait longer than expected. wait longer than expected, whereas the foolish ones had only filled their little lamps. One hour went by after the other, cheerful conversation, stories and jokes made their waiting pleasant. But later on, they did not know what to say or what to do, and weary and tired, the 10 girls sat down more comfortably, and slowly fell asleep with their lamps lit and close to them. At midnight, suddenly a cry was heard, the bridegroom is coming, go out and meet him. The 10 girls got up on hearing the order, took their veils and garlands, adorn themselves and ran to the shell where the lamps were, the light of five of them was already fading. The wicks no longer sustained with oil which was finished, we’re smoking. Their light was becoming fainter and fainter, and they would go out at the least whiff of air. Whereas the flames of the other five lamps, which had been refilled by the wise virgins before they fell asleep, were still bright and became even brighter when more oil was added to the lens. Oh, begged the foolish girls give us some of your oil. Otherwise our lamps will go out as soon as we move them. Yours are already so beautiful. But the wise virgins replied, the wind is blowing in the night outside, and the heavy drops of dew are falling. There is never enough oil to give a flame strong enough to withstand the wind and dampness. If we give you some also, our lights will begin to fade away. And the precession of the virgins would be really a sad one without the flickering flames of lamps. Go run to the nearest vendor, beg, knock, make him get up to give you some oil. So the foolish girls panting, creasing their veils, staying in their dresses, losing their garlands while pushing one another and running, follow the advice of their companions. But while they were on their way to buy some oil, the bride and the bridegroom appeared at the end of the street. The five virgins with their light lamps lit, ran to meet them and the young people entered the house and the midst of them for the final ceremony with the virgins at the end would escort the bride to the nuptial room. The door was closed behind them, and those who are outside were left out. And that was the case of the five foolish bridesmaid who at last arrived with the oil, but found the door closed and in vain they knocked, hurting their hands and moaning, Lord, Lord open the door for us. We were in the wedding procession. We are the propitiatory virgins chosen to bring honor and good luck to your wedding. But the bridegroom, leaving for a moment the closet guest, who’s leave he was taking while the bride was entering the nuptial room, from the upper room of the house, said to them. I tell you that I do not know you. I do not know who you are. I did not see you rejoicing around my beloved bride. Are you usurpers, you are therefore left out of the nuptial house. And the five foolish girls weeping went away along the dark streets with their useless lamps, their creased dresses and torn veils while their garlands were practically destroyed or lost.” So that’s a retelling of the parable. So what does all that mean? Now listen to the meaning of the parable. “I told you at the beginning that the kingdom of heaven is the house of the nuptials of God with souls. All the faithful are called to the celestial wedding. Because God loves all of His children. Sooner or later, everybody arrives at the moment of the nuptials if they are faithful, and it is a great fortune to arrive. But listen further. You know how the girls consider it an honor and fortune to be invited as bridesmaids of the bride. Let us see whom the various people represent, and you will understand better. The bridegroom is God. The bride is the soul of a just person who after the period of engagement in the house of the Father that is under the protection of and in obedience to God’s doctrine. living according to justice is taken to the house of the bridegroom for the wedding. The Virgin maids are the souls of the faithful, who following the example set by the bride, the fact that she was chosen by the bridegroom because of her virtues means that she was a living example of holiness and ever to achieve the same honor by sanctifying themselves. They are in a white, clean, fresh dress, with white veils, crowned with flowers. They are holding lighted lamps in their hands, their lamps are very clean, and the works are nourished with the purest oil so that they may not be unpleasant.” So now they’ll be an explanation of each one of those elements. “In a white dress, Justice steadily practiced gives a white dress, and the day will soon come, whether it will be most white. Without even the most remote remembrance of stain. It will be of a supernatural and angelica whiteness and a clean dress. One must always keep the dress clean to humility. It is so easy to dim the purity of heart, and those whose hearts are not pure cannot see God. Humility is like water that washes. A humble soul, (maybe that’s also another side of this rain) a humble man who notices that he has darkened his robe because his eyes are not dim by the fumes of pride. And thus he runs to the Lord and says, I have stained the purity of my heart. I weep at your feet to be cleansed. Oh my sun, (sun in the sense of the sun in the sky) Oh my sun, purify my heart to your benign forgiveness and your paternal love and a fresh dress. Oh the freshness of a heart. Children have it by a gift of God. The just have it by a gift of God and through their own will. Saints have it by a gift of God and through their will elevate it to heroism. But will a sinner who soul is torn, burnt, poisoned, and disgraced ever be able to have a fresh robe? Oh, of course he will. He begins to have it the moment he looks at himself with disgust. He increases its freshness when he decides to change life. He brings it to perfection. With penance he washes, the detoxicates, cures and recomposes his poor soul. And with the help of God, who does not refuse assistance to anyone who asked Him for holy help, and through His own will elevate it to super heroism, because it is not necessary for him to just protect what he has, but he must rebuild what he destroyed. And thus he must work twice, three times seven times as much and with untiring penance, relentless against his own sinful ego, he will take his soul back to the freshness of a child’s soul. A new freshness made precious by experience which makes him the master, the example for other people who are once like him, that is sinners.  With white veils, humility, I said, When you pray or do penance, do not let the world see you. In the wisdom books it is written, it is right to keep the secret of the king. Humility is the candid veil worn to defend the good we do and the good God grants us. We must not be proud of the privileged love granted to us by God, nor seek foolish human glory. The gift would be taken away at once. But from the depths of our hearts, we must sing to our God, my soul proclaims your greatness Oh Lord, because you have looked upon your lowly handmade. Jesus makes a short pause and cast a glance at His mother, who blushes under her veil and bends forward as if she wanted to tidy the hair of the boy sitting at her feet, but in actual fact to conceal her deep felt remembrance. Crowned with flowers, a soul must weave its daily garland of virtuous deeds, because nothing withered or slovenly or slovenly looking, is to appear In the presence of the Most High. I said daily, because the soul does not know when the God, bridegroom, God that beautiful face God bridegroom, may appear and say, come. Therefore you must never tire renewing the garland. Do not be afraid, flowers wither, but the flowers of virtuous wreaths, do not wither. Gods angel, who every man has at his side, picks up these daily wreaths, and takes them to heaven. And they will be there in the throne for the new blessed soul when it enters the nuptial house, as the bride. Their lamps are lit. They have, they have them to honor the bridegroom, and to see the way how refulgent faith is. And what a kind friend it is, faith. It gives a flame as bright as a star, a flame that smiles because it is sure in its certainty, A flame that also brightens the instrument supporting it. Also the flesh of man, nourished with faith seems to become brighter and more spiritual, even in this world, free from premature withering, because he who believes holds on to God’s word and commandments in order to possess God, his ultimate aim, and therefore he shuns corruption, he has not perturbed or afraid, he feels no remorse. He has not compelled to make an effort to remember lies or to conceal evil deeds, and remains young and handsome by means of the beautiful incorruptibility of saints. Flesh and blood, mind and heart, free from lust, to contain the oil of faith, to give light without smoke are constant will defeat that light forever. Everyday life with its disappointments, contacts, temptations, disagreements, tends to diminish faith. No, it must not happen. Go every day to the source of the sweet sapiential wisdom, sapiential oil of God. A lamp with little oil can be put out by the least puff of wind, or by the heavy dew of the night. The night, the hour of darkness, of sin, of temptation comes for everybody. It is the night for the soul. But if the soul is filled to the brim with faith, its flame cannot be put out by the wind of the world, or by the fog of sensuality. And finally, vigilance, vigilance, vigilance. He who is unwearily trustful, and says, Oh God will come on time while my light is still on and makes up his mind to go to sleep instead of keeping awake and goes to sleep without providing what is necessary to get up and be ready at the first call. And who waits until the last moment to procure the oil of faith, or the strong wick of goodwill, runs the risk of being left out when the bridegroom arrives. Be vigilant therefore with prudence, perseverance, purity, trust, so that you may always be ready for God’s call. Because you do not know when He will come. My dear disciples, I do not want you to be afraid of God. On the contrary, I want you to have faith in His goodness. You must consider that if you do what the wise virgins did, you will be invited not only to escort the bridegroom, but like the Virgin Esther, who became queen in a place of Vashti, you will be chosen and elected to be brides, as the bridegroom, as it said in the Book of Esther felt more approval and favor with you than with anybody else. I bless you. May the peace of the Lord always be with you.” So that’s the little meditation. So just to conclude, at midnight, there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom come out to meet him.  So that a midnight will lie for each soul. There will be a time in which this great cry will echo for all our earth. But there’s also the moment in which it comes for each soul. The moment in which each of our souls leaves this earth. And this reminds us of the great passage at the end of the book of the Revelation that we’ve quoted so often. Let us rejoice and give God the glory, for the marriage, the marriage of the Lamb (for those who are making the Encounter, that we were just talking about, that in the talk this morning) the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. It was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. The angel said to me, write this, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And so as we would just recalling in this encounter, in every Mass, in the moment of Holy Communion, is an anticipation of this great wedding feast of the Lamb that we hear those words echoed, Blessed are those called to the supper, to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And so with our Blessed Mother, let us ask her to prepare each one of our souls, already in this Mass, to prepare for our own union with the Lord. Behold, the bridegroom who, already even in this Mass is coming, behold the bridegroom, go out to meet him.  Amen.

KEYWORDS / PHRASES:
Matthew 25:1-13
Wisdom 6:12-16