Go to the sellers, and buy for yourselves: because you did not usually live well, unless because men praised you, who sold you oil. What does it mean, they sold oil? They sold praises. Who sell praises, but flatterers? How much more you should not acquiesce to flatterers, and inwardly carry oil, and for the sake of a good conscience do all good works: then you would say: The righteous will correct me in mercy, and reprove me; but the oil of the sinner shall not anoint my head. Better, he says, that the righteous correct me, the righteous reprove me, the righteous strike me, the righteous correct me, than that the oil of the sinner anoints my head. What is the oil of the sinner, but the blandishments of the flatterer?
The humility of the wise virgins.
Go therefore to those who sell; you are accustomed to doing this. But we do not give to you. Why? Lest there not be enough for us and for you. What does it mean "lest there not be enough"? It was said not out of despair, but with sober and pious humility. For although the good person has a good conscience, how does he know how He who is not deceived by anyone will judge? He has a good conscience; crimes conceived in the heart do not disturb him. But because of certain daily sins of human life, while his conscience may be good, nonetheless he says to God: "Forgive us our debts," because he has done what follows: "As we forgive our debtors." He has broken bread with a hungry heart, clothed the naked from the heart; he has done good works from the inner oil, and yet in that judgment, even his good conscience trembles.
The praises of humans are vain on the day of judgment.
See what it is: Give us oil. They heard: Rather go to the sellers. Because you are used to living well through human praise, you do not carry oil with you: but we do not give; lest perhaps it may not suffice for us and for you. For we scarcely judge ourselves, how much less can we judge you? What is it, We scarcely judge ourselves? Because when the just king sits on the throne, who will boast of having a pure heart? Perhaps you find nothing in your conscience; but he finds something who sees better, whose divine sight penetrates deeper things: perhaps he sees something, perhaps he finds something. How much better do you say to him: Do not enter into judgment with your servant? Even how much better do you say: Forgive us our debts? For it is also said to you because of those torches, because of those lamps: I was hungry, and you gave me to eat. What then? and did not those others do this? They did not do it before him. But how did they do it? Just as the Lord forbids, who said: Beware of doing your righteousness before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. And do not be like the hypocrites, when you pray. For they love to stand in the streets and pray, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. They bought oil, they gave the price: they bought, they were not defrauded of human praise; they sought human praise, they had it. Those human praises do not help them on the day of judgment. But how did those others do it? Let your works shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. He did not say: You. For you do not have your own oil. Cast yourself, and say, I have: but from him. For what do you have, that you did not receive? Therefore, those others did it in such a way, those others in such a way.
But it is not surprising, as they go to buy, as they seek from whom they may be praised, and they do not find; as they seek from whom they may be consoled, and they do not find; the door is open, the bridegroom and bride come, then the Church glorified with Christ, so that individual members may gather towards the whole. And they entered with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. And those foolish ones came later: but did they buy oil, or did they find from whom to buy? Therefore they found the doors closed: they began to knock, but too late.
To those who knock, why is the door not opened?
It has been said, it is true, it has been said not deceitfully: Knock and it will be opened to you: but now when it is the time of mercy, not when it is the time of judgment. For these times cannot be confused, as the Church sings to its Lord of mercy and judgment. It is the time of mercy; do penance. At the time of judgment will you have to do it? You will be among those virgins against whom the door was closed. Lord, Lord, open to us. Did they not do penance because they did not bring oil with them? And what did late penance benefit them, when true wisdom mocked them? Therefore the door was closed. And what was said to them? I do not know you. Does He not know them, He who knows all? What, then, does it mean: I do not know you? I disapprove of you, I reject you. In my art I do not recognize you; my art does not know vices: this is great, both not to know vices and to judge vices. It does not know by doing, it judges by accusing. So, then, I do not know you.
How the five wise virgins are to be imitated.
They went in, and five wise ones entered. How many of you are there, my brothers, in the name of Christ; let there be five wise ones among you, but do not let there be five persons. Let there be five wise ones among you, pertaining to that wisdom of the number five. For the hour will come, and when we do not know, it will come. It will come at midnight, be alert. Thus the Gospel closed: Be alert, for you do not know the day nor the hour. If, therefore, we are to sleep, how do we stay alert? Stay alert with your heart, stay alert with faith, stay alert with hope, stay alert with charity, stay alert with deeds: and when you sleep with your body, the time will come for you to rise. And when you have risen, prepare the lamps. Then they will not be extinguished, then they will be nourished by the inner oil of conscience: then let that bridegroom be embraced with incorporeal bonds, then let him lead you into the house, where you will never sleep, where your lamp can never be extinguished. But today we labor, and our lamps fluctuate amidst the winds and temptations of this world: but let our flame burn in strength, so that the wind of temptation may rather increase the fire than extinguish it.