COMMON SENSE

Friday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
Mt 25:1-13

The unfortunate thing about common sense is that it is not at all common. One cannot be sure if he or she possesses common sense until he or she is confronted with a situation that demands for it. It never fails to surprise us when we realize that common sense is not at all common to a supposedly intelligent person. Common sense is not learned in books or schools. It is not something that can be bought or passed on. But every normal person is gifted with common sense. Common sense becomes uncommon only because many fail to use it. Unfortunately, because many do not use their common sense, many commit irreversible mistakes and suffer their tragic consequences. Common sense must not only be possessed. It must be used. Not using common sense is as good as not having it. The regret is always in the end when a terrible end could have been avoided had common sense been put to use. The five virgins in the Gospel today who did not bring oil for their lamp did not use their common sense. Why will anyone bring a lamp without enough oil to burn? And if one is not sure how long the vigil will last, should common sense not dictate that extra oil be secured ahead of time? Since every normal person has common sense, anyone who does not use it is foolish. Thus the five virgins in the parable today were foolish. Like them, anyone who does not use his or her common sense has no future but a world of regrets. Salvation requires common sense too. Being saved is not a matter of earning a doctorate degree in theology. Salvation demands love, and love requires common sense always. Heaven is not for the intelligent only. But it certainly is for those who, gifted with common sense, use their common sense in whatever love requires. While salvation is purely God’s gift, being saved needs using our common sense always, too. When someone is dying of hunger, we do not go to the library to research what poverty means; we feed the hungry and create livelihood programs. When someone is wounded, we do not only pray for healing; we bind his wounds. When someone is mourning, we do not explain his grief; we mourn with him. When someone falls into a ditch, we do not debate about what mistakes he committed made him fall; we help him out of the pit. Too many deeds of love are left undone because too many people either refuse or forget to use their common sense. If love were the oil that keeps our lamp burning as we wait for the coming of the Lord, common sense will normally tell us how much oil we must bring to His wedding feast. Common sense – have it, use it. Deeds of love – do it, persevere in it. Remember, keep the lamps burning!