TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR LIVES

 

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR LIVES 

 

When we read the parable in today’s Gospel, we may be tempted to think that the wise maidens should have had mercy on the foolish ones and shared their  oil with them. Is that what you also thought? However, sometimes the only way  to teach some people to be responsible is to allow the course of events to take  place so that they will be able to learn that their actions have consequences. The  wise maidens do not keep the oil to themselves out of selfishness. That would  be wrong too. The reason that they retain their oil for their own use is so that  they can responsibly discharge their duty. If they give oil to the foolish ones,  they too might run out of oil and there will be no one to greet the bridegroom. 

 

Each of us has duties to perform. We must learn to take proper responsibility  for them. This means that we should prepare for possible problems that may  arise in the discharging of these duties. I am not saying that we have to worry  ourselves to death trying to foresee and then forestall all of the problems that  may arise. Responsibility only demands that we take reasonable precautions. 

 

One of my pet peeves as a priest is that, more often than not, people turn  up late for weddings, Masses, baptisms, etc. without a good excuse. Too often,  people do not realize that their actions have consequences that do not affect  them directly but do affect others. Tardiness is one of these sorts of actions.  There is rarely a good excuse for a person being late. The truth of the matter is  that they did not allow themselves enough time to do what they had to do or  were just plain lazy. 

 

This is the case of the foolish maidens and they suffer the indignity of  being shut out of the wedding feast. Let us hope that they learned a good  lesson from their failure to prepare well. Let us pray that we do not suffer the  same indignity or similar ones, simply because we also fail to prepare well or  are too lazy to be responsible in discharging our duties at home, in the office,  or in the Kingdom of God. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

Do you take your responsibilities seriously? Are you diligent and wise  in preparing for them? 

 

Lord Jesus, help me to be prepared for whatever tasks You want me to do. Amen.

 

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________________