🇬🇧 Glory be to Jesus Christ! 🌞
Today’s reading is preceded by the one
referred to at the following link:
03082023.html
The continuation of today’s reading is the one referred to here:
04082023.html
The quotation from the Law is Isaiah XXVIII, 11 (in a peculiar version).
Since experience can sometimes be negative and can contribute to sin, many Corinthians believed that it was better to be inexperienced so as not to sin. The apostle Paul says that it is better not to have experiences that lead, induce, teach us to sin, but rather to have experiences of a reasonable, good, devout, godly life – and the more of these, the better, without limitation.
Various good experiences, knowledge, and skills contribute to the spread of faith, contribute to salvation, so this is one of the means that the Lord can use to better reach out to people (indirectly through this experience, knowledge, skills, etc.). However, unrepentant people reject this too, if they remain unrepentant.
An example of rationality in faith is when prophecy is used correctly, as well as speaking in tongues. It is immediately apparent that God’s gifts must be used wisely for the common good and salvation.
What is truly good for many or all has an advantage in the Church. Paul’s example of a man being converted by hearing prophecy is eloquent. There are many ways to come to faith, and it can be done in such a miraculous mannerц too.
Matthew XXV, 8, 9, 11 – ‘ημιν’ – ‘emin’ – (to) ‘us’. ‘ημων’ – ‘emon’ – ‘us’ (ours).
Matthew XXV, 13 – ‘ημεραν’ – ‘emeran’ – ‘day’.
There is a good text on the parable of the Ten Virgins in Ukrainian
at the following link:
https://parafia.org.ua/biblioteka/hrystyyanstvo-virovchennya-ta-tradytsiji/zakon-bozhyj/chastyna-tretya-svyaschenna-istoriya-staroho-ta-novoho-zavitu/#toc----23
I would like to say that this parable also relates to the end of the
world – it says that before the bridegroom appeared, ALL the virgins
FELL ASLEEP
. This means that before the Second Coming happens, everyone
has to fall asleep
. So the only question is what this means and when
they will fall asleep
. Sleep here cannot mean physical death, because
not all people will die before the Second Coming, many will be alive at
that time. On the other hand, those who will die by then may be among
those who are meant by the virgins. But also all the people who are
alive at that time will be among those virgins, and they will also
sleep
(and it will not be a bodily death for them). What is it
then?
For example, in Christianity there is a virtue called sobriety
, the
ability to look at the spiritual in a reasonable and sober way, without
speculation, to see it in life and live according to it, the ability to
see one’s own sins and repent of them. But it is known that repentance
is to exist until the end of the world, so it is not exactly sobriety
in this sense that is to be left.
Another assumption might be one that is built around the idea of sleep as a natural non-sinful passion. Then it is possible that all people before the end of the world will be subject to passions to varying degrees, including non-sinful ones. But this is very common at all times, so it is difficult to say anything more precise in this sense.
The most appropriate view is that sleep, as opposed to wakefulness, is when the virgins could not buy oil, i.e., to do good deeds, including works of mercy, in a good, Gospel way. Let us also recall that elsewhere Christ says that people will seek at least one day of the Son of Man and will not find it (apparently, there will be no explicit examples like the ones in the Gospel, but only implicit ones). Perhaps this means that before the Second Coming it will be increasingly difficult to do good deeds in the Gospel spirit. But this idea is difficult to reconcile with the belief in the power of God and God’s help to all who repent and seek salvation.
There may be other options.
And one more thing. Even if it becomes clear what kind of sleep
is
meant, then one must still be able to understand that this particular
sleep is common to all living people in the world.
Therefore, the thought is important, since it is in the Gospel, but it is not yet fully understood. Verse 13 emphasises the fact that we do not know (and will not know until the actual Second Coming takes place) the full answer.
To Saint Michael, the first Metropolitan of Kyiv:
For the readings from the Apostle, see the link:
24052023.html
For the frequent readings from the Gospel, see here:
14052023.html
and
other references cited there.
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!
Source:
30092023.html