September 1, Friday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8; Gospel: Matthew 25:1–13
Ten bridesmaids are holding lamps to welcome the bride, who would probably come in the evening at twilight. The bridegroom comes not just late but very late, at an unexpected hour. Since five have oil for their lamps, they could enter the wedding with the groom.
It is equal to the kingdom of God. If this parable points out our lives, what is our role? We are also bridesmaids who are waiting for the second coming of Jesus eagerly.
Here, one important question arises: Like the bridesmaids, do we have lamps in our hands? Are we given lamps? Yes, we are given lamps at our baptism. In the baptism ceremony, the priest offers a lighted candle, saying, "Receive the light of Christ". He continues to say, "Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to keep burning brightly. May he or she keep the flame of faith alive in his or her heart? When the Lord comes, may he or she go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom"?
Does the lamp burn in us? We need the oil of good deeds, faith deeds, compassion, and kingdom values to keep the lamp burning. Do we have these lamp 'oils'?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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