‘Let us now awake from our sleep, and lift up both our hearts and hands
to God towards heaven; lest suddenly the Lord of the house come, that when He
comes He may find us in watchfulness.
Let us observe the appointed time of the glorious bridegroom, that we
may enter with Him into His bride-chamber.
Let us prepare oil for our lamps that we may go forth to meet Him with
joy. Let us make ready provision for our
abiding-place, for the way that is narrow and strait. And let us put away and cast from us all
uncleanness, and put on wedding garments.
Let us hearken to the voice of the bridegroom, that we may go in with
Him into the bride-chamber. Let us
prepare the marriage-gift for His bridal day, and let us go forth to meet Him
with joy. Let us put on holy raiment,
that we may recline in the chief place of the elect. Whosoever puts not on wedding raiment, they
cast him out into outer darkness. Whosoever excuses himself from the wedding
shall not taste the feast… Whosoever is
expectant of the marriage-feast of the Bridegroom, let him not love the feast
of this present time. Whosoever wishes
to have pleasure in the banquet reserved there, let him remove drunkenness from
himself… Whosoever is invited to the
Bridegroom, let him prepare himself. Whosoever has lighted his lamp, let him not
suffer it to go out. Whosoever is
expectant of the marriage-cry, let him take oil in his vessel. Whosoever is keeper of the door, let him be on
the watch for his Master.
The feast is prepared and the Bridegroom at hand, soon to take his
place… The light has shone forth both
bright and fair, and garments not made with hands are prepared. The marriage cry is at hand. The tombs will be opened and the treasures
laid bare. The dead shall rise and the
living shall fly to meet the King. The
banquet is laid, and the cornet shall encourage and the trumpets shall hasten [them]…
And all the pure virgins who are
betrothed to Christ shall light their lamps and with the Bridegroom shall they
go into the marriage chamber.
And as for me, I will make me ready oil, that I may enter in with the
wise virgins and may not be kept outside the door with the foolish virgins.
And when the Watchers shall have opened the doors of heaven before the
King, then the cornet shall summon, and the trumpets shall sound, and the
Spirit that waits for the [resurrection] shout shall hear, and quickly shall
open the tombs, and raise up the bodies… and [these] shall put on the glory
that comes with it. And by the power of
the Spirit, that man shall fly up to meet the King and He shall receive him
with joy...’
St. Aphrahat the Persian, Demonstration VI, Sections 1,6-7,14.
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