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THE TEN VIRGINS
“Then the
kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their
lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were
foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps,
they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with
their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became
drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look!
Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those
bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to
the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going
out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! There will not be enough for
you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some
for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom
came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding
banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids
came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied,
‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for
you know neither the day nor the hour.’ ”
It can be difficult, waiting for God. We
ask God for healing, we ask God for answers, we ask God for what
we need, and then … we wait.
So often it seems that God’s timing is not
my timing. Good things happen when I least expect them, which is
wonderful, but I wish sometimes God would let me be in control
(probably a bad idea).
Life is incredibly rich in blessings, but
blessings are unpredictable! This can give us great joy as well
as great frustration.
There is one blessing, though, that is
absolutely predictable. Grace is a blessing that we can expect.
We do not have to wait for grace. We can count on grace, on
forgiveness and on God’s love. God’s gift of grace is with us
now and always.
Loving God of life, we thank you for
your continual presence with us, and for the blessings and
surprises of everyday life. Help us to remember that you are
with us in all times and places. Amen
Quinn Gorges
Seminarian
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