Mt 25:1-13
[Jesus said to his disciples,] 1“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, 4but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 5Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 11Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Reflection:
Behold, come out to meet him! The ten virgins may be likened to today’s bridesmaid or secondary sponsors (candle, cord, and veil). There are three rules for this supporting cast to the bride. First, you are not the bride. So do not try to steal people’s attention from her. You are there to make the bride look beautiful and not for you to outshine her. Second, know your particular role. Be ready to perform it with grace and dignity at the proper time. Third, the bridesmaid waits for the bride, not the other way around.
The bridesmaid’s role is to accompany the bride. This, too, is our role and calling: to accompany one another. We are bridesmaids to our partners, our children, our friends. Do not worry; the Lord always stands by us.
Accompany your spouse to the parlor, your kids to school, and your dog to the park.