1 September 2017
Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
My journey to the priesthood and religious life began with the Gospel story of the Parable of the Ten Virgins in today’s reading. At the time of my calling, I was attending a graduate/young adult retreat and the Gospel reading at the closing mass was this one about the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Surprisingly, the priest preached about the call for priesthood. I could not figure out what the connection was between the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the call for priesthood. I thought this parable was calling me to serve many young women. Long after I stopped trying to figure out the meaning of this parable, the calling for priesthood stuck in my head. From that moment onwards I began to consider the priesthood and religious life and I eventually made the decision to join the Society of Jesus.
In your prayers today, perhaps you can ask yourself what this parable means to you personally? What do the symbols of ten virgins mean to you? What might the lighted lamps represent? Is there any lighted lamps in your life that you need or desire to have? What does the symbol of the oil mean that will keep the lamps burning? Speak now to Jesus and hear what he is saying to you about your calling based on this story.