French Jesuit priest and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is credited with saying, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
If we believe that we are spiritual beings, then our spirit has to obey its Creator. In today’s Gospel from the Book of Matthew, Jesus describes the Kingdom of heaven
“…like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom (Jesus). Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.”
Matthew 25:1-4.
Priests, pastors, and learned scholars can speak about the meaning of the Gospel. I am not qualified to speak about its meaning and can only speak about what is placed on my heart. During this morning’s Hollow meditation, the “oil” Jesus spoke of is our spiritual juice. When the right juice is flowing within us, we can see and experience God. When we do not, we cannot.
When we put God at the center of our throne, our hearts experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and (greater) self-control. When our spirit aligns with God’s Spirit, we become like the wise virgins who brought flasks of oil with their lamps as they wait to meet and experience Christ.
Foolishness in the Bible can be defined as “a moral and spiritual choice to reject God’s wisdom and live as though God does not matter.”1 Foolishness is trusting ourselves rather than trusting God. Wisdom, on the other hand, is “knowing what God wants you to do and then doing it.”2
When the right juice lights up our candle – our physical being – then we shine brightly before others. Our flame can serve as a ray of hope to others that God cares. We too can be the hands and feet of Jesus. Which will you choose to focus on: yourself or God?
Disclaimer: Featured image is a GPT reproduction image found here.
