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Gospel: Matthew 25: 1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
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.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But 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.’
While 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.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, a woman who lived a storied life.
Born in Sudan in the 19th century, she described her childhood as idyllic. But sometime in her youth, she was kidnapped by Middle Eastern slave traders, and was forced to walk over 600 miles barefoot to a slave trading center.
She spent the next 12 awful years being bought and sold.
Providentially, she ended up in the care of the Canossian Sisters in northern Italy while her “owners” were away on vacation.
The nuns welcomed Josephine, took good care of her, and taught her about Jesus. Josephine always had a deep religious intuition and believed all the nuns told her.
Eventually, she was freed, baptized, confirmed, and allowed to become a nun.
She spent the final 42 years of her life as a cook and doorkeeper in the convent, as well as travelling throughout the region, sharing her story with others.
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Somehow, Josephine claimed that she was grateful for her past; had she never walked that 600-mile road barefoot, she might not have come to know Jesus. That alone – her relationship with God – made it worth it.
Suffering is a mystery – and nobody enjoys it.
But Josephine reminds us that sometimes God allows us to endure particular trials because they can lead us deeper into our faith.
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What’s my own view of suffering? Has it led me closer to the Lord?
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May Saint Josephine Bakhita, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) The Southern Cross (2) The BayNet (3) Footprints, Pinterest