Today’s Gospel parable of the Ten Virgins demands a little explaining because it presumes a custom that we no longer follow. On the day of a wedding, the groom would go to the bride’s house and confer with her father. He would sign the marriage covenant and then escort his bride back to his or his father’s house. The bride’s family would follow. When they finally got to the house, the wedding reception would begin. The ten virgins would be part of the ceremony. Their role was to light the way for the newlyweds, particularly the groom. The meaning, of course is that the bride is going from her father’s home to her husband’s home. That’s kind of like our situation on earth isn’t it? Are we not (hopefully) on the way to the Father’s house? That means that we have to be ready for when the groom (Jesus) comes to take us with Him. Perhaps a little bit of an insight can be taken from the game of musical chairs. You remember how to play musical chairs, don’t you? You walk around the chairs, carefully situating your “sit down” over each chair, as you wait for the music to stop, hoping that you can get to a chair before a slower person. Imagine Jesus telling the parable of the “Kids Playing Musical Chairs” and then turning to you and asking, “Where are you going to be when the music stops?” And so, where are you going to be when it stops? Where are you going to be when the groom comes? Where are you going to be when Jesus comes to take you to His Father’s house? These are appropriate questions for us to ask ourselves at any time, and especially during the month of November, as we remember the saints and the souls of our beloved dead that have gone before us. November is the time for us to contemplate the truth that we must make ourselves ready at any moment, and that no one else can do that for us but us. When He comes calling, we need to have our “faith lamps” filled with oil, and we need to have figured out how we are going to be able to sit down in heaven.
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