st ambrose – FellowsoftheEleventhHour

Then shall the kingdom of Heaven, He says, be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. But five of them were wise, and the other five foolish, which took not, He says, oil.

Then, while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet Him. And the five arose, and being in perplexity, said to the wise, Give us of your oil. But they consented not, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you; go to them that sell, and buy.

And while they had gone for this, the bridegroom came, and those went in; but these came afterwards, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know not the day, nor the hour.

(Matthew 25:1-13)

Why does He use virgins in this parable and not merely any person?

Since then the thing [virginity] is both great in itself and has great honor with the multitude, lest any one attaining to this should feel as though he had attained to all, and should be careless about the rest, He puts forth this parable sufficient to persuade them, that virginity, though it should have everything else, if destitute of the good things arising out of almsgiving, is cast out with the harlots, and He sets the inhuman and merciless with them. And most reasonably, for the one was overcome by the love of carnal pleasure, but these of money. But the love of carnal pleasure and of money are not equal, but that of carnal pleasure is far keener and more tyrannical. And the weaker the antagonist, the less excusable are these that are overcome thereby. Therefore also He calls them foolish, for that having undergone the greater labor, they have betrayed all for want of the less. But by lamps here, He means the gift itself of virginity, the purity of holiness; and by oil, humanity, almsgiving, succor to them that are in need.

[St. John Chrysostom, Homily 78 on the Gospel of St. Matthew]

+ Lord, help me not to become complacent in anything good that I do, but to always strive for better. Lest, in overcoming the greater difficulties, I fall into the lesser traps and be cast outside Your gates. Allow me to fill my lamp with oil, through good deeds, helping and giving to those in need, and to focus my thoughts and actions to be ready for Your coming.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

(Luke 1: 5-22).

Greatness is by spirituality

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”

(Luke 1:15)

“Our life is not estimated according to the time, but according to levels of virtue. For John was called great not because of his physical strength, but because of his spiritual one. He did not overcome empires, neither did he plan on virtues and conquests; he rather looked up to what is by far greater. For he was the voice crying in the wilderness who defeated the physical pleasure, and the bodily lapses in his sublime spirit and its strength. He was small in the worldly matters, yet great in the spiritualities. Finally, the mystery of his greatness is that the love of the temporary life did not overrule him, which did not hinder him from condemning sin.

“As an embryo, he lacked the spirit of life, and yet he obtained the spirit of grace. The reality of life is preceded by the grace for sanctification, for the Lord says, (Jer 1: 5) “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”. There is a drastic difference between the spirit of the world, and the Spirit of grace. The former begins with birth and ends with death. But latter is unrestricted by time or by years. Death does not extinguish its flame, and the womb of motherhood is not shut upon it. He who possesses the Spirit of grace lacks nothing at all. He who has obtained the Holy Spirit has reached the peak of all virtues.”

[St. Ambrose, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke]

+ Lord, help me to direct my mind towards You, to reject the pleasures of this world and to live in virtue and holiness as St. John the Baptist did.

Tag: st ambrose

The Parable of the 10 virgins – 15 Misra

The Angel’s Annunciation of John the Baptist to Zacharias – 7 Misra