On the parable of the ten virgins and alms (Matthew 25:1)

On Holy and Great Wednesday 1. When I imagine the short duration of our life and the cycle of time, and the hardships of human existence, and the illusory nature of fate, and the fleetingness of the present century, and the vicissitudes of things, and the fleeting nature of glory, and the instability of power, and the unreliability of prosperity, and the illusory nature of wealth; then, when I imagine the day of the end, and the inexorable speed of the denouement, and the deadline for the report, and the unwashedness of the Judge, and the horror of the judgment - how the Judge appears from the sky in the blaze of lightning, how the heavenly powers flow in in confusion, how the terrible throne is prepared, how the sky rolls up like a book scroll, how the elements burn, collapsing in fear, how the earth is in turmoil, awaiting the condescension of the Judge, how terrible they sound trumpets, how graves are opened, how coffins are freed, how the dead awaken from sleep, how the dust of the earth returns to its place in the twinkling of an eye, how souls return to their bodies, how the righteous go out to the meeting, how the Bridegroom appears at deep midnight, how the righteous are honored with entrance, how the careless remain before the closed door of the bridal chamber: when I have reproduced all this in my soul, I will please those wise virgins, oh which the Gospel has just reminded us of. I congratulate them for the fact that they overcame the tendency to sleep and, abhorring the inconstancy and passion of this corruptible life, worthily took care of the incorruptible and divine life - that, knowing the inevitability of the end of times, they guarded the hour of coming and did not forget the fear of presenting their incorruptible Bridegroom - that they finally foresaw the darkness of the night and in view of it took care of their lamps. However, nothing prevents us from considering the entire content of today’s reading from the divine Gospel. “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins,” they say, “who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” (Matthew 25:1). When did you leave? Was it when the end of their lives caught them? When did the command come? When was the hour of death? When the angels had already been sent to hasten the end, did they then go out to meet the Bridegroom? Of course not. When, then, did they come out? When they abandoned worldly attachments, when they preferred to follow the narrow and cramped path, when they loved the voluntary austerity of life, when they abandoned the bonds of marriage, when they despised the pleasures of life, when they chose the good part of incorruptibility, when they loved true joy, when they abhorred the mire of sin, when they put on chastity, when they loved the pure Bridegroom, when they desired the beauty of the kingdom, when they threw away all worldly things. care - that’s when they went out to meet the Bridegroom! “Of them five were wise and five foolish” (Matthew 25:2). But how did the wise differ from the holy fools? Because they combined alms with chastity, virginity was decorated with good deeds: they knew that faith without works is dead, they understood that virtue alone is not enough for salvation, because even an eagle cannot fly to the heights with one wing. They remembered the voice of the Bridegroom, saying: “For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Hos. 6:6), and in another place: “mercy exalts itself over judgment” (James 2:13). Having understood all this well, he filled his vessels with oil. What vessels? The wombs of the hungry. They made the poor mediators of spiritual marriage and equipped themselves for the journey with the help of their mercy. The hungry were fed, and the lamps were lighted; the poor thanked, and the Groom was touched; alms were sown, and the expected reward was prepared. After such preparation, the wise could cry out in the words of David: we have prepared ourselves, and we will not be embarrassed (Ps. 119:60)! The holy fools, having lamps without oil, lost the opportunity to meet the Bridegroom. This is what it means to limit yourself to one virtue! This is what it means to internalize integrity and push away humanity! Have they not achieved dispassion in the body? But they showed no compassion for those in need. Have you not loved chastity? And they rejected strangeness. So, how did it end? “And when the bridegroom lingered, they all dozed off and fell asleep” (Matthew 25:5). But some, having stored up oil in advance, were firmly confident that their lamps would not go out, while the holy fools had to be wary of this. However, why not speak directly? The hour came, the time was fulfilled, thunder was heard, trumpets sounded, the elements trembled, the air shook, the sky bowed, the firmament shook, the stars disintegrated, the forces were confused, the angels rushed, lightning flashed, great confusion seized all creation. Not during the day, but at midnight, the Judge comes. What next? Cries are heard calling for a meeting: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6)! What happened? All the virgins stood up, woke up from sleep, and took their lamps. But for some they burned, for others they did not. Among the wise they were abundantly supplied with the oil of good deeds, but among the foolish they were extinguished. This matter was worthy of pity. An inexorable need overtook these virgins and there was no room for consolation in their failure. Then, turning to the wise, they asked them for what they could not take: “Give us your oil, because our lamps are going out” (Matthew 25:8). It was necessary to imitate them in due time, and not ask now; It was necessary, of course, to stock up on oil from the sellers. “Give us,” they say, “your oil.” Ask the wise in vain, you fools! Now the worldly market is over, the field of life has passed. Now is no longer the time for deals; discovery of cases is now required. It was necessary to foresee in advance the danger of the present age, it was necessary to take care of this meeting, it was necessary to remember that lamps cannot shine without oil. You say: “give us your oil.” No one adorns himself with the deeds of others; everyone reaps what he sows. Give us oil! What do the wise answer them? “So that there is no shortage for you and us, go instead to those who sell and buy for yourself” (Matthew 25:9). While there is still some time left, go, hurry. The groom hasn't arrived yet. Hurry before the doors close, go to the merchants. But who, oh wise ones, are these merchants! Point them out: surely these maidens, not having the habit of buying, do not know where to look for merchants? These are the poor, sitting at the church doors, spiritual swallows, heralding spiritual spring for the soul, respected intercessors before God, invincible defenders on the day of temptation. “When they went to buy, the bridegroom came, ... and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10). Oh, fatal negligence! Oh, incurable sorrow! Oh, immeasurable grief! Oh, inconsolable pity! When they went to buy, the groom came at that time. The desired joy came, the praise of the righteous came, the light came at midnight. The wise maidens met him, together with him they entered the palace and the doors of the palace were closed. 2. I am horrified when I imagine what happened, I tremble, remembering the failure that befell these maidens. They wanted to see the bridal chamber. For his sake, they rejected the joys of the world, despised luxury, disdained glory, for his sake they chose the narrow path, conquered passions, fought with pleasures, and because they did not have oil, they found the entrance to the kingdom already closed. Returning, they knocked, “and said: Lord! God! open to us” (Matthew 25:11)! But the Judge from inside the palace announced to them the terrible news: “Truly I say to you, I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12)! Oh, extreme rejection! Not even through an angel, but he himself gave this regrettable answer, so that, hearing His voice, but not being able to see His face, they would experience even more torment. “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” Don't you know us, Lord? From our mother’s womb we were committed to You, we followed You from our youth, we preserved innocence, we kept the body that You created for us immaculate, we did not give up our members to passions, expecting to receive crowns from Your hand. And now You have closed the doors on us and say: “I don’t know you”? Yes. says, I really don’t know you. Why, oh Lord? The Lord answers why. “For I was hungry, and you gave me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and they did not accept Me; I was naked, and they did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and they did not visit Me” (Matthew 25:42–43). My words were proclaimed to you in the scriptures: “Because you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (Matthew 25:45). They said: in vain, then, Lord, have we endured labor and bodily exhaustion? Did you kill yourself in vain by vigil and fasting? In vain, having completely surrendered ourselves to the heavenly Bridegroom, have we preserved our virginity inviolate? Yes, he says, you are virgins, but you have no dowry; you are virgins, but do not have the decoration characteristic of brides; you have maintained bodily purity, but through inhumanity you have devalued your purity; your body is blameless, but your soul is unmerciful - not from nature, but from inhumanity. My bridal chamber belongs to those who have received the oil of good deeds. Those who become my brides must at the same time renounce the morals inherent in the world. I cannot bring into My palace a bride who goes against Me, I cannot bring discord into peaceful abodes. Go away from Me, do not besiege My doors in vain: My kingdom is the inheritance of the merciful. He will share it with Me, who imitated Me in My mercy towards the poor, who became poor in spirit, who did not close his ears to the needy, who considered the suffering of others as his own, who mourned the misfortunes of others, filled the soul of the hungry with good, warmed the bodies of the naked, did not remain deaf to the voice of the sick, did not skimp on words of consolation for the faint-hearted, took the stranger under his roof, wiped away the tears of widows, and with his intercession eased the burden of orphanhood. Knowing this, brothers, do not praise (the Lord) with your tongue, but imitate (His) deeds. The hand is the seal of the tongue, and by acting with your hand in accordance with the words, you confirm your words. So, I beg you, let us put (love) for the poor above all else, let us not spare money for the poor. Let us follow the words of the Lord; Having experienced in our souls what the unfortunate virgins experienced, we will try to avoid a similar fate; in the person of the poor, let us take care of ourselves. Virgins who do not respect humanity are deprived of the bridal chamber. What hope remains for sinners who pride themselves on their mercy? Addressing these words to all of you, I encourage the conscience of the weaker, without any prejudice to the prudent, on the contrary, I encourage them to excel in piety. So, do not be scattered, brother, while the field of life continues. Take care of what will serve to justify you. Begin weeping (about your sins) before the thrones are set up; be ready for the coming of the groom; flee from sin quickly; warn of the coming test; Appease the Judge so that you do not have to appear helpless before the judgment seat. Spend your wealth now, so that the accusations can then be dispelled; look for opportunities to speak with the Judge in private, so that He does not condemn you in front of everyone: take the poor as an intercessor for yourself, and through him ask the Judge. Trust him alone with your secret: through him gain your justification. The beggar takes the money, and the Judge signs the forgiveness: he accepts it without a letter and brings the handwriting. “He who does good to the poor lends to the Lord” (Prov. 19:17). What you now throw into the hand of a beggar, you will later find in the hand of the Judge. If you want to avoid judgment, try now to win over the Judge with the help of the poor. When you make your final orders, do not forget, along with your friends and family, your soul parting with life; give her at least a little money necessary for the journey. Let the name of the Judge be mentioned in your will, let your memory of the poor be imprinted on paper. Make your death worthy of joy, not tears; Do not appear at the terrible judgment seat without intercessors. Fill the bellies of those whose tongues will speak for you before the Lord. Through them we will make the Creator our debtor, so that on that day we will not suffer condemnation; With the help of money we will acquire reliable defenders for ourselves. In the person of the poor, you have, says the Lord, a witness of your love for Me; You know that I appropriate to Myself what is done to the poor. I send grass to the cattle and give food to everyone, but when you give alms, I, together with the poor, extend my hand and accept the alms. I dress myself “in light as in a robe” (Ps. 103:2), but as soon as you clothe the beggar, I will feel the warmth. You know that I sit in heaven with the Father, but whenever you go into prison to visit the prisoners, you find Me there bound in bonds; as soon as you go to the sick, I do not leave the bed. I am everywhere, but especially I stand up for those in need. Whatever you give to the poor, you will find multiplied with Me. If you bring a homeless person into your house, together with him you will receive Me into your house, and for this you will receive a threefold reward from Me: I will increase your wealth, and I will preserve your house, and in heaven I will prepare for you an abode from which sickness, sorrow and sighing have departed, in God the Father, with the Holy Spirit, to Whom be glory and dominion, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and classified in the Minya edition as Spuria. You might be interested in: