From the early Church Fathers to now.
5 Patristic · 2 Medieval
“These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb:”
“Equally in each sex let the younger age follow the discipline of the elder; or else let the male "virgins," too, be veiled, if the female virgins withal are not veiled, because they are not mentioned by name.”
“Of the benefit of virginity and of continency. In Genesis: "Multiplying I will multiply thy sorrows and thy groanings, and in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children; and thy turning shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Of this same thing in the Gospel according to Matthew: "All men do not receive the word, but they to whom it is given: for there are some eunuchs who were born so from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who have been constrained by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who can receive it, let him receive it." Also according to Luke: "The children of this world beget, and are begotten. But they who have been considered worthy of that world, and the resurrection from the dead, do not marry, nor are married: for neither shall they begin to die: for they are equal to the angels of God, since they are the children of the resurrection. But, that the dead rise again, Moses intimates when he says in the bush, The Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him." Also in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "It is good for a man not to touch a woman. But, on account of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render what is due to the wife, and similarly the wife to the husband. The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband. And in like manner, the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife. Defraud not one the other, except by agreement for a time, that ye may have leisure for prayer; and again return to the same point, lest Satan tempt you on account of your incontinency. This I say by way of allowance, not by way of command. But I wish that all men should be even as I am. But every one has his proper gift from God; one in one way, but another in another way." Also in the same place: "An unmarried man thinks of those things which are the Lord's, in what way he may please God; but he who has contracted marriage thinks of those things that are of this world, in what way he may please his wife. Thus also, both the woman and the unmarried virgin thinketh of those things which are the Lord's, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she that hath married thinks of those things which are of this world, in what way she may please her husband." Also in Exodus, when the Lord had commanded Moses that he should sanctify the people for the third day, he sanctified them, and added: "Be ye ready, for three days ye shall not approach to women." Also in the first book of Kings: "And the priest answered to David, and said, There are no profane loaves in my hand, except one sacred loaf. If the young men have been kept back from women, they shall eat." Also in the Apocalypse: "These are they who have not defiled themselves with women, for they have continued virgins; these are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever He shall go."”
“For they are virgins, etc. Blessed Augustine beautifully expounded on these matters by admonishing the virgins. "Proceed," he says, "holy sons and daughters of God, males and females, celibate and unmarried, proceed perseveringly to the end. Praise the Lord more sweetly, whom you think of more abundantly. Hope more happily in Him to whom you serve more fervently. Love more ardently Him to whom you attend more diligently. With girded loins and burning lamps, wait for the Lord when He comes from the wedding. You will bring to the wedding of the Lamb a new song, which you will sing on your harps, such as no one can sing except you. For thus did one who was beloved by the Lamb above others, who was accustomed to recline on His breast, see you in the Apocalypse, twelve times twelve thousand of the holy harpists of unblemished virginity in body, and inviolate truth in heart. Follow the Lamb, for indeed the flesh of the Lamb is also virgin. Follow Him in the virginity of heart and flesh wherever He goes. For what does it mean to follow if not to imitate? For Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you might follow in His footsteps" (1 Pet. 2).”
“These were purchased from among all as first fruits to God and the Lamb. From that holy and immaculate flock of the Church, as holier and purer sacrifices for the merits of their will, they are chosen by the Holy Spirit: what the Apostle says about them, not having a command from the Lord (1 Cor. 7), he beseeches them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and pleasing to God (Rom. 12).”
“That virginal continence is to be preferred to all others is shown by reason, as follows. That which most greatly makes us follow Christ is most greatly to be preferred; but virginity most greatly makes one follow Christ, Apocalypse fourteen: For they are virgins and follow the Lamb wherever He goes: therefore virginal continence is to be preferred.”
“On account of the prerogative of dignity, by which to follow Christ wherever he goes and to sing the new song is proper to virgins, there will be a singular glory among virgins, according to what blessed John says in the fourteenth chapter of the Apocalypse. Whence Augustine, in the book On Virginity: "Go forward, holy ones of God, boys and girls, men and women, celibates and unmarried, go forward perseveringly unto the end. Praise the Lord more sweetly, whom you contemplate more richly; hope more happily, whom you serve more urgently; please him more attentively: with loins girded and lamps burning, await the Lord when he comes from the wedding: you bring to the wedding of the Lamb a new song, which you will sing on your harps, not indeed such as all the earth sings, to which it is said: Sing to the Lord, all the earth: but such as no one will be able to say except you, and because you follow the Lamb wherever he goes, as he who was beloved by the Lamb above the rest wrote concerning you. Where do we think he goes, this Lamb, where no one dares or is able to follow him except you? Where do we think he goes, into what glades or meadows? Where, I believe, there are twofold joys, not the vain joys of this world, lying madnesses, nor joys such as in the very kingdom of God belong to the rest who are not virgins; but distinct from the lot of all the rest: joys of the virgins of Christ, concerning Christ, in Christ, with Christ, after Christ, through Christ, on account of Christ. In this you follow the Lamb, because the flesh of the Lamb is indeed virgin: for he retained this in himself which, conceived and born, he did not take away from his Mother."”
“He says they were redeemed by the blood of Christ. For the precious blood of Christ has been poured out for all people, yet for some in vain, those who, though able to attain salvation from here, voluntarily deprived themselves of it, of whom the Lord, reproving them through the prophet, says, "What profit is there in my blood in my going down into corruption?" (Ps. 30:9) But concerning those who have been saved and justified, of whom these are the first fruits and the first installment, about whom the present discourse is, and very profitably, and to such a degree as no one could say how great.”
“Having, therefore, received the seal, they had one understanding and one mind; and their faith became one, and their love one, and with the name they bore also the spirits of the virgins.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.