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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
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Gospel text (Mt 25:1-13): Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep... Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

The certainty of the word of Jesus can be proved solely through "practice"

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, Jesus Christ shows us how "vigilance" (already mentioned in the previous chapter of the "Eschatological Discourse") should materialize. With the “Parable of the wise and foolish virgins”, He insists that it does not suffice for the Christian to just wait, he must "act"; It is not enough to "be" in the Church, but he must keep his faith alive and do good deeds.

"Vigilance” means that man raises his eyes above the present moment and its immediate urgency, keeping one’s gaze fixed upon God, forgetting the current task, but acting —here and now— as we should in the eyes of God. "Vigilance" means, first of all, openness to the good, to the truth, to God, in the midst of an often meaningless world and in the midst of the power of evil. “Vigilance” means that man tries with his entire strength and great sobriety to do what is right. It means that he lives, not according to his own wishes, but according to the signpost of faith.

—The truth of your Word, Jesus, is theoretically unenforceable: his certainty can only be proven through practice, by treading into your Will.