The Bridegroom – March 29, Monday of Holy Week

Matthew 25: 1-13 NIV

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

” ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

As we begin Holy Week this may seem like an odd passage for us to read.  We wonder what exactly the second coming has to do with Easter.  The fact of the matter is that we often hurry toward Good Friday and toward Easter and often we skip over our need to prepare ourselves for the days to come through repentance.  Yes, we have been preparing ourselves during the whole season of Lent, but as we enter Holy Week we must remain watchful so that we may continue to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus Christ.

We must remain watchful so that we do not “fall asleep” spiritually like the five foolish virgins.  We must remain watchful so that as Jesus Christ – the Bridegroom makes himself known to us on this most holy of weeks we can fully receive him and enter into the fullness that is his passion and resurrection.

So often we let our hearts become distracted as Easter approaches that it seems as if we focus on everything except preparing ourselves for the joyous celebration of the resurrection.  As we do this we become blind to what God is seeking to do in our lives as we approach this day.  We become blind because we focus on ourselves and on the distractions that surround us and are not prepared to receive Christ.

As we move through Holy Week let us prepare ourselves through repentance.  Let us get ready to see Jesus and to walk with him through the entire events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.  Let us be ready so that we can see and embrace everything that he wants to do in our lives.

Closing Prayer:

O Lord and master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.  But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.  O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother or sister for blessed are you always.  Amen

– The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem