“…The fact that love is actually the crown of perfection as the final rung of the ladder and that neither this nor theosis is mentioned by Saint John of the Ladder, nor were these things mentioned by anyone thereafter, is according to God’s providence. God has reserved this for me to say, and no one else could say it except me.
Love is also the final and perfect interpretation of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The five foolish virgins in this parable lacked love. This is the main meaning of the parable, and the reason for which they lost the salvation of their souls. The past interpretations of this parable were according to God’s providence and were necessary and were given in due time. But God reserved this interpretation for the last times, so as to offer us the greatest, most vital message at a time more necessary than ever before. And God gave it to me, the sinner. For who else other than I, Gabriel, was it necessary to say this? I have spent my whole life in the feat of love for God and humanity, never sparing myself of torments to this end. And what if God has bestowed such grace upon me that I receive the gift of this word in order to declare to all that what God demands of us today is love. With all our strength we must strive to acquire this virtue – love of God and neighbor!”
Father Gabriel said this all to me with great humility, which was evident above all. However, all that he said made such a great impression and at the same time sounded like something powerful and majestic.
“In the beginning, Saint John Chrysostom interpreted the Parable of the Ten Virgins as a lesson on good works. The world in his time had a need for such an interpretation concerning what the foolish virgins lacked. For at that time God wanted good works from the people, and thus he sought good works and toils from them. Later Saint Seraphim of Sarov interpreted this parable, giving it a new meaning. He taught that what the five foolish virgins lacked was the grace of the Holy Spirit. By this, God called upon man to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit. Since they had such a need then, the Lord blessed believers to direct their struggle in such a way so as to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit. At that time God demanded this of a man, and this is what was sought from him upon his departure from this world.
However, now that the last times have come, and because of the abounding lawlessness and the love of many growing cold, mankind needs love more than ever and must be wise in order not to lose heart and fall away from it. For today the enemy of the human race is striving by all means to eradicate love from the heart of man, and to gradually diminish the love therein until man is left cold, completely cut off from love’s life-giving action. God is now seeking love from us! Therefore, all our efforts should be directed to acquiring it in our hearts, which is possible only through good works. For love without works is dead… merely an empty word which may condemn a person at the Last Judgment, since a man found without love in his heart only said ‘love… love’, while he himself was far from doing those things which he ought to have done before the Lord and fellow man. He may even be condemned if he had done some semblance of charitable works, but not in full measure according to his strength, thus failing to do what was possible for him. Love is alive, my dear, but it dies without good works. Good works are the life force of love. This is true love and it is the only power with which a person can resist the temptations, hardship and horror of the last times during the temporary domination of the Antichrist over the world.”
