In the spirit of S. Teresiæ Virginis ~ III classis
Tempora: Feria IV infra Hebdomadam XVIII post Octavam Pentecostes (2 Octobris)
Today’s liturgical texts present to us a mystical vision of holy love—zealous, chaste, and adorned for Christ. We read from the Apostle Paul’s fervent epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 10:17–18; 11:1–2) and Our Lord’s solemn parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matt 25:1–13). These readings, set before us in the spirit of Saint Teresa, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, bid us to enter into the heart of the Mystical Bride, the Church, and contemplate the interior life of each soul called to espousal with Christ.
“He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commendeth himself is approved, but he whom God commendeth. Would to God you could bear with some little of my folly: but do bear with me. For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
(2 Cor 10:17–18; 11:1–2)
Saint Paul’s holy “folly” is not vanity, but the bold jealousy of a spiritual father. The word zelotypia—divine jealousy—he uses, is the same as that used in the Old Testament to describe God’s covenantal passion for Israel. Here Paul speaks not only as an Apostle but as the best man at the nuptials between Christ and the soul. He labors to keep the Church, and every member in her, pure and devoted, unsullied by false doctrine or worldly seduction.
“The Church,” says St. Ambrose, “is not merely a virgin, but she is also a mother. She is virgin by the purity of her faith, mother by the fruitfulness of her sacraments.” (De Virginibus, I.6)
This virginal fidelity to Christ is not limited to the consecrated or the cloistered. Every soul is called to virginity of heart—undivided, untainted love for the Bridegroom. And herein lies the connection with today’s Gospel:
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. But five of them were foolish and five wise… Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.”
(Matt 25:1–13)
The parable of the ten virgins has been repeatedly interpreted by the Fathers as an allegory of the Church awaiting the return of Christ. All ten are virgins—all appear outwardly pure. Yet only five are found wise, for only they have prepared their hearts with oil—the symbol of grace, prayer, and interior life.
St. Jerome, commenting on this passage, writes:
“The five wise virgins are those who not only believed, but prepared themselves with good works; the foolish had faith but no charity.” (Commentarii in Evangelium Matthaei)
So we are reminded that virginity of the body, though a great treasure, is not sufficient without virginity of the soul: an interior life full of the oil of grace, trimmed with penance, burning with the love of Christ. St. Augustine warns us:
“They all slept. That is, death overtook them all. But the difference was in the preparation. The wise had oil; the foolish had none. Let each soul, then, carry within it the secret store of the Holy Spirit.” (Sermon 93)
In this light, how luminous is the example of St. Teresa of Ávila, whose feast we anticipate and whose very life fulfilled today’s readings. Though the liturgy today is of the weekday, we reflect in her spirit. She, too, was a virgin espoused to Christ, aflame with divine jealousy, reforming Carmel and her own heart with fearless vigor.
Her spiritual doctrine aligns precisely with Paul’s: the necessity of prayer, the vigilance of love, the folly of boasting only in God. “Let nothing disturb you,” she wrote, “God alone suffices.” Such were the words of a wise virgin, whose lamp never lacked oil.
A Prayer in the Spirit of St. Teresa:
O Lord Jesus, Bridegroom of souls,
make of my heart a vessel of pure oil,
that I may not be found foolish when Thou comest.
Kindle in me the fire of divine charity,
and teach me to watch with lamp in hand,
until Thou callest me to the wedding feast.
Through the intercession of St. Teresa,
grant me the grace of interior vigilance and undivided love. Amen.
In the spirit of the liturgy today, may we resolve to be among the wise. Not content with outward signs or borrowed light, let us daily replenish the oil of grace, through prayer, sacraments, spiritual reading, and humble service.
As St. John Chrysostom teaches:
“The oil is the almsgiving and the loving-kindness that shine in the darkness. Therefore, let us fill our flasks now, before the cry is heard.” (Homily on Matthew 78.3)
Let the cry not find us unready. Let our boast be only in Christ. And let our hearts remain virginal, burning and vigilant, for the Bridegroom Who comes at midnight.