Persisting in Love
“Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’”Matthew 25:11-12
When was the last time you tried to do something that you’ve failed what seems to be infinite times before? When was the last time you tried to change a bad habit but only returning to it after so many tries? In the Gospel of Matthew (25:1ff) we are given the “Parable of the Ten Virgins,” where some brings enough oil and some do not. When their lamps were flickering and about to go out, they realized that they needed more oil so that the light will not extinguish. So, they go out to buy more oil, but while they were away, the Bridegroom returned and those who were ready and present there were welcomed inside, while the others who had left to buy oil were locked out. When they knocked they were turned away, “I do not know you.”
The parable sure seems to have painted a portrait of a very mean and not understanding Bridegroom. The problem here lies in what we see as the issue first. Are we upset because the Bridegroom is mean and does not seem to have an ounce of empathy in his heart? Or are we upset because the foolish virgins did not prepare well enough for such an important occasion? What arises first in our hearts can tell us a lot about how we see ourselves and how we see God and others. Are we capable of reflection and introspection or is the problem always someone else? Our God is a loving God but He cannot do anything to help the virgins who were not there when the Bridegroom came. Each person makes their own decisions, and in turn must face the consequences of their action or lack of action. Yes, God is God and He us all powerful, but He will not take over our wills and intellects and control us in a way that makes Him happy. We are free humans beings with the gift of free will and free choice. Real love, true love is love that gives that true freedom.
As Christians we have been called to love. We have been called to always be ready for the Lord’s coming. We must always be prepared at every moment for we know neither the day nor the hour when our time here is up and when we must face Our Maker. We must persist in love. We must persist in a way of living that is holy — which is set apart, set apart from the lures of this passing world — and that leads others to do the same. When we seemingly fail, let’s not give up. God will see us through. God will transform the little that we do and offer up into something greater, something much more powerful. Do you believe that?
Today the Church celebrates St. Monica who prayed day in and day out for her wayward son. Her son was into all kinds of trouble and bad habits, a life that was unholy and that was preoccupied with the things of the world. Who was St. Monica’s son? St. Augustine, the great bishop and doctor of the Church. Monica had prayed for her son’s conversion so that He might find the joy and love for which he so longed. Although it took some time, Monica never gave up. She persevered in prayer and she persisted in love. For to pray is to love.
When we look at our lives today, can we say that we strived to live a life that was holy, a life that pursued the things of God, a life that was rooted in prayer and that was persisted in love? What are some of the things about ourselves that keep us from doing so? Let us ask the Lord for the graces we need to overcome the obstacles that keep us from persisting in love, especially when we are on the verge of giving up. He hears us.
