Sermon 93

SERMO 93

OF THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL MT 25:1-13:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins" and the rest.

The ten virgins to be understood in the parable of the Gospel.

Yesterday, those who were present remember our promise, which today, with the Lord's help, must be fulfilled not only for you but also for the many more who have gathered. It is not easy to determine who the ten virgins are, of which five are wise and five are foolish. Nevertheless, according to what is contained in the very reading which I wanted to be recited to your Charity even today, as much as the Lord deigns to grant me understanding, it does not seem to me that this parable or similitude pertains only to those who are especially and excellently designated as virgins in the Church, whom we also commonly call Nuns: but, unless I am mistaken, this similitude pertains to the entire Church. Although if we did understand those who are called Nuns alone, is it conceivable that there are only ten? Far be it that such a large multitude of virgins is reduced to so small a number. Perhaps someone will say: What if many are in name, and so few are in truth, that scarcely ten can be found? It is not so. For if He wished to indicate only ten good ones, He would not have shown five foolish ones there. For if there are many virgins who are called, why are the doors of the large house closed against only five?

Ten virgins, each soul from the Church.

Let us understand, therefore, beloved, that this parable pertains to all of us, that is, to the whole Church entirely, not just to the leaders, about whom we spoke yesterday; nor only to the common people; but indeed to everyone. Why, then, five and five virgins? These five and five virgins are all the souls of Christians. But, to tell you what we feel inspired by God, not just any souls, but such souls who have the Catholic faith and seem to have good works in the Church of God: and yet among them five are wise and five foolish. Why, then, are they called five, and why virgins, let us first see; and then consider the rest. Every soul in the body is counted by the number five because it uses five senses. For there is nothing we perceive through the body except through the five-part door, either by seeing, or by hearing, or by smelling, or by tasting, or by touching. Therefore, he who abstains from illicit sight, from illicit hearing, from illicit smell, from illicit taste, from illicit touch, for the sake of integrity itself, receives the name of a virgin.

Neither virginity suffices, nor good works.

But if it is good to abstain from illicit movements of feeling, and for that reason each Christian soul has received the name of virgin, why are five admitted and five repelled? And they are virgins, and they are repelled. It is not enough that they are virgins: and they have lamps. Virgins, because of abstaining from illicit feelings; they have lamps, because of good works. About which works the Lord says: Let your works shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Similarly, he says to his disciples: Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning. In girded loins, virginity: in burning lamps, good works.

Every Christian soul is a virgin.

Virginity is certainly not usually mentioned in the context of those who are married: yet, even there, there is the virginity of faith, which upholds marital chastity. For, as Your Holiness knows, not inappropriately, according to the soul and according to the integrity of faith, by which one refrains from illicit things and does good works, every soul, whether male or female, is called a virgin; the whole Church, which consists of virgins and children, married women and married men, is called by one name, virgin. Whence do we prove this? Listen to the Apostle saying, not only to nuns but to the whole entire Church: "I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." And because the corrupter of this virginity, the devil, must be avoided, immediately the Apostle, after he said: "I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ," added and said: "But I fear, lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." Few have bodily virginity: all should have it in the heart. If, therefore, abstinence from illicit things is good, from which virginity takes its name, and good works, which are signified by lamps, are praiseworthy, why are five admitted and five rejected? If one is both a virgin and carries lamps, and yet is not admitted; where does the one see himself who neither preserves virginity from illicit things nor desires to have good works, preferring to walk in darkness?

Besides continence and good works, charity is required.

Therefore, my brothers, let us rather discuss these things. He who does not want to see what is evil, who does not want to hear what is evil, who turns away his sense of smell from the illicit odors of sacrifices, turns away his taste from the illicit foods of sacrifices, flees the embrace of another's, breaks bread for the hungry, brings a guest into the home, clothes the naked, reconciles the quarrelsome, visits the sick, buries the dead: behold the virgin, behold she has lamps. What do we seek more? I still seek. "What do you still seek," he says? I still seek: the holy Gospel has made me attentive. Even the virgins themselves carrying lamps, he called some wise, others foolish. From what can we surmise this? From the oil. Oil signifies something great, very great. Thinks, is it not charity? Inquiring we speak, not hastening to judgment. Why does it seem to me that oil signifies charity, I will tell you. The Apostle says: I still show you a more excellent way. What is the more excellent way that he shows? If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. It is the more excellent way, that is, charity, which is rightly signified by oil. For of all liquids, oil excels. Pour water, and pour oil on it, oil excels. Pour oil, and pour water on it, oil excels. If you keep the order, it prevails: if you change the order, it prevails. Charity never fails.

Go to meet the bridegroom.

What then, brothers? Now let us discuss the five wise virgins and the five foolish. They wanted to go to meet the bridegroom. What is it to go to meet the bridegroom? To go with the heart, to await his coming. But he delayed. While he delayed, they all slept. What is it; all? Both the foolish and the wise, they all slumbered and slept. Do we think this sleep is good? What is this sleep? Perhaps while the bridegroom delays, since iniquity abounds, the love of many grows cold. Is this how we should understand this sleep? I do not like it: I say why. Because there are the wise: and surely when the Lord said: Because iniquity has abounded, the love of many will grow cold; he added and said: But he who perseveres to the end shall be saved. Where do you wish these wise ones to be? Are they not among those who have persevered to the end? For no other reason, brothers, for no other reason at all would they be admitted inside, except because they persevered to the end. Therefore, the cold of love did not creep in on them, nor did their love grow cold; but it burns to the end. Because it burns to the end, therefore the doors of the bridegroom were open: therefore it was said to them to enter, just like that good servant: Enter into the joy of your Lord. What then does it mean: They all slumbered? There is another sleep, which no one escapes. Do you not remember the Apostle saying: But I would not have you ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, that is, concerning those who are dead? Why indeed are they called sleeping, except because they will be raised on their day? Therefore they all slept. Do you think because one is wise, they do not have to die? Whether a virgin is foolish or wise, they all undergo the sleep of death.

Sometimes, however, men say to themselves: Behold, the Day of Judgment is coming, so many evils are happening, so many tribulations are increasing; behold, all that the Prophets have said is almost fulfilled; the Day of Judgment is now at hand. Those who say this, and say it faithfully, go out to meet the bridegroom with such thoughts. But behold, war upon war, tribulation upon tribulation, earthquake upon earthquake, famine upon famine, nation upon nation, and the bridegroom has not yet come. Therefore, when it is expected that he will come, all those who say: Behold, he is coming, and the Day of Judgment finds us here, fall asleep. When one says, he sleeps. Therefore, observe your sleep, and persevere in charity up to your sleep: let sleep find you expecting him. Suppose, indeed, that he has slept. Does he who sleeps not add that he will rise again? Therefore, all slept: both the wise and the foolish all slept.

A cry at midnight.

Behold, at midnight a cry was made. What is midnight? When it is not expected, when it is not believed at all. He put night in place of ignorance. Someone might reckon for himself: Behold, so many years have passed since Adam, and behold, six thousand years are completed, and immediately, as certain interpreters have calculated, the day of judgment will come at once: and calculations come and pass, and the coming of the bridegroom is still delayed, and the virgins who went to meet him sleep. And behold, when it is not expected, while it is said, Six thousand years were anticipated, and behold, they have passed, how do we know now when he will come? He will come at midnight. What is, He will come at midnight? While you do not know, he will come. Why will he come while you do not know? Hear the Lord Himself: It is not for you to know the times, which the Father has set by His own power. The day of the Lord, says the Apostle, will come like a thief in the night. Therefore, watch in the night, so that you do not suffer the thief. For the sleep of death will come, whether you want it or not.

The resurrection of the virgins and oil in the vessels.

But at midnight there was a cry made. What is this cry, if not the one of which the Apostle says: In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet? For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Finally, when the cry was made at midnight, which will cry out: Behold the bridegroom comes, what follows? All rose. What does it mean: All rose? The Lord himself said the hour is coming when all who are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. Therefore, at the last trumpet, all rose. But the wise took oil in their vessels with them: the foolish, however, did not take oil with them. What does it mean, they did not take oil with them in their vessels? What does it mean, in their vessels? In their hearts. Whence the Apostle says: This is our glory, the testimony of our conscience. There is the oil, the great oil: this oil is from the gift of God. Finally, men can put oil inside, but they cannot create the olive. Behold, I have oil: did you create the oil? It is from the gift of God. You have oil, carry it with you. What does it mean, carry it with you? Have it inside, there please God.

What it means to carry oil with oneself.

For behold, here are those foolish virgins, who did not carry oil with them; by their abstinence, on account of which they are called virgins, and by their good works, when they seem to carry lamps, they seek to please men. And if they desire to please men and therefore do all these praiseworthy acts, they do not carry oil with them. Therefore, carry it with you, carry it inside, where God sees: there carry the testimony of your conscience. But he who walks according to the testimony of another does not carry oil with him. If you therefore abstain from illicit things and do good works so that you may be praised by men, there is no oil inside. Finally, when men begin not to praise, the lamps fail. Let your Charity, therefore, be attentive. Before those virgins slept, it is not said that their lamps were extinguished. The lamps of the wise burned with internal oil, from the security of conscience, from internal glory, from intimate charity. Nevertheless, the lamps of the foolish also burned. Why did they burn then? Because the praises of men were not lacking. But afterwards, when they rose, that is, in the resurrection from the dead, they began to prepare their lamps, that is, to prepare to render an account to God of their works. And because at that time there was no one to praise, every man attends to his own cause, there is no one then who does not think of himself: therefore there were none who could sell oil; the lamps began to fail, and the foolish ones turned to the five wise ones: Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. They sought that which they were accustomed to, that is, to shine with another's oil, to walk according to another's praises. Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

The foolish virgins are mocked by the wise ones.

But they said: Lest perhaps it may not suffice for us and for you, go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. This response is not from those who give advice, but from those who mock. Why from those who mock? Because they were wise, because wisdom was in them. For they were not wise from themselves: but that wisdom was in them, of which it is written in a certain book, which says to its despisers, when they come to the evils that it threatened them with: And I will laugh at your destruction. What wonder is it that the wise mock the foolish? What is to mock?

Buying and selling oil.

Go to the sellers, and buy for yourselves: because you did not usually live well, unless because men praised you, who sold you oil. What does it mean, they sold oil? They sold praises. Who sell praises, but flatterers? How much more you should not acquiesce to flatterers, and inwardly carry oil, and for the sake of a good conscience do all good works: then you would say: The righteous will correct me in mercy, and reprove me; but the oil of the sinner shall not anoint my head. Better, he says, that the righteous correct me, the righteous reprove me, the righteous strike me, the righteous correct me, than that the oil of the sinner anoints my head. What is the oil of the sinner, but the blandishments of the flatterer?

The humility of the wise virgins.

Go therefore to those who sell; you are accustomed to doing this. But we do not give to you. Why? Lest there not be enough for us and for you. What does it mean "lest there not be enough"? It was said not out of despair, but with sober and pious humility. For although the good person has a good conscience, how does he know how He who is not deceived by anyone will judge? He has a good conscience; crimes conceived in the heart do not disturb him. But because of certain daily sins of human life, while his conscience may be good, nonetheless he says to God: "Forgive us our debts," because he has done what follows: "As we forgive our debtors." He has broken bread with a hungry heart, clothed the naked from the heart; he has done good works from the inner oil, and yet in that judgment, even his good conscience trembles.

The praises of humans are vain on the day of judgment.

See what it is: Give us oil. They heard: Rather go to the sellers. Because you are used to living well through human praise, you do not carry oil with you: but we do not give; lest perhaps it may not suffice for us and for you. For we scarcely judge ourselves, how much less can we judge you? What is it, We scarcely judge ourselves? Because when the just king sits on the throne, who will boast of having a pure heart? Perhaps you find nothing in your conscience; but he finds something who sees better, whose divine sight penetrates deeper things: perhaps he sees something, perhaps he finds something. How much better do you say to him: Do not enter into judgment with your servant? Even how much better do you say: Forgive us our debts? For it is also said to you because of those torches, because of those lamps: I was hungry, and you gave me to eat. What then? and did not those others do this? They did not do it before him. But how did they do it? Just as the Lord forbids, who said: Beware of doing your righteousness before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. And do not be like the hypocrites, when you pray. For they love to stand in the streets and pray, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. They bought oil, they gave the price: they bought, they were not defrauded of human praise; they sought human praise, they had it. Those human praises do not help them on the day of judgment. But how did those others do it? Let your works shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. He did not say: You. For you do not have your own oil. Cast yourself, and say, I have: but from him. For what do you have, that you did not receive? Therefore, those others did it in such a way, those others in such a way.

But it is not surprising, as they go to buy, as they seek from whom they may be praised, and they do not find; as they seek from whom they may be consoled, and they do not find; the door is open, the bridegroom and bride come, then the Church glorified with Christ, so that individual members may gather towards the whole. And they entered with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. And those foolish ones came later: but did they buy oil, or did they find from whom to buy? Therefore they found the doors closed: they began to knock, but too late.

To those who knock, why is the door not opened?

It has been said, it is true, it has been said not deceitfully: Knock and it will be opened to you: but now when it is the time of mercy, not when it is the time of judgment. For these times cannot be confused, as the Church sings to its Lord of mercy and judgment. It is the time of mercy; do penance. At the time of judgment will you have to do it? You will be among those virgins against whom the door was closed. Lord, Lord, open to us. Did they not do penance because they did not bring oil with them? And what did late penance benefit them, when true wisdom mocked them? Therefore the door was closed. And what was said to them? I do not know you. Does He not know them, He who knows all? What, then, does it mean: I do not know you? I disapprove of you, I reject you. In my art I do not recognize you; my art does not know vices: this is great, both not to know vices and to judge vices. It does not know by doing, it judges by accusing. So, then, I do not know you.

How the five wise virgins are to be imitated.

They went in, and five wise ones entered. How many of you are there, my brothers, in the name of Christ; let there be five wise ones among you, but do not let there be five persons. Let there be five wise ones among you, pertaining to that wisdom of the number five. For the hour will come, and when we do not know, it will come. It will come at midnight, be alert. Thus the Gospel closed: Be alert, for you do not know the day nor the hour. If, therefore, we are to sleep, how do we stay alert? Stay alert with your heart, stay alert with faith, stay alert with hope, stay alert with charity, stay alert with deeds: and when you sleep with your body, the time will come for you to rise. And when you have risen, prepare the lamps. Then they will not be extinguished, then they will be nourished by the inner oil of conscience: then let that bridegroom be embraced with incorporeal bonds, then let him lead you into the house, where you will never sleep, where your lamp can never be extinguished. But today we labor, and our lamps fluctuate amidst the winds and temptations of this world: but let our flame burn in strength, so that the wind of temptation may rather increase the fire than extinguish it.