Friday of 21^st week even numbered year

“The Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten young wedding attendants taking their lamp and going out to encounter the bridegroom.”

Co.1,17-25 Ps.32 Mt.25,1-13

“Five of them were foolish and five of them were sensible : the foolish ones though they took their lamps, took no oil with them, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps.”

Jesus’ Passion is looming, coming on whether the disciples like it or not. The exchanges are concentrated on what is essential , about the depth of human relationships. Jesus is speaking about his own return.

This time is calling us to be faithful to the gift we have been given, calling us to enter a new presence.

The oil, linked to Wisdom, is a new ’unction’.

The women who took oil in their lamps are these women whose desire cries out to the Lord -they are given to us as an example.

Apparently they all have the same type of life, they all need to get some sleep. But there is this oil, this unction, which makes all the difference. How can we sanctify these dark layers in us other than by keeping on inviting Jesus to come! We want to place God’s unction in those difficult places in our lives.

It is here that Jesus, victorious in his Love will burn to the roots everything that is not grace from God.

Jesus is the Saviour who reaches down to the roots of our being so as to purify it. Our life when it is wholly identified to that of Christ, becomes shining and we are in love with Him. T

his time is a time of conversion, of sanctification, it is a time of preparation for the wedding feast of God’s Divine Love. We remain united to the God of Love so as to become Love, just as He is love.

"At midnight there was a cry, ’Look! The bridegroom is coming! Go out to meet him!’

Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ’Give us some of your oil : our lamps are going out."

But they replied ’There might not be enough for us and for you ; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.’

They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed."

Jesus shows how the attitude of being faithful as we await makes access to the Kingdom possible. It is a matter of being present and available in the given moment. The wise virgins will take enough oil so as to go out to meet the bridegroom as He comes. Here we are at the heart of liberty which leads and guides our life so that we be continually united to the mystery of Jesus who is our Bridegroom.

It is a challenge to allow ourselves to be purified by Jesus in what makes up our lives, in everything that dwells within us.

Jesus asks us to have an attitude which is going to inform our life to be on the watch, in vigilant expectancy.

To wait when another is not there, to be able to live only in Love. To love in an absence is to wait, it is to accept the work this lack has us do.

" The other attendants arrived later.’ Lord, Lord, ’they said, ’open the door for us.’ But he replied ’In truth I tell you, I do not know you.’

So stay awake, for you do not know either the date nor the hour."

After every encounter, a time has to come where there is an emptiness and the other person is going to mysteriously work in me, getting me to leave myself, to open myself up more to his or her presence. Here, mysteriously in an absence, love is present in the shape that this absence gives.

It is good for us to learn this, to receive it. In this way we hollow out an aptitude to receive Love when it will surge forth.

So this nature which God has given us will shine forth with God, it will be a call from God.

The language of the Cross is a language of the victory of love and over all that is opposed to love.

We ask for the grace of vigilance in our lives so as to benefit from Jesus’ salvation.

May we allow the Cross of Jesus to purify us, pacify us, strengthen us, to enlighten us until our being can say : ’For me, to live is Christ.’

Let us remain in the unction of Jesus who saves us, who places us before the end of time, before our final moment, before the encounter with the Bridegroom.

We ask for the grace of such a big transformation so that on the day Jesus comes we may be completely available and ready for Him.

Friday of 21^st week even numbered year

“Five of them were foolish and five of them were sensible : the foolish ones though they took their lamps, took no oil with them, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps.”

Jesus’ Passion is looming, coming on whether the disciples like it or not. The exchanges are concentrated on what is essential , about the depth of human relationships. Jesus is speaking about his own return.

This time is calling us to be faithful to the gift we have been given, calling us to enter a new presence.

The oil, linked to Wisdom, is a new ’unction’.

The women who took oil in their lamps are these women whose desire cries out to the Lord -they are given to us as an example.

Apparently they all have the same type of life, they all need to get some sleep. But there is this oil, this unction, which makes all the difference. How can we sanctify these dark layers in us other than by keeping on inviting Jesus to come! We want to place God’s unction in those difficult places in our lives.

It is here that Jesus, victorious in his Love will burn to the roots everything that is not grace from God.

Jesus is the Saviour who reaches down to the roots of our being so as to purify it. Our life when it is wholly identified to that of Christ, becomes shining and we are in love with Him. T

his time is a time of conversion, of sanctification, it is a time of preparation for the wedding feast of God’s Divine Love. We remain united to the God of Love so as to become Love, just as He is love.

"At midnight there was a cry, ’Look! The bridegroom is coming! Go out to meet him!’

Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ’Give us some of your oil : our lamps are going out."

But they replied ’There might not be enough for us and for you ; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.’

They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed."

Jesus shows how the attitude of being faithful as we await makes access to the Kingdom possible. It is a matter of being present and available in the given moment. The wise virgins will take enough oil so as to go out to meet the bridegroom as He comes. Here we are at the heart of liberty which leads and guides our life so that we be continually united to the mystery of Jesus who is our Bridegroom.

It is a challenge to allow ourselves to be purified by Jesus in what makes up our lives, in everything that dwells within us.

Jesus asks us to have an attitude which is going to inform our life to be on the watch, in vigilant expectancy.

To wait when another is not there, to be able to live only in Love. To love in an absence is to wait, it is to accept the work this lack has us do.

" The other attendants arrived later.’ Lord, Lord, ’they said, ’open the door for us.’ But he replied ’In truth I tell you, I do not know you.’

So stay awake, for you do not know either the date nor the hour."

After every encounter, a time has to come where there is an emptiness and the other person is going to mysteriously work in me, getting me to leave myself, to open myself up more to his or her presence. Here, mysteriously in an absence, love is present in the shape that this absence gives.

It is good for us to learn this, to receive it. In this way we hollow out an aptitude to receive Love when it will surge forth.

So this nature which God has given us will shine forth with God, it will be a call from God.

The language of the Cross is a language of the victory of love and over all that is opposed to love.

We ask for the grace of vigilance in our lives so as to benefit from Jesus’ salvation.

May we allow the Cross of Jesus to purify us, pacify us, strengthen us, to enlighten us until our being can say : ’For me, to live is Christ.’

Let us remain in the unction of Jesus who saves us, who places us before the end of time, before our final moment, before the encounter with the Bridegroom.