You know neither the day nor the hour

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins, William Blake (c1799-1800)

Reflection given at Morning Worship with the Community of Brendan the Navigator on Friday 28th August 2026 in St Flannan's Cathedral, Killaloe

Jesus tells his disciples stories taken from everyday life to illustrate his teaching. They are memorable, and his disciples ponder over them to extract the meaning. In church talk we call them parables, and we still ponder over them today. The reading we’ve just heard (Matthew 25:1-13) is one such.

The background to this one is the marriage customs of that time, quite different to our own. Today the bridegroom might go out on a stag night with his friends, and the bride might gather her friends together for a hen party, before the marriage ceremony is held in church or registry office, before a reception. Then the bridegroom went to the bride’s house to bring her to his own house. Her friends, the bridesmaids, would go out to meet him and accompany them both to his house. The bridegroom often contrived to be late, to catch the bride and her bridesmaids napping to surprise them. Then, after the marriage ceremony, came the celebration, the wedding banquet, which might go on for days.

Jesus’s story is full of humour, isn't it? Half of the 10 bridesmaids were wise, but the other half were foolish. The wise ones came prepared. They brought extra oil for their lamps in case the bridegroom arrived late at night, but the foolish ones did not. The wise ones would not share their oil with the foolish ones, in case they would not have enough for themselves. The wise sent the foolish ones away to buy their own. But the bridegroom came and carried the bride away to his house in the company of the wise ones before the foolish ones returned. When the foolish ones finally arrived at the bridegroom’s house, he turned them away, saying ‘I do not know you’. So they missed the wedding and the banquet.

Jesus tells his disciples, ‘The Kingdom of heaven will be like this… Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour’. He tells them they must be prepared. I’m reminded of the Girl Guides’ motto. 

This story is traditionally interpreted as about the last days, the second coming of Christ. Christ Jesus is the bridegroom, the Church his bride, the bridesmaids ordinary folk like you and me, and the wedding banquet the eternal life in heaven we are promised as faithful Christians. Because we do not know the day or the hour, we must be like wise bridesmaids who are at all times prepared for the second coming. If we are foolish, if we are unprepared, we will hear the bridegroom say, ‘I do not know you’, and we will be shut out of eternal life. 

Now, I do not believe in the Rapture, the belief that at any moment those that are predestined to be saved will be drawn up into heaven, while the damned are left behind. I see it as heresy. 

When Jesus talks about the end times, I believe he is talking about a time which will come to us all; our own death. Then our God, who is not constrained by the four dimensions of space and time, will see us as we truly are, from our very beginning through to our final end. He will judge us by the love we have shown throughout our lives to him, to our fellow human beings, and to all his good creation. Then, firmly held in his loving embrace, we will enjoy eternal life. But we will also suffer the shame of remembering those times when our love has been insufficient, when we have failed to repent, when we have not sought his forgiveness. Even in the security of his eternal love for us, we will be pierced by his words, ‘Truly I tell you, I did not know you then’.

We know neither the day nor the hour, so we must at all times be prepared. We must not put off examining our conscience, repenting, and seeking God’s forgiveness. We must be wise, not foolish.