Splendour And Virtue

Caveamus, fratres, ne vasorum interim vacuo splendore decepti, sero conqueri habeamus quod lampades nostrae exstinguuntur. Ego enim reor minime fuisse accensas, quae tunc videntur exstingui. Sic nempe habes: Simile est regnum coelorum decem virginibus, quae accipientes lampades suas. Accipientes dixit, non Accendentes. Quomodo enim accenderunt, quae non sumpserunt oleum secum? aut ubi ignis materia defuit, quomodo ignis fuit? At lucet castitas etiam ex seipsa. Sed quanto lucidior lampas ardens, quam sine igne, tanto pulchrior casta generatio cum charitate. Sic et a caeteris voluptatibus temperantia, et patientia in adversitatibus, honestas in conversatione, et circumspectio in sermone, eleemosyna quoque et ejusmodi opera pietatis, naturali quadam placere gratia, et velut ingenito decore etiam apud fatuas virgines renitere videntur. At quoniam vitrea magis quam ignea claritate fulgebant, eo ipso lampades suas arbitrabantur exstingui, quo nimirum inanem hunc splendorem ab aeterna conspexerint luce reprobari. Sanctus Bernardus Clarae Vallensis, Sermo CIX, De inani splendore virtutum cavendo Source: Migne PL 183.735b-d

Let us beware, brothers, lest we are deceived by the empty splendour of vessels, and finally conquered we have our lamps extinguished. For I at least imagine those handmaids were when they were seen to be extinguished. So we have: 'The kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins who received their lamps.' 1 It is said that they received them, not that they were lit, for how would they light them when they had no oil? Or where the fuel of fire was lacking, how could there be fire? And yet chastity shone from them. But as much more brightly a lamp blazes than that without fire, so much more beautiful is a chaste generation with charity. So it is even when there is temparance in other pleasures, and patience in adversity, and honesty in conduct, and circumspection in words, and also alms and pious works, and a certain natural grace of pleasing, and even a freeborn lustre with which the foolish virgins seemed to shine. But because the glass glittered more than the brightness of fire, so their lamps were adjudged to be extinguished, by which they saw empty splendour reproved by the eternal light. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon 109, A Warning Against Empty Splendour In The Virtues 1 Mt 25.1