Imagine waking up one morning, turning on the faucet, and discovering that there is no water! You check your water tank—empty! Your buckets—also empty! You rush to the store, but even the store has run out of water.
What would you say? “If only we had prepared earlier!”
My dear brothers and sisters, with the threat of El Niño, we must prepare now. We must conserve water, avoid waste, and help one another, especially the poor and our farmers.
But today’s Gospel reminds us of something even more important: We must prepare not only for the challenges of life, but also for our final encounter with God. Let me share three simple lessons.
Be ready, because we do not know when the Lord will come
In today’s Gospel, ten young women were waiting for the bridegroom. Five were wise and brought extra oil. Five were foolish and did not prepare. When the bridegroom finally arrived, only the wise ones were ready to welcome him.
The bridegroom represents Jesus, and the wedding feast represents the joy of eternal life with God. We are all invited to that celebration. But Jesus reminds us that being invited is not the same as being prepared.
The question is not simply, “When will the Lord come?” but “Will He find me ready?”
Keep your lamp burning through faith and love
The oil in the lamps reminds us of the spiritual readiness we must nurture through prayer, faith, and good works. Jesus tells us, “Let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16). And later in Matthew 25, He tells us, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.”
Notice the connection: We prepare to meet Jesus in eternity by recognizing and loving Him in our brothers and sisters today.
This is especially important during difficult times. As we face the threat of drought and economic hardship, our faith must become visible in concrete acts of solidarity. If we have enough water, let us not waste it. If we have enough food, let us share with those who have little. If we have more resources, let us help those who are struggling. A faith that does not lead us to love and care for others is like a lamp that gives no light.
Do not postpone the good you can do today.
When the foolish women ran out of oil, they asked the wise women to share theirs. Jesus is not teaching selfishness. He is reminding us that some things cannot be borrowed. Others can pray for us and guide us, but nobody can love God in our place. Nobody can live our Christian life for us.
Sometimes we say, “I will pray when I have time. I will forgive when I am ready. I will help others when I have more money.” But who can guarantee that we still have tomorrow? The best time to love, to forgive, and to do good is today.
Final Words
My dear brothers and sisters, remember that the wise women were not preparing for a funeral. They were preparing for a wedding feast! Jesus does not want us to live in fear of death. He wants us to live in joyful hope of meeting Him.
So let us prepare for El Niño to protect our lives here on earth. But above all, let us prepare for eternal life with God.
And let us always remember: The best way to prepare for meeting Jesus tomorrow is to love Him faithfully today—especially in our brothers and sisters who need us most.
May the Lord find our lamps burning brightly with faith, hope, and love.