As we continue through this sacred time after Epiphany, the Church presents us with passages that call us to spiritual vigilance and humility in the pursuit of holiness. The Epistle from 2 Corinthians 10:17–18; 11:1–2 and the Gospel from Matthew 25:1–13 invite us to reflect on where we place our confidence and how we prepare for the coming of Christ, both at the hour of our death and in His glorious return.
Boasting in the Lord: The True Source of Our Merit
St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians, saying:
“He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commendeth himself is approved, but he whom God commendeth.” (2 Cor. 10:17–18)
Here, the Apostle reminds us that all true merit comes not from self-promotion or human accolades but from God’s grace. This aligns with the wisdom of St. Augustine, who teaches that “the beginning of pride is to depart from the Lord” (Sir. 10:14), for when we seek our own glory, we separate ourselves from the source of all good. True humility consists in recognizing that any virtue we possess is a gift from God, and it is only He who can judge the worth of our deeds.
St. Paul goes further, saying:
“For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:2)
Here, he speaks of the Church as the Bride of Christ, called to purity and fidelity. This bridal imagery evokes the words of St. John Chrysostom, who says, “He who seeks the glory of God, not his own, keeps his soul uncorrupted, like a chaste virgin.” Paul’s zeal is not for his own recognition but to prepare souls for union with Christ.
The Wise and Foolish Virgins: Spiritual Vigilance in the Light of Grace
In the Gospel, Our Lord presents the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Five were prepared with oil for their lamps, while the other five were negligent. When the Bridegroom arrived, only the wise ones were ready to enter the wedding feast:
“At midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him.” (Matt. 25:6)
This moment represents the final judgment, when Christ returns unexpectedly, calling each soul to account. The oil symbolizes the interior life of grace—faith, good works, and perseverance. St. Hilary of Poitiers interprets the oil as the Holy Spirit’s presence in the soul, without which no one can enter the Kingdom:
“The foolish virgins are those who, while they have the name of virginity, lack its virtue. They carry lamps but have no oil, for they seek human praise rather than the light of Christ.”
The wise virgins, on the other hand, are those who cultivate a life of faith, prayer, and virtue. Their readiness is a reflection of the disposition Paul describes: boasting not in self, but in the Lord.
The Final Warning: “I Know You Not”
Perhaps the most sobering words in this Gospel are spoken by the Bridegroom to the foolish virgins:
“Amen I say to you, I know you not.” (Matt. 25:12)
St. Gregory the Great warns that these words are not spoken to sinners who repented, but to those who presumed upon God’s mercy while failing to do His will:
“To be unknown by Christ means to be rejected from the light of His presence, because they have lived for themselves rather than for Him.”
This warning should stir us to vigilance. The foolish virgins did not prepare in advance and were found lacking when the moment of decision arrived. So too, if we rely on our own merits rather than on God’s grace, we risk being shut out from His Kingdom.
Conclusion: Living as Wise Virgins in Humble Confidence
As we meditate on these readings, let us heed the words of St. Augustine:
“If you wish to be known by God, do not glory in yourself. Be a wise virgin, filled with the oil of love and humility, waiting in faith for the Bridegroom’s return.”
May we, like the wise virgins, prepare our souls through prayer, penance, and works of charity, boasting only in the Lord, that when the cry goes forth—Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!—we may be found ready, lamps burning brightly, and be welcomed into the eternal wedding feast.
✠ “Keep watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matt. 25:13)