surrounding Him and says, “Zaccheus, I am going to your house.” You know the rest of the story. Zaccheus, the leader of the Publicans, acknowledges his faults: “If I have wronged anyone, I repay him fourfold.” He wants to correct his entire past. By acknowledging his wrongs and wanting to repair them, he is already on the path to holiness. He actually became a saint. By a sincere desire of his heart, he followed God’s lead and set out upon the road to holiness. It is not complicated, but we must do violence to ourselves. I would also like to remind you of the parable of the ten virgins.13 I find it so eloquent. Punctual in their arrival, the ten virgins waited outside the wedding hall, whereas the bridegroom was late, as the Gospel specifies. When the bridegroom’s arrival was announced, five of the virgins had run out of oil in their lamps. They said to the other five: “Give us some of your oil. We do not have enough to go to the wedding feast.” They refused, saying: “There will not be enough for us and for you. Go buy some and come back.” 13. Cf. St. Matthew 25:1-13. Jesus says that while the five had gone to get some oil, the five wise virgins entered the wedding hall with the bridegroom and the doors were closed. The other virgins arrived long afterwards. “Lord, Lord,” they cried, “open the door for us!” But the bridegroom replied, “Amen I say to you, I do not know you.” When you read this text, it almost seems as though the bridegroom is being unfair, because he was the one who was late. But with this parable, Jesus wants us to understand something very important. It is important to enter the wedding hall with Him. It is not secondary, it is not optional. The purpose of our life is to arrive with Him in His kingdom. I like to repeat: the lack of oil means that those foolish virgins were not ready for more. Some people make up their own little agenda: “I’m going to do this much and no more. That is enough for me to become a saint, to ensure my salvation. My program is made, let no one ask any more of me. I will not exceed a certain measure.” It does not work that way with God. It does not work like that, so much so that we run the great risk of stalling in front of the closed door of the kingdom of God. That is the Gospel: There was no oil in their lamps. They were not ready to go any further than the appointed hour. According to this parable, not to be ready for even more – that is, ready for anything to accomplish what God asks of us – is folly in His eyes, and the door to Heaven closes. Look at what the world asks of its followers. We have truly reached the height of human folly. You may say to yourself: “But I am a poor sinner.” Dear friends, a poor “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Conclusion of the parable of the Ten Virgins) Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 11
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