Have you ever asked yourself: Why this person was a catechist, or minister, musician, parish leader, that when he preached he seemed unbeatable in the faith, now he no longer participates in Church. Did he run out of oil?
Or yourself, at times are you discouraged, without the desire to pray, to participate in the Eucharist, or already you do not encounter anything new in your prayer group. Have you just run out of oil?
Let me explain.
In the parable of the ten virgins (Mt 25:1-13) there they are waiting for the arrival of the groom with their lamps in hand. Five of them are prudent that they took the necessary oil in order to maintain their lamps lit and five were foolish, that they did not provide the oil for their lamps. When the groom arrived the prudent had the lamps lit and could enter the feast. However the foolish had gone to buy oil and remained outside of the wedding banquet.
In our life, is whomever makes our lights remain lit until the arrival of the groom, who is Jesus. But, What is this oil? The Life of prayer, intimacy with the word, the sacramental life, it is the oil that makes our lamps to stay lit until the coming of Christ. It is not an oil the comes from ourselves, but rather it is a holy oil that comes from God, that is capable of keeping us awake, feeding everyday our fidelity, perseverance, fight for sanctity and love for God and for our neighbor. On the contrary, to be in the midst of unlit lamps indicates that our life is going out until we encounter our faith in a state of sleep.
Can your lamp remain lit. Maintain it through intimacy with God. If it is going out and already it has gone out. . . hurry, run! Let not that Jesus arrives when you are on the road to buy oil.
Therefore, “Watch, for you do not know the day or the hour” (Mt 25:13)
God Bless You,
Daniel Galaz
New Song Community, Chile
Translated from Spanish