In the Gospel reading which has just been recited to us concerning the virgins, most beloved brothers, it was said that all the virgins trimmed their lamps; but the foolish did not have oil prepared for their lamps, while the wise took oil in their vessels. But while the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and slept. And at midnight a cry was made: 「Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him.」 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps; and when the lamps of the foolish virgins were going out, they asked the rest, in whose vessels there was oil, to give them some of their oil; and they said: 「Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.」
But while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came, saying: 「Lord, Lord, open to us」; to whom it was said: 「I do not know whence you are.」 Now when he says, 「While the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and slept,」 that sleep signifies death. Indeed, as the Apostle says: 「But concerning those who sleep, brothers, we do not wish you to be ignorant.」 The midnight, when the cry was made, signifies the great day of judgment; because of ignorance it is called midnight, since no one knows when or at what hour the day of judgment will come.
Now that all the virgins trimmed their lamps, and even those foolish ones had some oil, yet it was little, so that it could not by any means suffice for them. Indeed, at once they began to go out. Whence, most beloved brothers, we ought, with God's help, to labor as much as we can, so that—since by oil is understood mercy or charity—we may lay up in the vessels of our souls as much as will suffice us unto eternity. A little suffices no one, most beloved brothers, save perhaps one who through poverty is not able to give more; the lamp of the soul must be full, so that through the oil of charity our light may shine forever.
To whom God has given a more abundant substance, let him open his hands generously to almsgiving, and let him not believe that a little can suffice for him; but let each one consider, from the time when he began to have discernment, how much he owes for the things he has wickedly thought, wickedly spoken, or wickedly done; let him give heed to the multitude of his sins, and diligently weigh the price of each; let him see how much he owes for boastings, for oaths, for perjuries, for curses or slanders, for drunkenness, for gluttony and luxury, for filthy thoughts, for idle words.
Let each one consider all these things and things like them, which cannot even be numbered, and then he will recognize how great the almsgivings are that he ought to practice; for even if we were all sold, unless God's mercy outweighed the scale, we could not redeem all our sins. Let us do, with a humbly contrite and stricken heart, as much as we can, and let us do it not for human praise, but for God's commandment and for the contemplation of eternal life. Now as to what the foolish virgins said to the wise, 「Give us of your oil」;
and they answered, 「Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you,」 this I judge they said humbly, because there will be such terror and such scrutiny on the day of judgment that even those who understand that they have prepared the oil of mercy more abundantly will fear lest it be able to suffice for the redeeming of all their sins. But as to what was said, 「Go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves,」 this can be understood of the poor. They are the merchants who sell the oil necessary for the lamps of souls. For through them Christ has been accustomed to conduct this business. For in them he receives earthly things, being about to repay eternal things. Indeed he himself said so: 「As long as you did it to one of these least, you did it to me.」
Now the lamps are understood to be souls. And those vessels where the oil is kept signify good consciences. And what is it to have oil in the vessels, but to store up good works in the conscience? And because some do good works for the love of God, others for the desire of human praise, those virgins—both those who were virgins in body, and those who exercised themselves in vigils, psalms, readings, or prayers—did all this for human praise, not for God nor for eternal blessedness; therefore, when death came in, where human praise ceased for them, the oil also at the same time failed them.
For that which was said to them, 「Go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves,」 can also be taken thus: that by 「those who sell」 are understood those who extol the foolish virgins with soothing flatteries. Whence it is understood that all who desire to receive human praise, whatever they seem to perform in the work of God, they sell through human flatteries, receiving vain praise and losing eternal rewards. But those virgins who had oil in their vessels laid up every good work within, in the conscience, because they did it not for praise, but for the divine mercy.
Therefore, most beloved brothers, faithfully pondering these things—since this parable pertains to the whole Church—let those who cannot preserve the virginity of the body guard the integrity of the heart, so that, if they cannot attain to the crown of the martyrs or of the virgins, they may at least deserve to receive pardon of all sins; but let the virgins who, with God's help, guard the integrity of the body strive to labor with all their strength, with God's aid: to flee wordiness, to spurn slander or murmuring like the poisons of the devil, to dread the disease of envy and pride as the sword of an enemy, to keep obedience humbly, never to despise the commands of their elders, to persist in reading and prayer;
if infirmity does not forbid, to rise for the vigils with all eagerness, whether in the oratory or in any other place; let them ever study to utter from the mouth what pertains to obedience or humility; if they see one who is sad, let them console him; if they recognize one disobedient, let them not cease to correct him. And because in every calling both good and evil are found, and in the Church of Christ not only wheat but also chaff is met with; there are found—what is worse—clerics, monks, and nuns so negligent and lukewarm that they do not, like spiritual bees, make the sweet honey of souls, but, like the cruelest wasps, strike the hearts of the brethren with the poisoned stings of their tongues.
Such as these are proved to be not helpers of Christ, but defenders of the devil; for if perhaps they see a brother or sister proudly setting himself against a superior, not only do they not seek to soften him, but rather with malicious words they strive to kindle him to greater ill will, saying that this can no longer, and ought no longer, be endured; they even urge that the elders should be made to regret whatever they wished to admonish or correct them with fatherly affection. But because in every intent, as we have already said, not only do the helpers or ministers of the devil, by cunning whispering, inflame to disobedience or pride, the helpers of Christ, by gentle exhortation and holy and wholesome counsel, strive to recall to humility or meekness.
For those who, placed in the clergy or in the monastery, raise up both themselves and others to pride, like quivers full of the devil's arrows, strive to strike the hearts of the simple, and to extinguish in them charity, humility, or meekness; but because, by God's favor, in the midst of the chaff wheat too is found, the holy souls who are proved to be, as it were, the medicine-chests of Christ, full of spiritual antidotes, do not cease to heal by applying heavenly remedies whatever those have wounded, saying to any proud person: 「Do not be proud, brother, for it is written: God resists the proud. Do not be angry, for it is written: Anger rests in the bosom of a fool」;
and again, 「The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.」 If perhaps they see one disobedient, gently and humbly they say: 「Do not be disobedient, brother, for it is written: Obedience is above sacrifice.」 And the Apostle cries out: 「Obey your prelates and be subject to them, for they watch over your souls as those who will render an account.」 These souls full of God, if they see one lukewarm and negligent, strive, with medicines brought forth from the spiritual chest—that is, from a good heart—to kindle him to compunction. If they see one slandering and murmuring, they say to him that saying of the blessed Apostle: 「Neither murmur, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer. Neither slander...」
...if by speaking thus he recognizes himself to be a helper and defender of righteousness, let him rejoice and give thanks to God, and, with his help, let him persevere unto the end; for not he who has begun, but he who has persevered unto the end, this one will be saved. But whoever, through pride, disobedience, or envy, perceives himself to be a helper or deputy of the devil, let him grieve over the past, beware for the future, and by humility let him rebuild what he had destroyed through the tyranny of pride; let meekness soften what malice or disobedience had exasperated, let the sweetness of charity compose it;
and while that dark soul, which had been wont to serve the devil, is still retained in this mortal body, let it acquire for itself a remedy in the day of need, so that, translated from the left hand to the right, it may deserve to hear with the sheep of Christ: 「Come, blessed, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.」 And although these things are so, most beloved brothers, yet it is fitting that neither the good be lifted up over their holy merits, nor those who have been evil be broken by excessive despair; but let the former humbly persevere in good things, and the latter be quickly corrected from evils, so that when the day of judgment comes, an upright life may be able both to crown the good...