Wisdom is a theme running through the readings today. Wisdom means more than knowledge. St. Paul reminds the Corinthians that Greeks seek human knowledge and “earthly wisdom,” not the true divine wisdom of the one and only God. The psalm praises God for confounding the world’s wisdom and making the divine design evident to the simple and those who seek God.
In the Gospel, Jesus compares the wise and foolish virgins to people seeking the Reign of God: five of them are foolish, five are wise. Wisdom, according to the Gospel, is taking with you not only the lamp with an ordinary supply of oil but also some spare oil. The five foolish, self-confident virgins think they have foreseen everything. the groom delays ... until late at night. All, even the best ones, fall asleep. Those ten women are like all of us, often locked up in a miserly and sleepy way of life, without great dreams and ideals.
But on this night a cry suddenly announces the arrival of the bridegroom. What is this cry? It is the cry that comes from the peoples’ suffering; the cry of the lonely elderly who call for company; the cry of the increasingly numerous and abandoned poor, In the face of these cries, you also wake up with a start, but if you don't have the oil reserve, all excuses are good not to answer. The reserve of oil is the Word of God received and kept in one's heart. It awakens us to love. If we do not have the Gospel in our hearts, we will not be able to respond to the cry of the poor. We live in a time when darkness seems to be getting thicker. There is a need for the lights to shine again, for everyone, young and old, to light their little flame to win the dark night. Today, we need a reserve of love and generosity so that many enter the groom's room to celebrate.
The challenge today is to be wise enough to be prepared for God’s manifestation, and not so intellectual that we miss God’s presence in others. We must use the mental capacity God has given us, not to overpower people with knowledge, but to look at their desire to draw closer to the Lord Jesus and help them meet the God who comes in unexpected ways. If we can do that, like today’s psalmist, we will be able to exult in the Lord and praise the God whose plans stand forever.