“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. The bridegroom's delay — the master who seemed delayed in Matthew 24:48 — produces the sleep of all ten virgins. The sleep of both the foolish and the wise communicates that the difference between them is not the sleep but the oil: the wise sleep but have oil; the foolish sleep and have no oil.
Church Fathers on Matthew 25:5
Hom. lxxviii, In the foregoing parable the Lord set forth the punishment of the man who beat, and was drunk, and wasted his Lord’s goods; in this He declares his punishment who profits not, and does not prepare for himself abundantly the things of which he has need; for the foolish virgins had oil, but not enough.
'Then,' because all this discourse is concerning the great day of the Lord, concerning which He had been speaking before.
By 'the kingdom of heaven' is meant the present Church, as in that, 'The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend.' [Matt 13:41]
Read all 58 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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