Matthew 25:1–13

He likens the leaders of the peoples to virgins. The one who serves as priest must be spotless in soul and body, as Paul also says, “that she may be holy in body and in spirit.” Since scripture customarily divides all of life into five, he assigns to each time both holy and foolish souls, as each time has wise and simple, just and unjust. In that they all went out with the lamps, he shows that all souls were illumined by God with natural and innate laws, and also with the written laws through Moses. And all went out to meet the bridegroom — that is, all set themselves to please God and to be joined spiritually to the bridegroom who sows in the hearts of the faithful every form of virtue, which is why he is also called bridegroom. Yet some, though having the illumination from God, did not endure to live reasonably — which the prudent souls did, through good works making the illuminating grace given them from within by God shine out still more, and benefiting both themselves and others to the glory of God. By oil understand good love of work, which the idle do not have; when it is absent, the divine illumination in us passes over toward what is less beautiful. He likens to sleep, and calls drowsiness, the death of the flesh, which of necessity comes upon both the prudent and the senseless, whom the angels’ trumpet raises at the time of Christ’s presence. For all are raised when death is abolished, good and bad, and all are prepared for defense before the judge — that is, to arrange the lamps as each reckons his own life. When the base bring nothing along, the soul begins to be gloomy and as if quenched and to go into madness, so that they think they will be mercied through others’ virtue. That is why they are rejected when those say, “Perhaps it will not suffice for us and for you.” For each person’s virtue will scarcely suffice for the soul’s salvation, because even the very reasonable stumble in many things. “But go to those who sell” — who are prophets, apostles, evangelists, through whom one learns to work virtue, and right teachers of right doctrines. When they went away readily, the time did not allow it, making examination of what had been lived and not giving a beginning of working.

Since scripture customarily divides all of life into five, he assigns to each time both holy and foolish souls. In that they all went out with the lamps, he shows that all souls were illumined by God with the natural and the written law. Yet some did not endure to live reasonably with the illumination from God, while some through good works make the illuminating grace given them from God shine out still more and benefit both themselves and others to the glory of God. By oil understand good love of work; when it is absent, the divine illumination in us passes over toward what is less beautiful. He likens the death of the flesh to sleep and drowsiness, which of necessity comes upon all, whom the angels’ trumpet raises when death is abolished, and all are prepared for defense; for this is to arrange the lamps as each reckons his own life. For the base the soul begins to be gloomy and as if to go into madness, so that they think they will be mercied through others’ virtue. That is why they are rejected; for each person’s virtue will scarcely suffice for salvation, because even the very reasonable stumble in many things. Those who sell are the teachers of right doctrines, through whom one learns virtue. But to buy — that is, to be taught — the time did not allow, making examination of what had been lived and not giving a beginning of working. The present time is for working; the coming one is for recompense.