“WAKE, AWAKE, FOR NIGHT IS FLYING”
Saint Matthew 25. 1-13
The Last Sunday in the Church Year: 21 November Anno Domini 2004
Fr Watson
This is the last Sunday in the Church Year. It might be the last Sunday ever; it might be the last day ever. We can only hope and pray "come Lord Jesus." Wake, Awake, for night is flying; the dawn of the return of the blessed Groom is upon us.
The Lord's parable is of immense comfort to you in these last days.
The Kingdom of heaven is Christ. Christ, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is your pure and spotless virgin Groom, light of light. God of God.
The Kingdom of heaven is also His Bride. There is never one without the other. Jesus said "...a man shall... be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh." [MI 19.5-6] Christ is the Groom and the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the Bride. The Church is the called, gathered, enlightened, justified and sanctified body of believers: you. You are the Bride of Christ. Paul wrote of you when he wrote to the Corinthian Christians "...I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." [2 Cor. 11.2]
Who has you? To Whom do you belong? The Baptizer said "He Who has the Bride is the Bridegroom..." [Jn. 3.29]
Ten is a Law number. There are Ten Commandments which express the Lord's perfect will for you. They are broken down into two tablets, two groups. There are ten virgins in the parable. The Law applies to all. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All deserve to live lives of spiritual spinsterhood and then to be consigned to perdition. All ten of the virgins took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. The Lord has a universal Grace and Love for all: "for God so loved the world..." All have lamps since Jesus died on the cross for all sins, not just the sins of His followers. All have bodies and souls given them by their creator; it rains on the unjust as well as the just and all are given daily bread. Five of the virgins were foolish, meaning they had no faith, they were unbelievers in Messiah. Five of the virgins were wise, meaning they had faith, they trusted in their Groom. The parable uses oil in the lamp as a metaphor for faith, for trust, for belief.
We might even say now, that it appears that the Groom has tarried long; that His visible absence has been long overdue since He ascended to the Right Hand of the Father. But God doesn't count time as we do. The Groom's return is imminent; His hand is on the door even as I speak this day.
Jesus said in His parable that "all slumbered and slept" To be sure, all sin daily; all have moments of deep disgrace and enmity toward the holy gifts of God; we all "slumber" when we should "Wake, Awake, for night is flying." But also here, to slumber and sleep is to wane old and then to die the first death; the earthly death of dust and ash; the same death which our Christ died so that our deaths are but temporary slumbers.
"And at midnight there was a cry made. Behold the Bridegroom cometh." Midnight; it could be considered the exact point between the day past, the old order, and the coming day, the coming dawn, the new things. At the end of time the great angel will sound the trump; a sound of doom to the empty vessels, lamps and virgins alike; but a glorious and thrilling note to all filled lamps, to all saints overflowing in and with Christ.
The reason the "wise" virgins did not give any of their "oil" to the desperate and frightened "foolish" virgins, is not that they were unloving and selfish. This is a parable. This is to show forth a kingdom truth. At the final judgment, at the separation of the goats from the sheep, the foolish from the wise, the unbelieving from the believing, it is too late to change anything. The oil, the faith, must be worked in this life, this world, this kingdom of the visible. No man can give another his faith; no man can save his brother by the strength of his own belief. You repent, and you believe. And ya do! Through the Word of God and through the Word of God attached to water, wine and bread you receive the Word made Flesh. When the Holy Ghost gives you Jesus, you have faith, you have oil, and you have forgiveness, life and salvation. You have salvation on that last and greatest day of the Lord when the Groom returns and takes you into the nuptial hall. For at the resurrection of the "just" there will be an eternal banquet of love and communion; a festive gathering of family, acceptance, joy, peace, and being with the lover of your soul and resurrected body. It will be soon my brothers and sisters soon. Until then, come to the feast which your Groom gives you here, gives you now; where He meets you with the same Body that He suffered with for you; that He died with for you; that He will embrace you with in heaven. Let this wedding feast begin now for soon we will all shout out with excitement: "Wake, awake, for night is flying... The Bridegroom comes, awake! Your lamps with gladness take! Hallelujah! With bridal care yourselves prepare to meet the Bridegroom Who is near."
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost