280 Mt 25, 1-13 He compares the leaders of the peoples to virgins; the minister must be spotless in both soul and body, just as Paul says, "that she may be holy both in body and in spirit." Since it is the custom of Scripture to divide all of life into five, to each period it assigns both holy and foolish souls, as each period has wise and simple, just and unjust. In that they all went out with their lamps, it shows that all souls were enlightened by God with both natural and innate laws, but also with the written laws through Moses. and all went out to meet the bridegroom, meaning that all purposed to please God and to be joined spiritually to the bridegroom who sows every kind of virtue in the hearts of the faithful, for which reason he is also called the bridegroom. Yet some, without distinction, although having the illumination from God, did not endure to live virtuously, which the wise souls did, by good works causing the illuminating grace given to them from within by God to shine forth more, and benefiting both themselves and others to the glory of God. Oil is to be understood as good diligence, which the idle do not have, and without which the divine illumination in us passes into a less beautiful state. He compares to sleep and calls drowsiness the death of the flesh, which of necessity comes upon both the wise and the foolish, whom the trumpet of the angels raises at the time of the coming of Christ; for all are raised, death having been abolished, both good and evil, and all prepare themselves for the judgment of the judge, which is to trim their lamps as each considers his own life. And when the wicked bring nothing with them, the soul begins to be dismayed and, as it were, to be extinguished and to pass into madness, so that they think they can be shown mercy through the virtue of others. For this reason they are rejected, as the others say, "Lest there not be enough for us and for you"; for the virtue of each will scarcely be enough for the soul's salvation, because even the very virtuous stumble much. But go to those who sell, who are prophets, apostles, evangelists, through whom one learns to work virtue, and right teachers of right doctrines. But when they readily went, the time did not permit, making an examination of what had been lived, not giving a beginning for work. Since it is the custom of Scripture to divide all of life into five, to each period it assigns both holy and foolish souls. In that they all went out with their lamps, it shows that all souls were enlightened by God with the natural and the written law. Yet some did not endure to live virtuously with the illumination from God, while others by good works cause the illuminating grace given to them by God to shine forth more and benefit both themselves and others to the glory of God. Oil is to be understood as good diligence, and without it the divine illumination in us passes into a less beautiful state. He compares to sleep and drowsiness the death of the flesh, which of necessity comes upon all, whom the trumpet of the angels raises, death having been abolished, and all prepare themselves for their defense; for this is to trim the lamps as each considers his own life. And the soul of the wicked begins to be dismayed and, as it were, to pass into madness, so that they think they can be shown mercy through the virtue of others. For this reason they are rejected; for the virtue of each will scarcely be enough for salvation, because even the very virtuous stumble much. Those who sell are the teachers of right doctrines, through whom one learns virtue. But the time did not permit them to buy, or rather to be taught, as it was making an examination of what had been lived, not giving a beginning for work;

280 Mt 25, 1-13 Παρθένοις παρεικάζει τοὺς τῶν λαῶν ἡγουμένους· ἄσπιλον δεῖ εἶναι τὸν ἱερουργὸν ψυχῇ τε καὶ σώματι καθὼς καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, "ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία καὶ σώματι καὶ τῷ πνεύματι". ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἔθος τῇ γραφῇ εἰς πέντε διαιρεῖν, ἑκάστῳ καιρῷ ἀπονέμει καὶ ὁσίας καὶ μωρὰς ψυχὰς ὡς ἑκάστου καιροῦ ἔχοντος σοφοὺς καὶ εὐήθεις, δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους. ἐν ᾧ δὲ πᾶσαι ἐξῆλθον σὺν ταῖς λαμ πάσι, δείκυσιν, ὅτι πᾶσαι αἱ ψυχαὶ κατεφωτίσθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ φυ σικοῖς τε καὶ ἐμφύτοις νόμοις, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τοῖς διὰ Μωσέως γραπτοῖς νόμοις. καὶ πάντες ἐξῆλθον εἰς συν άντησιν τῷ νυμφίῳ ἀντὶ τοῦ πάν τες προέθεντο ἀρέσαι τῷ θεῷ καὶ συναφθῆναι πνευματικῶς τῷ νυμ φίῳ τῷ ἐνσπείροντι ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις τῶν πιστῶν πᾶν εἶδος ἀρετῆς, διὸ καὶ νυμφίος καλεῖται. πλὴν ἀδια κρίτως τινὲς καίπερ ἔχοντες τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ φωτισμὸν οὐκ ἠνέσχοντο ἐπι εικῶς ζῆσαι, ὅπερ ἐποίησαν αἱ συνεταὶ ψυχαί, δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν ἐπὶ πλέον ποιοῦντες ἐκλάμπειν τὴν ἔσωθεν δοθεῖσαν αὐτοῖς ἐκ θεοῦ φωτιστικὴν χάριν καὶ ὠφελοῦντες καὶ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἑτέρους εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ. ἔλαιον νοητέον τὴν φιλερ γίαν τὴν ἀγαθήν, ὃ οὐκ ἔχουσιν οἱ ἀργοί, οὗ μὴ ὄντος ἐπὶ τὸ ἀκαλλέ στερον μεταβαίνει ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν θεῖος φωτισμός. ὕπνῳ δὲ παρεικάζει καὶ νυσταγμὸν ἀποκαλεῖ τὸν τῆς σαρ κὸς θάνατον, ὃς ἐξ ἀνάγκης προ επέρχεται φρονίμοις τε καὶ ἀσυ νέτοις, οὓς ἀνίστησιν ἡ τῶν ἀγγέ λων σάλπιγξ κατὰ τὸν τῆς παρου σίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ καιρόν· πάντες γὰρ ἀνίστανται καταργηθέντος τοῦ θανάτου, καλοί τε καὶ κακοί, καὶ πάντες εὐτρεπίζονται εἰς ἀπολογίαν τοῦ κριτοῦ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν διακοσμῆσαι τὰς λαμπάδας ἑκάστου τὸν ἴδιον ἀναλογιζομένου βίον. τῶν δὲ φαύ λων μηδὲν ἐπιφερομένων ἄρχεται στυγνάζειν ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ οἱονεὶ κατα σβέννυσθαι καὶ εἰς παραφροσύνην χωρεῖν, ὥστε οἰηθῆναι αὐτοὺς διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀρετῆς ἐλεηθῆναι. διὸ ἀποδοκιμάζονται λεγόντων ἐκείνων μήποτε οὐκ ἀρκέσῃ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν· μόλις γὰρ ἀρκέσει πρὸς σω τηρίαν ψυχῆς ἡ ἑκάστου ἀρετὴ διὰ τὸ πολλὰ πταίειν καὶ τοὺς ἄγαν ἐπιεικεῖς. ἀλλὰ πορεύεσθε πρὸς τοὺς πωλοῦντας, οἵτινές εἰσιν προφῆται, ἀπόστολοι, εὐαγγελισταί, δι' ὧν τις μανθάνει τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ ὀρθοὶ διδάσκαλοι τῶν ὀρθῶν δογμάτων. τῶν δὲ ἑτοί μως ἀπελθόντων οὐκ εἴασεν ὁ και ρὸς τῶν βεβιωμένων ποιούμενος ἐξέτασιν οὐκ ἀρχὴν διδοὺς ἐργασίας. Ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον ἔθος τῇ γραφῇ εἰς πέντε διαιρεῖν, ἑκάστῳ καιρῷ ἀπονέμει καὶ ὁσίας καὶ μωρὰς ψυχάς. ἐν ᾧ δὲ πᾶσαι ἐξῆλθον σὺν ταῖς λαμ πάσι, δείκνυσιν, ὅτι πᾶσαι αἱ ψυχαὶ κατεφωτίσθησαν ὑπὸ θεοῦ τῷ φυσικῷ καὶ τῷ γραπτῷ νόμῳ. πλήν τινες τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ φωτισμὸν οὐκ ἠνέσχοντο ἐπι εικῶς ζῆσαι, τινὲς δὲ δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν ἐπὶ πλέον ποιοῦσιν ἐκλάμπειν τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ δοθεῖσαν αὐτοῖς φωτιστι κὴν χάριν καὶ ὠφελοῦσιν καὶ ἑαυ τοὺς καὶ ἑτέρους εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ. ἔλαιον δὲ νοητέον τὴν ἀγαθὴν φιλεργίαν, οὗ μὴ ὄντος ἐπὶ τὸ ἀκαλλέ στερον μεταβαίνει ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν θεῖος φωτισμός. ὕπνῳ δὲ καὶ νυσταγμῷ παρεικάζει τὸν τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατον, ὃς ἐξ ἀνάγκης πᾶσιν ἔπεισιν, οὓς ἀνίστησιν ἡ τῶν ἀγγέλων σάλπιγξ καταργηθέντος τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ πάντες εὐτρεπίζονται εἰς ἀπολογίαν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ διακοσμῆσαι τὰς λαμπάδας ἑκάστου τὸν ἴδιον ἀναλογιζομένου βίον. τῶν δὲ φαύ λων ἄρχεται στυγνάζειν ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ οἱονεὶ εἰς παραφροσύνην χωρεῖν, ὥστε οἰηθῆναι αὐτοὺς διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀρετῆς ἐλεηθῆναι. διὸ ἀποδοκιμάζονται· μόλις γὰρ ἀρκέσει πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡ ἑκάστου ἀρετὴ διὰ τὸ πολλὰ πταίειν καὶ τοὺς ἄγαν ἐπιεικεῖς. οἱ δὲ πωλοῦντές εἰσιν οἱ τῶν ὀρθῶν δογμάτων διδάσκαλοι, δι' ὧν τις μανθάνει τὴν ἀρετήν. ὠνήσασθαι δὲ ἤτοι διδαχθῆναι ὁ καιρὸς οὐκ εἴασεν τῶν βεβιωμένων ποιούμενος ἐξέτασιν οὐκ ἀρχὴν διδοὺς ἐργα σίας·