Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (Matt. 25:1–13).
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (Matt. 25:13).
Jesus Christ spent that night in Bethany as well, and on Tuesday morning He again came to the temple in Jerusalem and taught much in the temple and outside the temple (And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple [Mt. 24:1]). The chief priests and elders, hearing His parables and understanding that He was speaking about them, sought to seize Him and kill Him. But they were afraid to attack Him openly because of the people, who took him for a prophet (Matt. 21:46), were astonished at his doctrine (Mk. 11:18), and heard him gladly (Mk. 12:37).
From the Gospel instructions spoken by Jesus Christ on Tuesday, the Church selected for the edification of the faithful on this day primarily the parable of the ten virgins, as especially fitting for the time of Holy Week, in which we must especially watch and pray. By the parable of the ten virgins the Church teaches constant readiness to meet the Heavenly Bridegroom through chastity, almsgiving, and the immediate performance of other good deeds, depicted under the name of oil prepared by the wise virgins.
—Archpriest Gregory Debolsky, Days of Divine Service of the Orthodox Church
Hymns from the service of Great Tuesday
I slumber in slothfulness of soul, O Bridegroom Christ I have not a lamp aflame with the virtues, and like the foolish virgins I have wandered off when it is time for action. Close not the depths of thy compassion against me, O Master, but dispel the darkness of sleep from me, and awaken me, and lead me with the Wise virgins into Thy bridal chamber, where those who unceasingly keep festival sing with pure voices: “O Lord, glory be to Thee.”
—Sticheron on “Lord, I have cried”, tone 2
Behold, the Bridegroom Comes at Midnight
You have just heard, beloved, the touching hymn, “Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight,” which is sung at Matins on the first three days of Passion Week. So that it may be understandable to all and bring the desired benefit to everyone, allow me to offer to your love an explanation of it.
The hymn “Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight” reminds us of the parable of the Savior, in which He likens the Kingdom of Heaven to ten virgins who, according to the ancient custom, taking their lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom. The composer of the hymn had precisely this parable in mind.
Let us explain it briefly: The ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, signify us Christians; some of us are wise—by our faith, virtuous life, and readiness for death; others are foolish by their weak faith or cold indifference to the faith, by their vicious carnal life, by their unreadiness for death and the judgment that immediately follows it. For it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Heb. 9:27). The foolish, it is said, took their lamps but took no oil with them. What then are these lamps and what does the oil for these lamps mean? The lamps are our souls, according to the word of the Savior: The light of the body is the eye (Mt. 6:22); by the eye He means the human heart, or the soul; the oil is almsgiving, according to the explanation of St. John Chrysostom, or good deeds in general. Thus the foolish Christians, going out to meet the Bridegroom, did not prepare good deeds for their souls that could sustain their spiritual life. The wise, it is said, took oil in their vessels with their lamps; that is, they stocked up on good deeds in order to meet the Bridegroom worthily. Who is the Bridegroom? Jesus Christ. When and how do we go out to meet Him?
Our whole life should be a preparation first for the particular meeting with Him, because every soul after its death must appear before Him to give account, as before the Author of life, and therefore throughout our life we must take care to acquire and preserve in our hearts living faith and fervent love for the Lord, so that after our death we may stand unashamed and uncondemned before the terrible Throne of the Lord of Glory. But for the general meeting with Him we will go out at our resurrection from the dead, when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (Jn. 5:28–29). “The Bridegroom tarries,” that is, Jesus Christ delays cutting short our life by death; The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.(2 Pet. 3:9); He likewise delays His second glorious and terrible coming—for the sake of the multiplication of the sons of the Kingdom of Heaven; meanwhile people, beguiled by the temporary sweetness of sin and its impunity, and seeing that the world stands firm and thinking that it will stand thus forever, and themselves enjoying robust health and other material blessings, sink into spiritual drowsiness. They neglect their correction and—sleep the sleep of sin. But behold, at the very midnight of sinful sleep, when none of the sinners even thinks of this terrible danger, a loud voice sounds: “Behold, the Bridegroom comes; go out to meet Him!” Then all are startled and trim their lamps, that is, they strain their spiritual attention. It will be well for the wise Christians at that time, for their souls will burn with the fire of the sweetest love for the Lord; but ill for the foolish, for the souls of the latter, like lamps without oil, will be going out, that is, they will grow dark and cold from lack of love for God, the Source of love, and will begin to taste the torments of hell in advance. They will ask for oil, that is, good deeds from the wise Christians, but they will not give it to then, lest they themselves lack, and will go to buy from those who sell—that is, they will rush to do good deeds and will go seeking opportunity for it. But at that very time the Bridegroom will come, that is, at the very moment when they want to do good deeds, death will overtake them and set them before the Heavenly Judge without any virtues, stinking with their iniquities. They will want to enter the chamber of the Heavenly Kingdom, to which we are all destined from our very birth, for which we live, but the Lord will not admit them and will say to them: I do not know you. Watch therefore, the Lord concludes the parable, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes. Now this hymn of the Church will be understandable to all of us: Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant (that is, every Christian) whom He finds watching; but unworthy again is he whom He finds slumbering (sleeping the sleep of sin); watch therefore, O my soul: be not weighed down with sleep (that is, do not be weighed down with the sleep of sin), lest you be given over to death (eternal), and be shut out from the Kingdom. But arise, crying: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God, through the Theotokos have mercy on us. Amen.
Co-Crucifixion with Christ
The Holy Church calls us to accompany, to suffer with, and to be co-crucified with the Lord in these days… With a merciless attitude toward the flesh for the Lord’s sake you will carry your flesh to co-crucifixion with Him. Bind your soul with spiritual works—and you will be like the Lord when He, bound, was led to judgment... Pass with deepened reflection through the whole way of the Cross of the Lord, suffer with Him in your heart... How can we be co-crucified with Him? By fulfilling the commandments, you will crucify yourself for the Lord’s sake... You yourselves will know how, by the fulfillment of Christian virtues, the hands and feet are nailed, the heart is pierced, the head is crowned with thorns, and our whole nature is covered with wounds... Let us not only accompany Him, but also be co-crucified with Him; for there is no other way to salvation!
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight...” Who is this mysterious Bridegroom?.. Our Savior Jesus Christ... Our soul is betrothed to Him, as a bride to a bridegroom... This holy betrothal on His part took place on the Cross... And on our side this betrothal is accomplished in the sacrament of Baptism, where we, renouncing the world, the flesh, and the devil, were united to Christ... Those who are faithful to their betrothal are always on guard... But there are also those among those betrothed to the Heavenly Bridegroom who have completely forgotten their vows... Are there many such among Christians? So many that the Word of God says: While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept (Mt. 25:5)… Today or tomorrow the angel of death will appear and call us to the Bridegroom!
—Archbishop Innocent (Borisov)
From: Readings For Every Day of Great Lent, Ed. N. Shaposhnikova (Moscow: Danilov Monastery, 2025).
