If you are a fan of musical theater with a religious spin, you undoubtedly are familiar with the musical, “Godspell.” I first came to appreciate this very creative retelling of the Passion of Jesus when I was in 7th Grade Chorus, and we sang both “Prepare Ye the way of the Lord” and “Day by Day” – two catchy and memorable songs from the musical. Singing those songs helped me enter into the spirit of Christian living and its expectations even though I was at a public grade school.
This weekend, both of these songs pertain to our scripture readings. We ponder: Are we prepared, and do we have a daily attitude of readiness for Jesus? In the gospel, we meet several well intended folks who were not prepared and suffer the consequences, and we learn what distinguishes between the prepared and the ill-prepared.
The gospel features ten young women who are waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. He is delayed, and they all fall asleep. Only the ones that brought a proper amount of oil (symbolic for the Holy Spirit) for their lanterns are disposed to meet the bridegroom. The persons whose oil is depleted flee to seek oil elsewhere thus missing the bridegroom’s arrival. They are denied entrance into the celebration.
The difference between the wise and the foolish virgins? The First Reading reveals this non-transferable virtue: Wisdom. Wisdom cannot be gathered quickly but is earned by experience, wins and losses, faithful service, sacrifice, study. Not laziness. Lady Wisdom? She knows better. She “cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice, at the busiest corner she cries out and says ‘the complacency of fools destroys them; but those who listen to me will be secure and live at ease, without dread of disaster’” (Proverbs 1:20-21, 32-33).
Where can we secure a friendship with Lady Wisdom? Order it on Amazon? Run the request through AI? No. The virgins may have been Phi Beta Kappa and fresh out of college: slick, impudent, impatient, impulsive. Sadly, “ye was not prepared” and, “day by day” ye did not practice readiness. May we become resolute friends with Lady Wisdom and allow her to guide our faith, our morals, our integrity. Fear of the Lord, his sovereignty, goodness, and mercy is the beginning of wisdom. We begin to see life from the vantage point of eternity focusing on the long haul, not just the moment. May the torch of Lady Wisdom, “resplendent and unfading,” light our eternal flame to be prepared now for our Lord.
