Volume 13 · pp. 583–586
Sermon XLIII. On the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins
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SERMO XLIII.
IN FESTO UNDECIM MILLIUM VIRGINUM.
Media nocte clamor factus est: Ecce sponsus venit, exite obvium ei. Tunc surrexerunt omnes virgines illæ, et ornaverunt lampades suas. Matth. XXV, 6 et 7.
In præsenti Evangelio quatuor principaliter sunt notanda:
I. Quid per quinque prudentes virgines intelligatur? II. Quid per quinque fatuas virgines exprimatur? III. Quid per mediam noctem et clamorem qui tunc factus est, accipiatur? IV. Quis sit sponsus, cujus adventus virginibus dormientibus annuntiatur?
I.
De primo nota: Quia vere virgo est, quæ intrinsecus et extrinsecus est incorrupta: propterea per quinque prudentes virgines quilibet fidelis et justus homo intelligitur, qui et cor interius et quinque sensus suos exterius a veneno diaboli, et ab inquinamento sæculi, et breviter ab omni carnis illecebra puros conservat et incorruptos. Diabolus enim, et sæculum, et carnis illecebra, cor et sensus hominum violant et corrumpunt. Diabolus enim maxime corrumpit hominem per superbiam, et sæculum per avaritiam, et carnis illecebra per luxuriam. Unde Augustinus sic dicit in libro de Verbis Domini: « Videntur mihi quinque virgines significare quandoque perditam continentiam a carnis illecebris. Continendus est enim animi appetitus a voluptate oculorum, a voluptate aurium, a voluptate olfaciendi, gustandi, atque tangendi. Et licet virginitatem in corpore pauci habeant, virginitatem tamen in corde omnes fideles habent. Virginitas autem cordis fides est incorrupta », ut idem asserit Augustinus. Et vere hæc in paucis mulieribus invenitur. Vix enim est aliqua mulier, nisi veram fidem corruperit per sortilegia, et alia muliebria medicamina, et præsagia, in quibus credunt mulieres et confidunt.
Debet igitur quilibet spiritualiter esse virgo, et prudens virgo, ut bona viriliter agat: virgo enim dicitur quasi viriliter agens. Debet etiam esse prudens, ut ea bona quæ facit, faciat pro æterna mercede. Unde dicit Glossa: « Prudentes, quia voluntate veritati serviunt pro æternis. »
Debet etiam quilibet Christianus, ut prudentibus virginibus assimiletur, lampadem ardentem habere. Septem vero sunt circa lampadem consideranda. Primum est, ut lampas sit ex vitro perlucido. Secundum est, quod lampas inferius est clausa et angusta, sed superius aperta et ampla. Tertium est, quod oleum infunditur. Quartum est, quod lychnus imponitur. Quintum est, quod igne accenditur. Sextum est, quod cavetur ei, ne frangatur et oleum effundatur. Septimum est, quod etiam cavetur ei a vento, ne lumen ejus exstinguatur.
SERMON XLIII.
ON THE FEAST OF THE ELEVEN THOUSAND VIRGINS.
At midnight a cry was made: Behold, the bridegroom comes; go out to meet him. Then all those virgins rose, and adorned their lamps. Matthew 25:6 and 7.
In the present Gospel four things principally are to be noted:
I. What is understood by the five prudent virgins? II. What is expressed by the five foolish virgins? III. What is received by midnight and by the cry that was then made? IV. Who is the bridegroom whose coming is announced to the sleeping virgins?
I.
Concerning the first, note: Because she is truly a virgin who is incorrupt within and without, therefore by the five prudent virgins any faithful and just human being is understood, who preserves both the heart inwardly and his five senses outwardly pure and incorrupt from the venom of the devil, and from the defilement of the age, and briefly from every enticement of the flesh. For the devil, and the age, and the enticement of the flesh violate and corrupt the heart and the senses of human beings. For the devil especially corrupts a human being through pride, and the age through avarice, and the enticement of the flesh through lust. Hence Augustine speaks thus in the book On the Words of the Lord: "The five virgins seem to me sometimes to signify continence, lost through enticements of the flesh. For the appetite of the mind must be contained from the pleasure of the eyes, from the pleasure of the ears, from the pleasure of smelling, tasting, and touching. And although few have virginity in the body, nevertheless all the faithful have virginity in the heart. But virginity of the heart is incorrupt faith," as the same Augustine asserts. And truly this is found in few women. For scarcely is there any woman, unless she has corrupted the true faith through sorceries, and other womanish medicines and omens, in which women believe and trust.
Therefore anyone ought spiritually to be a virgin, and a prudent virgin, so that he may do good things manfully; for virgin is said as though one acting manfully. He also ought to be prudent, so that those good things that he does, he may do for eternal reward. Hence the Gloss says: "Prudent, because by will they serve truth for eternal things."
Any Christian also ought, so that he may be likened to the prudent virgins, to have a burning lamp. Now seven things are to be considered concerning a lamp. The first is that the lamp should be from translucent glass. The second is that the lamp below is closed and narrow, but above open and wide. The third is that oil is poured in. The fourth is that a wick is placed in it. The fifth is that it is kindled by fire. The sixth is that care is taken for it, lest it be broken and the oil be poured out. The seventh is that care is also taken for it from the wind, lest its light be extinguished.
De primo nota, quod per lampadem fides Christiana figuratur. Fides enim similis est vitro perlucido. Per fidem enim nunc Deum videmus per speculum in ænigmate: tunc autem facie ad faciem: sicut dicit Apostolus I ad Cor. XIII, 12. Et certe fides non relinquit hominem qui eam sequi voluerit, nisi perducat cum illuc, ubi Deum clarissima visione contempletur. Ibi etiam fides nomen suum mutat: quæ enim hic vocatur fides, illic appellatur aperta cognitio.
Secundo, lampas inferius est clausa et angusta, sed superius aperta et ampla. Unde dicit Augustinus: « Qui veram de Deo fidem habet, non cupit in miseriis hujus mundi esse dives: nec pluris est ei mundus quam Deus. » Videtur ergo, quod parvam vel nullam habeant fidem, qui tam avari sunt circa temporalia congreganda, sive hoc sit per fas sive nefas.
Tertio oleum lampadi infunditur. Per oleum intelliguntur bona opera et eleemosynæ, quæ debent fidei infundi, quia fides sine operibus vacua est et emortua. Bona quippe opera sunt quasi anima fidei, quæ eam vivificant, sicut anima vivificat corpus. Unde dicitur, Jacob. II, 17: Fides, si non habeat opera, mortua est in semetipsa. Sicut enim corpus sine spiritu mortuum est, ita et fides sine operibus mortua est.
Quarto, lampadi lychnus imponitur. Per lychnum bona et recta intentio figuratur. Nihil enim valet bonum opus, nisi bona et recta intentione fiat. Numquam etiam per oleum domus commode utiliter illuminaretur, nisi lychnus imponeretur: unde dicit Dominus, Matth. VI, 22: Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit. Per oculum intelligitur bona et recta intentio, per quam omne opus debet fieri propter Deum, et non propter laudem humanam, vel aliud lucrum temporale. Debet igitur iste lychnus imponi mediante quodam instrumento, quod quandoque ex transverso imponitur, quandoque ex summo immittitur, et significat instrumentum illud cui lychnus intruditur, et per quod oleo imponitur, spem æterni boni, propter quam debet fieri quodlibet opus bonum.
Concerning the first, note that by the lamp Christian faith is figured. For faith is similar to translucent glass. For through faith we now see God through a mirror in an enigma; but then face to face, as the Apostle says at 1 Corinthians 13:12. And certainly faith does not leave the human being who has wished to follow it, unless it brings him through to that place where he may contemplate God in the clearest vision. There also faith changes its name: for what is called faith here, there is called open knowledge.
Secondly, the lamp below is closed and narrow, but above open and wide. Hence Augustine says: "He who has true faith concerning God does not desire to be rich in the miseries of this world; nor is the world of more value to him than God." Therefore it seems that they have little or no faith who are so avaricious concerning temporal things to be gathered, whether this is through right or wrong.
Thirdly, oil is poured into the lamp. By oil are understood good works and alms, which ought to be poured into faith, because faith without works is empty and dead. For good works are as it were the soul of faith, which vivify it, as the soul vivifies the body. Hence it is said, James 2:17: Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Fourthly, a wick is placed in the lamp. By the wick a good and right intention is figured. For no good work has value unless it is done by a good and right intention. Nor would the house ever be conveniently and usefully illuminated through oil, unless the wick were placed in it; hence the Lord says, Matthew 6:22: If your eye has been simple, your whole body will be luminous. By the eye is understood a good and right intention, through which every work ought to be done for God, and not for human praise, or another temporal gain. Therefore that wick ought to be placed in by means of a certain instrument, which sometimes is placed across, sometimes is put in from the top, and that instrument into which the wick is thrust, and through which it is placed in the oil, signifies the hope of eternal good, on account of which any good work ought to be done.
Quinto, lampas accenditur igne, per quem ignem charitas intelligitur, quæ facit bona opera ardere et lucere coram Deo et Angelis, et hominibus. Unde dicit Dominus, Matth. V, 16: Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus: ut videant opera vestra bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in cælis est.
Sexto, caveri debet, ne lampas frangatur, et oleum effundatur. Tunc lampas frangitur, et oleum effunditur, quando mortale peccatum committitur. Per unicum enim peccatum mortale omne bonum opus amittitur. Unde dicitur, Jac. II, 10: Quicumque totam legem servaverit, offendat autem in uno, factus est omnium reus. Multum ergo quilibet sibi debet cavere a mortali peccato.
Septimo etiam sibi debet cavere, ne lampas bonorum operum per ventum vanæ gloriæ exstinguatur. Non enim nobis, sed gratiæ Dei de bonis nostris operibus gloriam dare debemus. Vana gloria est ventus ille vehemens, qui irruit a regione deserti, id est, a locis illis quæ ab omni bono sunt deserta, et concutit domum, in qua filii Job epulantur: id est, dejicit omnem structuram bonorum operum, in quibus filii Dei per dulcedinem conscientiæ et gaudium spei epulari debent, sicut legitur in Job, I, 19.
II.
De secundo nota: Per quinque fatuas virgines quidam homines intelliguntur, qui videntur quantum ad apparentiam exteriorem quinque sensus suos a malis operibus continere, et propter hoc virgines appellantur. Videntur etiam fidem Christianam habere, et propterea lampades habent: sed opera pietatis non habent, id est, per largam eleemosynarum largitionem, sicut possent, pauperibus non miserentur, et ob hoc oleo carent: et præterea etiam si aliquid olei haberent, ventus inanis gloriæ exsiccaret illud. Si enim tales quandoque eleemosynas dare videntur, non sincere dant eas propter Deum, sed propter vanæ gloriæ appetitum, vel propter pudorem, ne videlicet eorum tenacitas apud homines diffametur. Tales igitur fatui vocantur: quia non prospiciunt sibi de æterno bono.
III.
De tertio nota: Per medium noctis tempus illud exprimitur, in quo homo minime se putat moriturum. Quod autem clamor factus est media nocte, hoc signat, quod omni tempore, sive sani simus, sive infirmi, semper adventum districti judicis ante mentis oculos habere debemus, et semper debet auribus nostris insonare tuba illa terribilis, quæ sic intonat: « Surgite, mortui, venite ad judicium. »
Fifthly, the lamp is kindled by fire, by which fire charity is understood, which makes good works burn and shine before God and the Angels and human beings. Hence the Lord says, Matthew 5:16: So let your light shine before human beings, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Sixthly, one must take care lest the lamp be broken and the oil be poured out. Then the lamp is broken and the oil is poured out when mortal sin is committed. For through one single mortal sin every good work is lost. Hence it is said, James 2:10: Whoever has kept the whole law, but offends in one point, has become guilty of all. Therefore each person ought to take great care for himself against mortal sin.
Seventhly he also ought to take care for himself lest the lamp of good works be extinguished by the wind of vainglory. For we ought to give glory for our good works not to ourselves, but to the grace of God. Vainglory is that vehement wind which rushes from the region of the desert, that is, from those places that are deserted of every good thing, and shakes the house in which the sons of Job feast, that is, it casts down the whole structure of good works, in which the sons of God ought to feast through sweetness of conscience and joy of hope, as is read in Job 1:19.
II.
Concerning the second, note: By the five foolish virgins are understood certain human beings who, with respect to outward appearance, seem to contain their five senses from evil works, and on account of this are called virgins. They also seem to have Christian faith, and therefore they have lamps; but they do not have works of piety, that is, through a large outpouring of alms, as they could, they do not have mercy on the poor, and on this account they lack oil. And besides this, even if they had some oil, the wind of empty glory would dry it up. For if such people sometimes seem to give alms, they do not give them sincerely on account of God, but on account of the appetite for vainglory, or on account of shame, namely lest their tenacity be defamed among human beings. Therefore such persons are called foolish, because they do not look ahead for themselves concerning the eternal good.
III.
Concerning the third, note: By the middle of the night is expressed that time in which a human being least thinks that he is going to die. But that a cry was made at midnight signifies this, that at every time, whether we are healthy or weak, we ought always to have before the eyes of the mind the coming of the strict judge, and that terrible trumpet ought always to sound in our ears, which thunders thus: "Rise, dead ones, come to judgment."
Hunc autem clamorem suscitare debent in auribus nostris duo præcones Domini, videlicet, timor, et amor. Timor clamat, quod veniat Dominus justus et austerus. Amor autem clamat, quod veniat dulcis sponsus. Qui hunc clamorem jugiter audit, necesse est ut surgat, id est, ut ad superna se erigat. Talis etiam cavebit sibi, ne vel dormiat, aut dormitet: ne videlicet dormiat per Dei oblivionem, nec etiam dormitet per aliquantulam desidiam, vel torporem.
IV.
De quarto nota: Sponsus iste cujus adventus nuntiatur, est Filius Dei, qui sibi quamlibet fidelem animam in cruce pretioso suo sanguine desponsavit. Iste vero sponsus venturus est, licet hora sui adventus valde sit incerta: venturus est, inquam, et quos in cruce desponsavit, si dignos eos invenerit, perpetuo sibi copulabit. Cum vero sponsus iste venerit, illi qui prudentibus virginibus similes sunt, cum eo ad illas delicatas nuptias lætanter introibunt. Quibus ingressis janua claudetur. Illi vero qui fatuis virginibus similes exstiterunt, foris remanebunt. Si vero illi foris remanebunt, qui a malis caverunt, sed bona non fecerunt: quo illi, putas, ibunt, qui nec a malis caverunt, nec bona fecerunt. Unde dicit Augustinus: « Si et virgo est, et lampadem fert, et tamen non admittitur: ubi se videbit, qui nec virginitatem ab illicitis servat, nec bona opera volens habere, in tenebris ambulat? » Vere qui ab illis nuptiis excludentur, in magnam amaritudinem sunt casuri. Unde dicit Gregorius: « O si sapere in cordis palato posset, quid admirationis habet, quod dicitur: Venit sponsus? quid dulcedinis habet, quod dicitur: Intraverunt cum eo ad nuptias? quid amaritudinis habet, quod dicitur: Et clausa est janua? » Tunc enim miseris janua omnis boni claudetur.
Rogate ergo Dominum, ut cum venerit sponsus, tales tunc appareamus, ut cum Christo ad nuptias gaudenter introcamus. Quod nobis, etc.
Footnotes:
None.
Now two heralds of the Lord, namely fear and love, ought to stir up this cry in our ears. Fear cries out that the just and austere Lord may come. But love cries out that the sweet bridegroom may come. Whoever continually hears this cry must necessarily rise, that is, raise himself to higher things. Such a person will also take care for himself, lest he either sleep or become drowsy: namely lest he sleep through forgetfulness of God, nor even become drowsy through any small negligence or sluggishness.
IV.
Concerning the fourth, note: That bridegroom whose coming is announced is the Son of God, who betrothed to himself any faithful soul on the cross by his precious blood. But that bridegroom is going to come, although the hour of his coming is very uncertain. He is going to come, I say, and those whom he betrothed on the cross, if he finds them worthy, he will unite perpetually to himself. But when that bridegroom has come, those who are like the prudent virgins will enter joyfully with him to those delicate nuptials. When they have entered, the door will be closed. But those who existed like the foolish virgins will remain outside. But if those will remain outside who guarded against evils but did not do good things, where, do you think, will those go who neither guarded against evils nor did good things? Hence Augustine says: "If she both is a virgin and carries a lamp, and nevertheless is not admitted, where will he see himself who neither preserves virginity from illicit things, nor, willing to have good works, walks in darkness?" Truly those who will be excluded from those nuptials are going to fall into great bitterness. Hence Gregory says: "O, if the palate of the heart could taste what wonder it has, that it is said: The bridegroom came; what sweetness it has, that it is said: They entered with him to the nuptials; what bitterness it has, that it is said: And the door was closed." For then the door of every good thing will be closed to the wretched.
Therefore pray to the Lord that when the bridegroom has come, we may then appear such that we may joyfully enter with Christ to the nuptials. Which may he grant us, etc.
Footnotes:
None.
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