The Wise and Foolish Virgins

True Preparation for the Lord's Coming

1. Those of you who were present yesterday remember my promise, which with the Lord's help I intend to fulfill today, not just for you, but also for the many others who have gathered here. This is no easy question: who are the ten virgins, of whom five are wise and five are foolish? Nevertheless, according to this passage which I wanted read to you again today, beloved, I don't think—as far as the Lord gives me understanding—that this parable or comparison relates only to those women who are called Virgins in the Church by a unique and excellent sanctity, whom we usually call "the Religious." If I'm not mistaken, this parable relates to the whole Church.

But even if we should understand it as referring only to those called "the Religious," are there only ten? God forbid that so great a company of virgins should be reduced to such a small number! But someone might say, "What if, though they are many in outward profession, yet in truth they are so few that scarcely ten can be found?" That cannot be so. For if he had meant that only the good virgins should be understood by the ten, he would not have portrayed five foolish ones among them. If this is the number of virgins who are called, why are the doors of the great house shut against five?

2. So then let's understand, dearly beloved, that this parable relates to all of us, that is, to the whole Church together—not to the clergy only, of whom we spoke yesterday, nor to the laity only, but generally to all. Why then are the virgins five and five? These five and five virgins are all Christian souls together. But that I may tell you what I think by the Lord's inspiration, these are not souls of every sort, but those souls that have the Catholic faith and seem to have good works in the Church of God. Yet even among these, "five are wise, and five are foolish."

First, let's see why they are called "five," and why "virgins," and then let's consider the rest. Every soul in the body is represented by the number five because it makes use of five senses. There is nothing we perceive through the body except through the five-fold gate, either by sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. Whoever, then, abstains from unlawful seeing, unlawful hearing, unlawful smelling, unlawful tasting, and unlawful touching—because of this purity has earned the name of virgin.

3. But if it's good to abstain from the unlawful excitements of the senses, and on that account every Christian soul has earned the name of virgin, why are five admitted and five rejected? They are both virgins, and yet they are rejected. It's not enough that they are virgins and have lamps. They are virgins because of their abstinence from unlawful indulgence of the senses; they have lamps because of their good works. About these good works the Lord says, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Again, He says to His disciples, "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning" (Luke 12:35). The "girded loins" represent virginity; the "burning lamps" represent good works.

4. The title of virginity is not usually applied to married persons. Yet even in them there is a virginity of faith, which produces wedded fidelity. For you should know, holy brothers and sisters, that everyone, every soul, as touching the soul, and that purity of faith by which they abstain from things unlawful and by which they do good works, is not inappropriately called "a virgin." The whole Church, which consists of virgins, boys, married men, and married women, is by one name called a Virgin.

How do we prove this? Hear the Apostle speaking, not just to celibate women but to the whole Church together: "I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). And because the devil, the corrupter of this virginity, is to be guarded against, after the Apostle had said, "I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ," he continues, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Few have virginity in the body; in the heart all ought to have it. If then abstinence from what is unlawful is good, which has earned the name of virginity, and good works are praiseworthy, which are signified by the lamps, why are five admitted and five rejected? If there is a virgin who carries lamps but is not admitted, where will the person see themselves who neither preserves purity from things unlawful nor, not wishing to have good works, walks in darkness?

5. Of these then, my brothers and sisters, yes, of these let us rather speak. The one who will not see what is evil, who will not hear what is evil, who turns away their sense of smell from unlawful odors and their taste from unlawful food of sacrifices, who refuses the embrace of another person's spouse, who breaks bread for the hungry, welcomes the stranger into their house, clothes the naked, reconciles those in conflict, visits the sick, and buries the dead—surely this person is a virgin, surely they have lamps.

What more do we seek? Something yet I seek. What do you seek more, someone might ask? Something yet I seek; the Holy Gospel has made me search. It tells us that even among these virgins who carry lamps, some are wise and some are foolish. How do we see this? How do we make the distinction? By the oil. Some great, some exceedingly great thing does this oil signify.

Do you think that it is not charity? This we say as we search out what it is; we don't make a hasty judgment. I will tell you why charity seems to be signified by the oil. The Apostle says, "I will show you a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31). "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1). This, that is "love," is "that more excellent way," which is with good reason signified by the oil. For oil swims above all liquids. Pour in water, and pour in oil upon it, the oil will swim above. Pour in oil, pour in water upon it, the oil will swim above. If you keep the usual order, it will be uppermost; if you change the order, it will be uppermost. "Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8).

6. What is it then, brothers and sisters? Let's discuss now the five wise and the five foolish virgins. They wished to go to meet the Bridegroom. What does it mean "to go and meet the Bridegroom"? To go with the heart, to be waiting for his coming. But he delayed. "While he delayed, they all slumbered and slept" (Matthew 25:5). What does "all" mean? Both the foolish and the wise "all slumbered and slept."

Should we think this sleep is good? What is this sleep? Is it that at the delay of the Bridegroom, "because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12)? Should we understand the sleep this way? I don't think so, and I'll tell you why.

Because among them are the wise virgins, and certainly when the Lord said, "Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold," He went on to say, "But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Where would you place those wise virgins? Aren't they among those who "endure to the end"? They wouldn't be admitted at all, brothers and sisters, for any other reason than that they have "endured to the end." No coldness of love crept over them; their love did not grow cold, but preserved its warmth even to the end.

And because it glows even to the end, the gates of the Bridegroom are opened to them; therefore they are told to enter in, like that excellent servant: "Enter into the joy of your lord" (Matthew 25:21). What then is the meaning of "they all slept"? There is another sleep which no one escapes. Don't you remember the Apostle saying, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13), that is, concerning those who are dead? Why are they called "those who have fallen asleep," except because they will awaken in their own day? Therefore, "they all slept." Do you think that because someone is wise, they don't have to die? Whether the virgin is foolish or wise, all suffer equally the sleep of death.

7. But people continually say to themselves, "Look, the day of judgment is coming now, so many evils are happening, so many tribulations are increasing; see, all things which the prophets have spoken are nearly fulfilled; the day of judgment is already at hand." Those who speak this way, and speak in faith, go out as it were with such thoughts to "meet the Bridegroom."

But look—war upon war, tribulation upon tribulation, earthquake upon earthquake, famine upon famine, nation against nation, and still the Bridegroom doesn't come yet. While He is expected to come, all those who are saying, "Look, He is coming, and the Day of Judgment will find us here," fall asleep. While they are saying this, they fall asleep. Let each one then have an eye to this sleep, and persevere even unto sleep in love; let sleep find them waiting. For suppose that someone has fallen asleep. "Will not the one who falls asleep rise again?" (Psalm 41:8). Therefore "they all slept"; both the wise and the foolish virgins in the parable, it is said, "they all slept."

8. "And at midnight a cry was heard" (Matthew 25:6). What is "at midnight"? When there is no expectation, no belief at all of it. Night is put for ignorance. A person makes a calculation with themselves: "Look, so many years have passed since Adam, and the six thousand years are almost complete, and then immediately, according to the computation of certain interpreters, the Day of Judgment will come." Yet these calculations come and pass away, and still the coming of the Bridegroom is delayed, and the virgins who had gone to meet him sleep.

And when He is not expected, when people are saying, "The six thousand years were waited for, and look, they are gone by, so how will we know when He will come?" He will come at midnight. What does "will come at midnight" mean? Will come when you are not aware. Why will He come when you are not aware? Hear the Lord Himself, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7). "The day of the Lord," says the Apostle, "will come as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Therefore watch at night so that you are not surprised by the thief. For the sleep of death—whether you want it or not—it will come.

9. "But when that cry was made at midnight." What cry was this, but that of which the Apostle says, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52)? So when the cry was made at midnight, "Behold, the Bridegroom is coming!" what follows? "Then all those virgins arose." What is "they all arose"? "The hour is coming," said the Lord Himself, "in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth" (John 5:28-29). Therefore at the last trumpet they all arose.

"Now those wise virgins had brought oil with them in their vessels, but the foolish brought no oil with them" (Matthew 25:3-4). What is the meaning of "brought no oil with them in their vessels"? What is "in their vessels"? In their hearts. The Apostle says, "Our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience" (2 Corinthians 1:12). There is the oil, the precious oil; this oil is of the gift of God. People can put oil into their vessels, but they cannot create the olive.

See, I have oil; but did you create the oil? It is of the gift of God. You have oil. Carry it with you. What does "carry it with you" mean? Have it within, there please God.

10. For look, those "foolish virgins, who brought no oil with them," wish to please people by that abstinence of theirs whereby they are called virgins, and by their good works, when they seem to carry lamps. And if they wish to please people, and on that account do all these praiseworthy works, they do not carry oil with them. You then carry it with you; carry it within where God sees; there carry the testimony of your conscience.

For the one who walks to gain the testimony of another does not carry oil with them. If you abstain from things unlawful and do good works to be praised by others, there is no oil within. And so when people begin to withhold their praise, the lamps fail. Observe then, beloved, before those virgins slept, it is not said that their lamps were extinguished. The lamps of the wise virgins burned with an inward oil, with the assurance of a good conscience, with an inner glory, with an inmost charity. Yet the lamps of the foolish virgins burned also. Why did they burn then? Because there was yet no lack of the praise of others.

But after they arose, that is, in the resurrection from the dead, they began to trim their lamps, that is, began to prepare to render to God an account of their works. And because there is then no one to praise, everyone is entirely concerned with their own cause. There is no one then who is not thinking of themselves; therefore, there was no one to sell them oil. So their lamps began to fail, and the foolish turned to the five wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out" (Matthew 25:8). They sought for what they had been accustomed to seek—to shine, that is, with others' oil, to walk after others' praises. "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out."

11. But they say, "No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves" (Matthew 25:9). This was not the answer of those who give advice, but of those who mock. And why do they mock? Because they were wise, because wisdom was in them. For they were not wise by anything of their own; but that wisdom was in them, of which it is written in a certain book that she shall say to those that despised her, when they have fallen upon the evils which she threatened them: "I will laugh at your calamity" (Proverbs 1:26). What wonder then is it that the wise mock the foolish virgins? And what is this mocking?

12. "Go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves" (Matthew 25:9). You who never were accustomed to live well except because people praised you, who sold you oil. What does "sold you oil" mean? "Sold praises." Who sell praises but flatterers? How much better would it have been for you not to have accepted flattery, and to have carried oil within, and for the sake of a good conscience to have done all good works. Then you might say, "The righteous shall correct me in mercy and rebuke me, but the oil of the sinner shall not anoint my head" (Psalm 141:5).

Rather, he says, let the righteous correct me, let the righteous rebuke me, let the righteous buffet me, let the righteous correct me, than the "oil of the sinner anoint my head." What is the oil of the sinner but the flattery of the flatterer?

13. "Go" then "to those who sell," this is what you have been accustomed to do. But we will not give to you. Why? "Lest there should not be enough for us and you." What is "lest there should not be enough" ? This was not spoken in any lack of hope, but in a sober and godly humility.

For though the good person has a good conscience, how does he know how God may judge, who is deceived by no one? He has a good conscience, no sins conceived in the heart tempt him, yet, though his conscience is good, because of the daily sins of human life, he says to God, "forgive us our debts," seeing he has done what comes next, "as we also forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). He has broken his bread to the hungry from the heart, from the heart has clothed the naked; out of that inward oil he has done good works, and yet in that judgment even his good conscience trembles.

14. See then what this, "Give us oil," is. They were told "Go rather to those who sell." In that you have been used to live upon the praises of people, you do not carry oil with you; but we cannot give you any, "lest there should not be enough for us and you." For we scarcely judge ourselves; how much less can we judge you? What is "scarcely do we judge ourselves" ? Because "When the righteous King sits on His throne, who will boast, 'My heart is clean'?" (Proverbs 20:8-9).

It may be you don't discover anything in your own conscience, but He who sees better, whose divine glance penetrates into deeper things, may discover something. He sees perhaps something; He discovers something. How much better might you say to Him, "Do not enter into judgment with Your servant" (Psalm 143:2)? How much better, "Forgive us our debts" ?

Because it shall also be said to you because of those torches, because of those lamps: "I was hungry, and you gave Me food" (Matthew 25:35). What then? Did not the foolish virgins do so too? Yes, but they did it not before Him. How then did they do it? As the Lord forbids, who said, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward" (Matthew 6:1, 5).

They have bought oil; they have paid the price; they have bought it, they have not been defrauded of people's praises. They have sought people's praises, and they have had them. These praises of people aid them not in the judgment day. But the other virgins, how have they done? "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). He did not say, "may glorify you." For you have no oil of your own. Boast and say, I have it; but from Him, "for what do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7). So then in this way acted the one, and in that the other.

15. Now it is no wonder that "while they went to buy," while they are seeking for persons by whom to be praised, and find none; while they are seeking for persons by whom to be comforted, and find none; that "the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut" (Matthew 25:10). Then the foolish virgins came afterwards; but had they bought any oil, or found any from whom they might buy it? Therefore they found the doors shut; they began to knock, but too late.

16. It is said, and it is true, and no deceitful saying, "Knock, and it shall be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7), but now when it is the time of mercy, not when it is the time of judgment. For these times cannot be confused, since the Church sings to her Lord of "mercy and judgment" (Psalm 101:1). It is the time of mercy; repent. Can you repent in the time of judgment? You will be then as those virgins against whom the door was shut. "Lord, Lord, open to us." What! Did they not repent that they had brought no oil with them? Yes, but what good does their late repentance do, when the true wisdom mocked them? Therefore "the door was shut."

And what was said to them? "I do not know you" (Matthew 25:12). Did not He know them, who knows all things? What then is "I do not know you" ? I refuse to acknowledge you; I reject you. In my art I do not know vice; yet my art still judges vice. This is a marvelous thing: it does not know vice in the practice of it; it judges by reproving it. Thus then, "I do not know you."

17. The five wise virgins came and "went in." How many are you, my brothers and sisters, in the profession of Christ's name! Let there be among you the five wise, but don't be only five such persons. Let there be among you the five wise, belonging to this wisdom of the number five. For the hour will come, and come when we don't know. It will come at midnight; watch. Thus the Gospel concludes: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour" (Matthew 25:13).

But if we are all to sleep, how shall we watch? Watch with the heart, watch with faith, watch with hope, watch with love, watch with good works. And then, when you sleep in your body, the time will come that you shall rise. And when you have risen, prepare the lamps. Then they shall go out no more; then shall they be renewed with the inner oil of conscience. Then shall that Bridegroom enfold you in His spiritual embrace; then shall He bring you into His house where you shall never sleep, where your lamp can never be extinguished.

But at present we are in labor, and our lamps flicker amid the winds and temptations of this life. But only let our flame burn strongly, that the wind of temptation may increase the fire, rather than put it out.