Saturday. [I Cor. 14:20-25; Matt. 25:1-13]

   The parable of the ten virgins is read. Saint Macarius portrays the meaning of it thus: “The five wise virgins, in sobriety, hastening toward what was unusual to their nature, taking the oil in the vessel of their heart, that is the grace of the Spirit granted from above, could enter with the Bridegroom into the heavenly bridal chamber. The other foolish virgins, remaining in their own nature, did not become sober, did not try while they were still in the flesh to take in their vessels the oil of joy, but due to carelessness or self-conceit over their own righteousness, gave themselves over as if to sleep. Because of this they were not admitted into the bridal chamber of the kingdom, and were unable to please the heavenly Bridegroom. Restrained by earthly bonds and earthly so-called love, they did not dedicate all of their love and devotion to the heavenly Bridegroom, and did not bring oil. While the souls who have sought out the sacred gift of the Spirit unusual to their nature are attached to the Lord with all of their love, walk with Him, turn away from everything, concentrate their prayers and thoughts toward Him, and are made worthy to receive the oil of heavenly grace. The souls remaining in their nature creep with their thoughts along the earth, think about the earth, and their mind dwells on the earth. They think of themselves as belonging to the Bridegroom and are adorned with justifications of the flesh; but not having received the oil of joy, they have not been reborn through the Spirit from above (Discourse 4:6).”

Saturday. [Eph. 1:16-23; Luke 12:32-40]

           Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. We must be ready at every hour—one does not know when the Lord will come, either for the Last Judgment, or to take you from here; they are the same for you. Death decides everything. After it comes the results of your life, you can be content with what you have sought to gain for all of eternity. If you sought what is good, your lot will be good; if you sought what is evil, then your lot will be evil. This is as true as it is true that you exist. All of this could be decided this moment—here at this very moment, as you read these lines, and then—the end to all: a seal will be set to your existence, which nobody can remove. This is something to think about! But one never ceases to be amazed at how little people think about it. What is this mystery wrought over us! We all know that death is around the corner, that it is impossible to escape it, but meanwhile almost nobody thinks about it—and it will come suddenly and seize us. Even then.… Even when a fatal disease seizes a person he still does not think that the end has come. Let psychologists decide this from a scientific aspect; from the moral aspect it is impossible not to see here an incomprehensible self-delusion, alien only to one who is heedful of himself.