Chapter 2
1. (Verse 1, 2.) I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valleys, like a lily among thorns; for the faith of the believing people has gone out into all the earth, and Christ has set his feet in a spacious place; and therefore he beautifully says that he is the flower of the field. Paul was also a flower who said: We are the sweet aroma of Christ to God (II Corinthians II, 15). And truly a flower, who could bring forth new and old things from the treasure of his heart. I am the flower of the field. And well the Church is a flower that announces fruit, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it was said to Mary: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Luke 1:42).
Moreover, in another sense, I show you a flower to be picked, namely, the one who said: I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valley. Many people consider this comparison more suitable for the nature of the flower and the purpose of the intended germination; because lilies do not require the cultivation of any annual use, nor does the labor of farmers, anxious about the yield of other fruits, return to this flower's generation in a circular manner; for in all drynesses of the fields, everything that is nourished by a certain generative power within itself into a flower, and is animated by the juice of evergreenness within itself; so that even though you see the stem of the leafy foliage wither, the nature of the flower still flourishes; for the greenness is hidden, not lost. But when it has been enticed by the charms of spring, it puts on the attire of the budding season, with the hair of flowers, and resumes the adornment of the lily.
It is also delightful to observe this, that lilies are not generated in the roughness of mountains and in the wildness of forests, but rather in the pleasantness of gardens. For there are certain gardens of various fruitful virtues, according to what is written: A enclosed garden, etc. (Song of Songs 4:12), because where there is integrity, where there is chastity, where there is religion, where there is faithful silence of secrets; there is the radiance of angels, there are the violets of confessors, the lilies of virgins, the roses of martyrs. The lily is Christ, for where there is the blood of martyrs, there is Christ who is a sublime, immaculate, harmless flower, in which the roughness of thorns does not offend, but grace shines around. For there are thorns of roses, which are the torments of martyrs; the unsullied divinity does not have thorns, which did not feel torments.
4. Like a lily among thorns. This is a clear sign that virtue is besieged by the thorns of spiritual wickedness, from which no one can bear fruit unless they approach with caution. Therefore, take wings, O virgin, but wings of the spirit, so that you may soar above vices if you desire to touch Christ, who dwells in the heights and looks upon the lowly. (Psalm 113:5) And his beauty is like the cedar of Lebanon, which spreads its branches to the clouds and roots itself in the earth; for his origin is from heaven, and his final destination is on earth. The fruits he produces are closest to heaven. Search more carefully for such a good flower, lest you find it in the valley of your heart; for it often grows in humble places. It loves to be born in gardens, where, when Susanna was walking, it was found: ready to die rather than be violated.
5. Otherwise, I am a flower of the field, and a lily of the valleys, like a lily among thorns. Behold another place in which the Lord is accustomed to dwell, indeed not in one, but in many: I am, He says, a flower of the field; because He frequents the open simplicity of a pure mind. And a lily of the valleys; for Christ is a flower of humility, not of luxury, not of pleasures and lust, but a flower of simplicity, a flower of humility. The flower preserves its fragrance even when it is cut and gathers strength when it is crushed, neither losing its beauty when torn away; in the same way, the Lord Jesus on that cross neither withered when crushed, nor vanished when torn away, and when pierced by the lance, He became more beautiful with the holy color of the poured out blood, not knowing death Himself, and offering the gift of eternal life to the dead.
6. (Verse 3.) Like a lily among thorns, does not the flower of goodness rise amidst the hardships and trials of the soul, because God is pleased with a contrite heart. This is the desert, daughters, that leads to the kingdom; this is also the desert that blooms like a lily, as it is written: Rejoice, O barren one, who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the desolate woman has more children than she who has a husband. In this desert, daughters, that good fruit-bearing tree, which produces good fruits, begins to spread its branches of actions, to raise the top of divinity, by which the trees of our forest bear fruit; for as the tree of evil is among the trees of the forest, so is my brother among the sons; that seeing this, the Church, and our faith now joyful in its success, may say: In His shadow I desired and sat down, and His fruit was sweet to my taste.
7. (Verse 3, 4.) Note that often in this Song of Solomon book, Solomon clearly expressed that triple wisdom, namely moral, natural, and mystical, just as he had said in Proverbs. He wrote it in a triple manner for those who wanted to hear his wisdom. Therefore, the bride says about the bridegroom in the Song: Behold, you are beautiful, my cousin, behold, you are beautiful and handsome; our leaning is shady, the beams of our houses are cedar, our ceilings are cypress (Song 1:15 and 16). We can take this from moral principles; for where else does Christ and the Church find rest, if not in the works of his people? In fact, where there was impurity, pride, and injustice, there, the Lord Jesus says: The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Mat. VIII, 20). But what can we take from natural principles? In his shade, I desired and sat, and his fruit was sweet in my mouth; for whoever surpasses earthly things, and to whom worldly things die (for the world is crucified to him, and he to the world), he rejects and despises all things that are under the sun. He also says about the mystics: 'Lead me into the house of wine, establish charity in me. Just as the vine embraces its vineyard, so does the Lord Jesus embrace his people, like an eternal vine with certain brancharms of charity.'
8. Consider each individually; in moral matters the lily is among thorns, as it says: 'I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valleys' (Song of Songs, v. 1). In moral matters, therefore, the flower is like the sun of justice in natural matters, which rising and shining illuminates, and setting casts shadows. Beware lest it set for you, for it is written: 'Let not the sun go down upon your anger' (Ephesians 4:26). In mystical matters, charity is present, for Christ is the fulfillment of the law. And therefore the Church, which loves Christ, is wounded by charity.
9. The Church is also said to be a beautiful lily; just as a lily shines, so too the works of the saints shine. It is also beautifully said: Lily of the valley; because grace shines more in the humble. But this lily is in the midst of thorns, that is, among the Jews and heretics, that is, among the anxieties of this world, which sting the mind and soul of man. We can also understand it another way, that just as the lily stands out among thorns, so the Church of God shines above all gatherings.
It is worth considering that this lily is surrounded by splendor, but inside it is red, good, and has its own scent; because the flesh of Christ, surrounded by the splendor of moral divinity, had the celestial protection of grace. Finally, he says in the later part: My brother is both white and red (Song of Solomon 5:10): white in divine brightness, red in the appearance of human flesh, which he assumed in the sacrament of the incarnation. And rightly so, even the red itself smells good, because the flesh of Christ is without sin, which the treacherous ones contaminating, stained their hands; venerating the holy ones, they emitted the aroma of piety.
11. The Lord Jesus received this fragrance of his fragrant Church, and said: Behold my nearest good. And the Church says to Christ: Behold, you are my good brother, behold, you are good, like the evil in the woods. A beautiful comparison! For what can be said more beautiful and fitting, than to compare the bridegroom to the apple tree? For this type of fruit has a pleasing fragrance, surpassing the fragrance of all other fruits. And Christ, nailed to the wood, like the apple hanging on the tree, poured out a good fragrance of worldly redemption, which removed the heavy stench of sin, and poured out the ointment of life-giving drink.
12. Just as, he says, an apple is in the trees of the forest, so my cousin was among the children; because he charmed the inner hearts of men with the sweetness of his words, surpassing the prophets and apostles. But not only is there a sweet scent, but also pleasant food in the apple: therefore Christ is a sweet food.
In his shadow I desired and sat; for he had received the law, he followed it, he ran this way. Therefore, resting in the law, he rested in the shadow of Christ. Good shadow, which defends us from the sun of wickedness! But who doubts that the law of God is the shadow of Christ? What is the law of the feast day, the new moon, the Sabbath, if not the shadow of the future? Which day according to the law of Moses: That I may see six days, and again the seventh day, and thus for all eternity? Who is the month according to the law of Moses, so that knowing the month, I may know the first day of the month, and the truly holy things to be offered on the first day of the month? Who, according to the law of Moses, is the year, consisting of six days as it says: The Hebrew shall serve for six years, and in the seventh year he shall be set free (Deut. XV, 12); so that six years may be found in which someone works the land, and in the seventh year he releases it to strangers, and to the poor, and to the beasts of the land? In the seventh year, when all debts are to be forgiven to the Hebrews.
14. In this shadow rested the faith of the Fathers, the holy devotion of the prophets. Therefore, say, religious congregation or holy soul: In his shadow have I desired and sat. The shadow is the jubilee year: for who can see its mystical meaning, so as to know face to face what must be fulfilled in the year of the five hundredth prescribed by the Law? The shadow is the feast day according to the Law from the first month on the tenth day of the month, until the fourteenth, and from there until the twenty-first of the month. What is that famous shadow between the first and seventh month during that anonymous time? The shadow is the sanctified freedom on the Sabbath. The shadow is the feast day of the seventh month's new moon, and the memorial of the trumpets, the tenth day of the seventh month, the day of atonement. You see that there are singles and tens, two festive days. Also, the fifteenth day, the day of the Tabernacles for eight days: all of these in shadow. The first day is called a shadow, and the eighth day is called a shadow, which is prescribed for the stage-carriers according to the Law.
15. Establish for me some believers from among the circumcised, learned in the Law, diligent in observance, now enlightened by the knowledge of the Gospel, nourished by the spiritual grace, the Church says in these people, who see Christ, who receive the bridegroom, who are nourished by his food: In his shadow have I desired, and sat, and his fruits are sweet in my mouth. What are his sweet fruits, if not the preaching of the Lord's passion? As he himself says, Behold the inheritance of the Lord, the reward, the fruit of the womb (Psalm 126:3). For what sweeter fruit can there be in our mouths than the forgiveness of sins?
And its fruit is sweet to my throat. It is spiritual manna, that is, the rain of spiritual wisdom, which is poured out on the ingenious and those who seek from heaven, and moistens the minds of the devout, and sweetens their throats: therefore, whoever understands the infusion of divine wisdom, is delighted and seeks no other food, and does not live on bread alone, but on every word of God. Those who are more curious seek what is sweeter than honey: the servant of God answers him: This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. Listen to what this bread is: It is the word, he says, that God ordained. Therefore, this ordination of God, this nourishment feeds the soul of the wise, and it illuminates and allures, shining brightly with the splendor of truth, and soothing like a certain honeycomb, with the sweetness of various virtues and the discourse of wisdom. For the words of honeycomb are good, as it is written in Proverbs. Therefore, once he has tasted the fruit of sweetness, he hastens eagerly to more perfect things, saying:
17. (Vers. 4-7.) Bring me into the house of wine, establish love in me, strengthen me with ointments, support me with apples; for I am wounded with love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and strengths of the field, if you awaken and revive love, until it pleases. He rightly seeks him, he rightly desires him; because our emperor has arranged all things well in this course and journey. First of all, he thought that this tent should be strengthened as the foundation of faith. Then, if there is any rough and dry and rocky dwelling for us, this Emperor still distinguishes troubled places, irrigates the dry ones, and makes the deserted ones fertile. If there is any bitterness, any temptation, any weakness, our leader tempers the bitter things and mitigates the anxious ones; he dissolves the hard things and strengthens the strong ones.
18. Whenever the king of the earth wants to rest his army, he chooses a notable town that doesn't lack provisions, that is not sandy and bare of crops, but a town that is distinguished by buildings, replenished and abundant in resources, or a pleasant field, or green pastures, or a wooded and open area suitable for camping. Therefore, if earthly kings know how to provide for the needs of those who follow them, how much more does God, who is good, know how to arrange things for those who diligently seek Him? First, when an unknown journey is to be undertaken, guides of the roads are chosen who run ahead of the train, but these commanders consider this disrespectful to themselves: but God went before, when the Hebrews made the journey, finally speaking to them in a pillar of cloud. And so that you may know that God went before them, he said, God went before them: by day, indeed, showing them the way in a pillar of cloud; but by night, in a pillar of fire, and the pillar of cloud did not fail by day (Exod. XIII, 21 and 22). Following this preceding column, the Church, so as not to fail herself, was refreshed by its shadow; and therefore it says: In its shadow I desired and sat, and its sweet fruit was in my mouth (Song of Songs, verse 3); because it was nourished by the Lord, and led to a place of pastures and refreshing water.
19. Bring me into the house of wine. Having prepared resources, he seeks to move on to another dwelling, in which he may capture the grace and sweetness of mysteries. Furthermore, promoting the true journey, he says: Organize love in me. Good resting places, where the fullness of charity exists. Charity cannot exist without faith; for there are three guarantees of the Church: hope, faith, and charity. When hope has come first, faith has been established, charity is ordered, and the Church is joined together.
Confirm me, he said, in ointments, support me in difficulties. You have other dwellings, which the Church gladly occupies. These dwellings are the Cross of Christ and His burial, in which the Church was wounded, but with the wound of love; for the wound is what Christ received, but the ointment is what He poured out. It is the fruit that hung, this fruit the Church tasted, and she says: And its fruit is sweet to my mouth. And so that you may know that the apple is the Lord, you read above: Like an apple on the trees of the forest, so is my cousin. We also admit the wound when we preach Christ crucified, but we are a good fragrance to God; for the cross of Christ is a stumbling block to the Jews, foolishness to the Greeks, but to us it is the power and wisdom of God. The Church is wounded by this wound when it preaches the death of its Savior, but this wound is a wound of love. Finally, he who does not believe denies; he who loves confesses. Manichaeus denies, the Christian confesses; and therefore it is written: The wounds of a friend are more desirable than the voluntary kisses of an enemy (Prov. XXVII, 6). Therefore, the Church says beautifully: I am wounded by love.
21. Let us expose our bodies to a good wound, let us expose chosen arrows: this arrow is Christ who says: He has made me as a chosen arrow (Isaiah 49:2); it is good, therefore, to be wounded by this arrow, this procession is not of mediocre dwelling, not everyone can say it, because they are wounded by love. The apostles said it when they were stoned for Christ and preached Christ: Paul said it when he was beaten with rods three times and day and night debated with the Gentiles about worshiping Christ; the martyrs say this, who are wounded for Christ; and because they have deserved to be wounded for his name, they love more. So coming to this dwelling, the Church, to this procession, in order to offer her children for Christ, to receive the wounds of love, she herself tasted the fruits of piety, and began to exhort others, saying: Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. And the Church added, saying:
22. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. And these are the mansions of the Church walking in the royal way; for there are many mansions in my Father's house (John 14:2) . The Lord Jesus testifies: And behold, I come and call you (Ibid.) . The mansion of wisdom is good, whether on his left or on his right, it is a good mansion; for it is the royal way. Therefore, wise messengers say: We will go on the royal way, we will not turn aside to the right or to the left, until we pass through your borders (Numbers 20:17) . These messengers sent by Moses said to the king of Edom, this is earthly; because all earthly things, whether on the right or on the left, are evil. Evil is foolishness, evil is intemperance; and therefore the Hebrew passes through these dwellings: he does not turn aside to them, but passes through; so that he may arrive at the left of wisdom and the right, and may abide in them, where the riches of simplicity, where glory, where length of life are. For length of life is on his right hand, as Solomon says: On his left hand are riches and glory (Prov. 3:16): on the right is life, on the left is rest. I wish to rest upon his left shoulder, and not seek pillows! Alas for those who use pillows, as Ezekiel says (Ezek. XIII, 18). The good leader prepares these abodes for his Church, and through the ways of wisdom directs its journey. Finally, the wise praise his ways: His ways are good ways, and all his paths are peaceful (Prov. III, 17).
23. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. The bride speaks of Christ, and the soul of the Word of God: for Christ is the same as the Word of God and wisdom. Blessed, therefore, is the soul that is embraced by wisdom. Great is the hand of wisdom, great is the right hand, it embraces the whole soul; for the soul is entirely fortified, since it is espoused to the Word of God. For the fullness of wisdom is to fear God: therefore, the soul that fears God is fortified by itself with full protection. Wisdom extends her left hand under her neck, but her right hand is in her embrace. Both of her arms reach out to useful things; however, wisdom's individual hands have their own properties: In the right hand is the length of life, but in the left hand are riches and glory. Truly, both hands are endowed with good gifts; however, they have a variety in their office, as they encompass both present and future times; so that the left hand may be a rewarder of the present, and the right hand may be of the future.
24. We can also learn about this from the prophecy of the holy patriarch of Israel. When he placed his right hand on Ephraim and his left hand on Manasseh and wanted to switch them because of the age of Joseph, he did not want to place his father's right hand on the head of the elder son Manasseh, and he said: I know, my son, he too will become a nation, and he too will be exalted, but the younger brother will be greater than him (Genesis 48:19). In which [is] greater? In him certainly, because he has been elevated by a blessing, with the posterity of Ephraem saying: Let God make you as He made Ephraem and Manassen (Ibid., 20): either because his seed is the multitude of nations, which has chosen labor in this century, believing in the Lord Jesus, so that it may have consolation in the future. But Manassen is the seed of a forgotten people, who, having forgotten their own author, has been exalted for a time in this century, giving heavy punishments for the remainder; because he denied his own God and Lord.
25. We said this in order to prove that those things which are future are better. Finally, the left hand of wisdom is under the head of the bride, but the right hand is above, which embraces the whole bride. Therefore, it is like the support of present rest, on which the soul rests. It has a place to recline its head, because the left hand of wisdom is wealth and glory. During this time, these things soothe and are partly a consolation, and therefore, the Son of Man had no place to rest his head (Matthew VIII, 20); because although he was rich, he became poor (II Corinthians VIII, 9). He did not seek any glory of this world; for he had come not to benefit only a portion but to help the whole human race, saying: 'Do you take offense at me because I made a whole man well on the Sabbath?' (John 7:23). That is, he made him whole not by bestowing wealth, not by conferring honors, not by increasing worldly glory; for these things do not possess the fullness of blessedness and grace. But he made him whole, that is, he encompassed the length of eternal life. For the life that is in the right hand of wisdom is not similar to common life, but it is the length of life, so that the one who receives life from wisdom, obtains not the shortness of life, but the permanence and length of eternity.
26. The eternal reward of life and the bonus attire. Therefore, the bride of evil pomegranates, that is, of diverse and countless fruits, and especially of the fragrances of faith, grace, wisdom, and glory, supported by the riches of eternal life, which are around the left and right hand of the groom, through the holy souls of praising congregations, excites Christ with applause, saying:
27. I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and strengths of the field, if you awaken and resurrect love as long as it desires. That field which the Lord has blessed is not this earthly one, or rough with forests, or rugged with torrents, or useless with vines, or barren with rocky sand, or gaping and dry with drought, or soaked with blood, or uncultivated and overgrown with thorns, but that field about which the Lord says: And the beauty of the field is with me (Psalm 49:19). In this field is found that grape which, when pressed, shed its blood and cleansed the world; in this field is that fig tree under which the saints will rest, rejuvenated by the sweetness of spiritual grace; in this field is that fruitful olive tree, flowing with the ointment of the Lord's peace; in this field flourish pomegranates, which hide many fruits under the protection of one shield of faith, and are nourished by the embrace of love.
28. Therefore, since wisdom and honorable brightness are so perfect, if they have charity (for charity is the fullness of the law (Rom. XIII, 10)), He desires charity to be aroused and revived, aroused in the old Testament, revived in the new. God is charity, as we read, Christ is charity (I John IV, 8). He is aroused like a lion and the lion's cub, as Judah rises from the seed (Gen. XLIX, 9): He is revived like one sleeping, like one reclining; for He was aroused from the dead not by human, but by His own and the Father's majesty. Where the Scripture says: Who will raise him up? For neither an angel nor a Power could raise up someone else, since he himself raised up others. Therefore, when he says here: If you have raised him up and have restored love, how long will you keep him waiting? he is speaking about those who can appropriately proclaim his resurrection, so that they may ignite the fire of faith and devotion in those who hear: either Christ is raised up in those who first come forward, or he is restored in those who, having come forward later, have fallen asleep. Therefore Christ sleeps for the negligent, but is raised in the holy ones.
29. Therefore, this charity awakens and revives until it receives his voice and summons his presence: for he not only comes when sought, but he also comes as a stranger. But now the bridegroom was present to prove what he still says to us who are speaking: Here I am. He is present because he was awakened by the daughters of Judah, as if revived by the daughters of Jerusalem. The Church hears the sound of his voice and says:
30. (Verse 8.) The voice of my cousin, behold, here he comes leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills. This book is a crowd, having many noble characters, like a triumphant troop, and signifying many actions that we can understand more than express. For as if the bride heard the bridegroom approaching and speaking with some traveling together, the bride says: The voice of my cousin. While she speaks with the daughters of Jerusalem, and asks them to rouse and awaken the bridegroom; suddenly, as if sensing the sound of a voice coming from afar, she says: The voice of my cousin, announcing whom she had sought to be announced to her before. She who desired to be awakened by others, on her own prayer being revived, believing that the Father was coming, said joyfully: 'The voice of my cousin.' She added well, 'my cousin'; so that not others, but only her cousin would claim his arrival for herself.
Look, he says, that person is coming; I am still looking for him, and he has already arrived. I am still taking votes for him to come, and he is already next in line. I desire to stir up love in myself, I consider myself wounded by love, and love itself hastens to me even more. I said, come; he jumps and leaps over. I ask him to come with grace, and he works increases of grace; and while he comes, he brings increases of grace with him, and by coming, he acquires more, because he himself is eager to please his beloved. He leaps upon the heights, that he may ascend to the bride; for the bride's chamber is the tribunal of Christ. He leaps upon Adam, he surpasses the Synagogue; he leaps upon the Gentiles, he surpasses the Jews.
Let us see Salit leaping from heaven into the Virgin, from the womb into the manger, from the Jordan to the cross, from the cross to the tomb, from the tomb to heaven. Show me David leaping, show me running; for you have said: His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends thereof; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof (Psalms 19:6-7). And now he leaps, and now he runs, from the heart of the Father upon his holy ones, from the East unto the West, from the North unto the South. This is the one who ascends above the West, he himself above the skies of the heavens to the East, he himself ascends above the mountains, he himself above the hills.
33. I wish I could say, my poor soul, 'Behold, he comes, and he does not come on earthly things, not on valleys, but he comes: leaping over mountains; for God is the God of mountains, not valleys: therefore, where he leaps, he leaps over mountains. If you are a mountain, he leaps over you, he leaps over Isaiah, he leaps over Jeremiah, he leaps over Peter, John, James. Mountains surround him (Psalm 124:2): if you cannot be a mountain and not prevail, be even a hill, so that Christ may ascend over you; and if he crosses over, may his crossing guard and protect you.'
We have spoken about Christ and the Church; let us speak about the soul and the Word. The soul of the just is the bride of the Word. If she desires, if she longs for, if she prays and prays constantly, if she prays without any doubt, and wholeheartedly focuses on the Word, suddenly she hears the voice of the one she does not see, and in the fear of her senses, she recognizes the scent of His divinity, which those who believe well often experience. Suddenly, the nostrils of the soul are filled with spiritual grace, and she feels the breath of His presence whom she seeks, and she says: Behold, this is the very one I seek, the one I desire.
35. When we think about something from the Scriptures, and we cannot find its explanation; while we doubt, while we seek, suddenly it seems to us as if it ascends over mountains, that is, the highest doctrines. Then, appearing to us as if over hills, it illuminates the mind, so as to infuse into the senses what seemed difficult to find: therefore, the Word becomes present in our hearts as if absent. And again, when something is obscure to us, as if the Word is taken away, and as if we desire the coming of the absent; and again it appears, it shows itself to us as if it is present to us in the things that we seek to understand.
Therefore it leaps frequently in the heart of each individual, it crosses over and goes out and returns: if you follow, if you ask, if you demand to be revived by the Word of God that has gone out and passed by, with the pleasing discussion of faithful and learned men. Just as she who sought and found, who said: My brother has passed by, my soul went out in his word (Song of Songs 5:6). Therefore, even if it leaps over the mountains, follow; even if it leaps over the hills, follow. For there are found in the mountains and in the hills the hunters of the Lord, who seek out those captured for life; for thus God spoke through Jeremiah: Behold, I will send many fishermen and many hunters, and they will hunt them over every mountain and over every hill (Jeremiah 16:16). Therefore, let the people of God be sought and found in the teachings, grace, and discipline of Peter and Paul; so that they are not in the valley of tears, but on the mountains from which Christ enlightens each one. And when we read Peter, Christ enlightens; and when we read Paul, Christ enlightens. Paul cared, Christ illuminated; because by invoking the name of the Lord Jesus, he rose, through the gift of his healing. Peter revived the dead, Christ illuminated; and therefore it is said: You wonderfully enlighten from the eternal mountains (Psalm 75:5).
So we who cannot be mountains, let us stand on mountains or hills; so that when the Lord sends his fishermen and hunters to hunt those who are above every mountain or hill, that is, those who are in the precepts of the law and the prophets; and having knowledge of both the new and the old Testament, let them find us prepared, and like good reapers, let them gather the ripe grains at the opportune time; for if anyone is found outside the mountain or hill, they will not be able to gather them like good grain, but they will be sent to separate the wheat from the chaff, to make a comparison with something else. Therefore, the Lord has diligent ministers of many tasks: they are fishermen, they are also hunters, and reapers. If you were to expect them to reap at harvest time, you would see the Lord Jesus leaping like a young deer or fawn over the mountains of Bethel. For He leaps upon the Church, which is the house of bread, in order to strengthen the hearts of the faithful; which is why the Bride says of Him:
38. (Verse 9.) My cousin is like a young goat or a fawn of the deer, on the mountains of Bethel; for he leaps over the Church, which is the house of God, because he strengthens the hearts of the faithful. He is rightly compared to a young goat, because a goat feeds on high places. He is called Dorcas because of his vision, for the vision of Dorcas is sharper. What could be more fitting for Christ, who has seen the Father whom no one has seen: or if anyone has seen in Christ, he himself has revealed the Son? Just as a fawn of deer, a fawn is like a child, on whom the power of nature has imprinted paternal strength, so that hidden things do not escape him, snakes flee, poisons do not harm him. Finally, the serpent that was brought forth from a man, when it was brought forth from its hiding place, said: Why have you come before the appointed time to torment us (Matthew 8:29)? Therefore, let us watch this leaping fawn, so that we cannot be afraid of the serpent.
And he himself stands behind our wall, looking through the windows, peering through the lattice. Therefore, he comes and is first behind the wall, in order to loosen the enmities of soul and body, removing the wall that seemed to bring an obstacle to concord. Then he looks through the windows: what the windows are, listen to the Prophet saying: The windows are open from heaven (Isaiah 24:18). Therefore, he signifies the prophets, through whom the Lord looked upon the human race before he himself descended into the earth. And today if any soul earnestly seeks Him, it will greatly deserve mercy; because whoever seeks much, much is owed to him. Therefore, if any soul seeks Him more diligently, it hears His voice from far away: and even though it seeks from others, it hears His voice above those from whom it seeks. It sees Him coming towards it, that is, hastening and running over those who cannot receive His virtue with a weak heart: then it sees Him looking through the riddles of the prophets, reading them, and keeping their words; for it sees Him looking, but as if through a window, not yet as if present. He sees something prominent above the nets. What is this? Unless perhaps because those nets are ours, they are not his nets, because that soul is still within the sensible and worldly things, which it is accustomed to envelop and capture the mind of man in its own bosom.
40. And he himself stands behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattice. For the Church, or the soul of the just man, has seen her Beloved leaping like a young colt upon the mountains, and suddenly, when she first looks behind her wall, sees him looking through the windows, appearing above the lattice, she rejoices and is glad, for she herself is also loved by the Bridegroom. And just as he himself is wounded with the beauty of love, when his beloved first departs, he comes when asked to be kissed (for he is asked when it is said, \"Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth\"), and then he does not reject the prayers and entreaties of his bride, who offers her beloved breasts; and he kindly leads her into the inner rooms of his house; then, as if playfully tempting the senses of the lover, because he desires to experience the sensations of love to their full extent, he often goes out in search of the Bride, and often returns to be invited to kisses, standing behind the wall, looking through the windows, appearing above the lattice, so that he is not completely absent, nor as if he were completely entering, but he himself calls his bride to himself, so that their mutual exchanges might become more gracious, and they might nurture their love with mutual conversations.
41. (Verse 10.) Arise, he says, come, my nearest one, my beautiful one, my dove; and if you have a well-founded wall, not the middle one that separates the members of a single house, but built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, so that the structure of it may grow into a temple, and may not separate its internal parts, but fortify them. Therefore, if you have the edification of God within you, and let your windows always open towards the East, the Word comes and stands behind your wall (Song of Solomon 2:9); for the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (Psalm 34:16); he looks through your windows (Song of Solomon 2:9).
42. What are these windows? We read about windows in which Jeremiah says: Death came in through the windows (Jer. IX, 21), through which greed came in, through which lust came in. Your eye is a window. If you see a woman and desire her, death comes in through your eye: if you see the property of a widow, or the treasures of the poor, and you stir up your desires, death comes in through the window. Just as death comes in through these, so does life come in: if, gazing upon the beauty of a young woman, you honor the Lord Jesus, who in His tender years came to the age of old age, a pure life, and you offer your daughter; so that she may be consecrated with a pious veil: if, looking upon the property of the poor, you do not desire to possess it, but, like an anxious parent, you protect it with religious affection: through these windows Christ looks out, so that He may call the bride.
43. Towering above the nets: towering well; because he alone is not entangled by the nets of sins. We were all inside the nets, in fact we are still inside the nets; because no one is without sin except Jesus alone, who being unaware of sin, the Father made him sin for us, and indeed he delivered him up to snares, he delivered him up to nets: sending him not into the sin in which all men were, but in the likeness of sinful flesh, in order that he might condemn sin in the flesh. The flesh was a sin, according to that saying that it was condemned by a hereditary curse; the sin was a lure and the minister of sin. The Lord Jesus came, and in sin-prone flesh, he exercised the warfare of virtue: our members became no longer weapons of desire, but weapons of virtue; for where there were incentives of desire, there are now dwellings of chastity. Here, therefore, he came to snares, but willingly: he came to nets, but without fear. All things were full of nets, filled with snares. Listen to the speaker saying: 'On this path on which I was walking, the proud have hidden a snare for me' (Psalm 141:4). And in the book of Wisdom, Sirach warns you to know that you are walking amidst snares (Sirach 9:20). As many vices, as many nets; as many sins, as many snares.
44. The hereditary bonds already held you, Jesus came to the snares, to free what was lost. We were all held in nets, no one could free another, since they could not free themselves. Therefore, such a necessary one was needed, whom the bonds of the human generation's sins did not hold, whom greed did not seize, whom deceit did not bind. Only Jesus was such a person, who, even though he surrounded himself with the bonds of this flesh, was not captured, was not bound. But breaking and dissolving them, he called the Church to himself more, Looking through the snares, towering over the nets, so that the Church itself may learn that it is not held by bonds. Finally, He came so close to the chains that He could undergo death for us, but He did not become a slave to death, but a free man among the dead; for He was the one who had the power to release death. Finally, let Him Himself teach you, who said: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19). Let us listen, therefore, to what He says:
45. (Verses 11 - 13) Arise, come to me; that is, rise from the dead, arise from the chains with which you were surrounded. Arise, for I have risen for you; loosen the bonds of wickedness, for I have already loosened them for you. Come, for the nets are already loosened. A virgin has given birth, a child is born of a virgin, he owes nothing to female inheritance, as if he were not bound by the woman's sonship. See the middle wall of the partition that was already broken, which divided the harmony of internal affections and aroused discordance of bodily passions. Come, therefore, without fear. I desire to see your face and hear your voice: come, so that now you may not see me through nets, but that you may possess the beloved countenance face to face.
46. And here let these things be briefly discussed in ethical manner. But if we are able, let us examine the mystical meaning, or gaze upon the ultimate line. The devoted Bride sat within the house of the Lord, within the wall of the Law and the prophets, established by the building up of spiritual stones, which enclosed and fortified the royal house, full of joy and gladness. She marveled at the royal treasures, and looked upon them earnestly, desiring the wisdom that would show her these riches, to acquire it. He was in secret, but he was in need of an interpreter of his own secret. The Lord Jesus came, leaping over mountains. It seemed late to us for him to come, but he hurried. Finally, he leaped and crossed over, in order to cross over the bodily and rocky doctrines of the Jews. He stood behind the wall of the house that was in the Old Testament, looking through the window of the Law, and the caves of the prophets.
The doors of her house were not yet open, the gates of wisdom had not yet been opened, with which the inner workings of the Law were closed; however, looking from above, that is, the spiritual part, she calls the Church, so that, rising high through the Law and the prophets, she may tread fearlessly on the nets of Jewish interpretation and break the knots. Therefore, she is called Proxima, so that she may cling to Christ and not seek the worldly; she is called Formosa, so that she may carry the beautiful feet of those who evangelize; she is called Columba, so that she may seek spiritual things and abandon earthly things.
Behold, he said, winter has passed, the rain has gone, it has parted from itself, flowers have been seen on the earth, the time for harvesting has come. Before the coming of Christ there was winter: Christ came, he made summer. Then everything was destitute of flowers, bare of virtues: Christ suffered, and all things began to be fertilized by the new seeds of grace. The rain of overflowing luxury has gone, and the clouds arising from foul deeds are now being dispersed by the pure serenity of a conscience. Therefore, those who escape during the winter do not do so because they do not follow the passion of the Lord, do not take up their cross, and do not follow Christ.
49. The rain hinders the flowers: but now the flowers are seen on the ground. The good flowers are the apostles, who spread the fragrance of their various writings and works. The time of harvesting has come, when the ripe fruits are stored in the barns; and he who reaps receives his reward. The voice of the turtledove is heard, because it has found its nest; for the Church is the home of chastity. The fig tree that was ordered to be cut down because of its barrenness has now begun to bear fruit. The vineyard, transferred from Egypt, now no longer destroyed by ruins, is assailed by beasts; not by rough brambles, but by sweet-smelling flowers.
50. Arise, he says, come, my nearest one, my beautiful one, my dove, my perfect one; nearest indeed in desire for faith, beautiful in the splendor of virtue, dove by spiritual grace; for the silvered feathers of the dove can signify that eternal power, and the flight of the dove declares the presence of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Christ calls her to himself to come, since she was already endowed with spiritual rewards. For behold, he says, winter has passed, the rain has gone away, the flowers have appeared on the earth. See how the holy Church is invited. Winter, it is said, has departed from itself, so that it may not fear a naked winter, not the season of winter, but the frailty, which deprives the fertile field of the soul of every flower. For it is not the winter of the earthly sun, it is the winter of the mind, when a coldness creeps into the soul, when the steam of the mind vanishes, when the strength of the senses dissolves, when excessive moisture overflows, and weighs down the mind, when the inner sight is clouded. And so the Lord says: See to it that your flight during winter or on the Sabbath day does not happen (Matth. XXIV, 20); for it is good that the day of judgment or death comes when the pleasant temperature of the soul is lively, when the heavenly mystery shines with clear light, when our heart burns within us. For it is then that Christ is present, as testified in the Gospel by Cleopas and Ammaon saying: Was not our heart burning within us while he opened the Scriptures to us (Luc. XXIV, 32). But the soul rejoices when even a flower appears on the earth. Who is this flower of sweet fragrance, if not the one who said: I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valley (above, verse 1): about whom it is also written in Isaiah: A shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit, and a flower will come out from the branch (Isaiah 11:1). The root is certainly the family of the Jews, the branch is Mary, the flower is Christ: when he shines upon our earthly affairs, and his fragrance fills the field of the soul, or blooms in his Church, we cannot fear the cold or dread the rain, but we wait for the day of judgment. And therefore the Church hastened with all diligence to see this flower, as she herself testifies in the following words: 'In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves' (Song of Songs 3:1).
Ficus protulit grossos suos. Apta Synagogae arboris istius comparatio est, quia sicut arbor ista foliis redundans fluentibus, spem possessoris sui cassa speratorum proventuum exspectatione destituit: ita etiam in Synagoga, dum doctores ejus operibus infecundi, verbis tantum velut foliis redundantibus gloriantur, inanis umbra Legis exsuperat; spes autem falsi exspectata proventus, populi vota credentis illudit.
51. There is also in the nature of a tree a comparison expressed by its likeness to a Synagogue. For if you carefully investigate, you will find a separate custom of this nature from the use of other trees; for other trees bear their flower before the fruit, and apples show the coming of themselves by their flower; this tree alone germinates apples from the beginning instead of flowers; in others the flower is cut off and the fruit is born; in this tree the fruit falls off so that the apples may succeed. Therefore, those empty shells of fruits emerge in place of flowers: thus, by a certain precocious mode of birth, they cannot preserve the benefit of nature since they do not know the order of nature. Indeed, just as a bud commonly thrusts itself out from the bark, so do the smallest fruits of this kind burst forth: about which we read in the Song of Songs: The fig tree brought forth its green figs. Therefore, while the other whitening shoots in early spring, only the fig tree does not know how to become gray with its own flower; perhaps because there is no more mature use in these fruits. For as other shoots, which spring forth resembling a degenerate nature, are rejected, and being weak through want of moisture, renew their strength when moistened by the sap that gives them sustenance, so it happens even here, although the shoots are very few, that some are spared and do not fall, to which, when they have once emerged in the narrow space between the two rods, they take their course, as if to a place of security, and growing up by the nourishment derived from their parent stock, they become fuller and more vigorous. And this takes place when the climate is more favorable, and the seasons are more prolonged, when they have lost their wild and undisciplined state from having parted with their previous superfluous moisture, and when they surpass the rest in beauty and the maturity of their growth.
52. Look now at the manners and souls of the Jews, who, like the first fruits of a barren Synagogue, fell as if in the likeness of a falling tree, so that lasting fruits beyond the age of our race would follow. For indeed the first people of the Synagogue, weak like a root in a withering work, could not draw the abundance of natural wisdom. And therefore the fruit fell as if useless, so that as if from the same key of a fruitful tree, a new people of the Church would arise from the richness of the ancient religion. Therefore, he who was, ceased to exist, so that he who was not could begin: but the first among the Israelites, whom the branch of stronger nature had brought forth, colored with the double juice in the shade of the Law and the cross, surpassed the others in the grace of the most beautiful fruits, to whom it is said: You shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).
53. The flourishing vines give off their fragrance (Sup., v. 5). The Church is well represented by a vineyard; just as the vine is married to the trees, so too is the body joined to the soul, and the soul to the body. As the vineyard is bound, it is lifted up, and when cut, it is not diminished but increased; likewise, the holy people, when bound, are set free; when humbled, they are exalted; when cut off, they are crowned. Moreover, just as a tender shoot, separated from its old tree, is grafted onto the root of another, so too is this holy people, with their old wounds healed, nourished in the embrace of the new sign of the cross, as if in the womb of a loving parent. And the Holy Spirit, infused into this prison-like body, like water poured into deep wells, washes away all that is foul, and raises up the bearing of our limbs to heavenly discipline.
The diligent farmer used to dig, water, and cultivate this vineyard and, having formed mounds of earth, would work the land of our bodies, now scorching it with the sun, now drenching it with rain, packing the field so that the gem is not harmed by thorns, so that the shade of the leaves does not luxuriously grow, and by overshadowing the virtues with fruitless boasting of words, it does not hinder the maturity of natural ability.
55. (Verse 14.) And come, he says, my dove, into the hiding place of the rock, near the fortification; that is, come near the Gospel: the strongholds of your faith, are the deeds of Christ: the supports of your walls, are the words of the Lord: the passion of the Lord's body, is your strength.
Show me your face and reveal your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful. Your voice is sweet, for with your mouth comes confession unto salvation; and your face is beautiful, for it does not blush before its author nor does it confound its redeemer. Therefore, it shows its face, bearing the sign of the cross; and it reveals its voice, assuming the authority of preaching. For the covering of the body of Christ, by which he was redeemed from sin, finds the protection of spiritual grace, so that it may both experience and speak of salvation. Oh, how sweet was the voice that spoke in the divine testimonies: how lovely was the face that was not ashamed in the presence of kings.
Arise, He says, come, my closest one; that is, arise from the pleasures of the world, arise from earthly things, and come to Me, who are still laboring and burdened, who are anxious about the things of the world: come above the world, come to Me, for I have conquered the world: come close to Me, now beautiful with the beauty of eternal life, now a dove, that is, gentle and meek, now completely filled with spiritual grace. Therefore, you should no longer fear the nets, since He calls to Himself the soul that could not be captured by the temptations and nets of the world. For when we walk among the snares, we are exposed at the same time to the enticement of food and to noxious nets and snares. He who is placed in the body does not fear the nets, but he rises above them, that is, above the temptations of the world and the passions of the body; indeed, he even causes others to rise above them.
58. Arise, come, my nearest one, do not fear the nets, winter has already passed. Easter is coming, forgiveness is coming, the remission of sins is coming, temptation has ceased, the rain has gone, the storm has gone, and the shaking. Before the advent of Christ there was winter, after the advent of Christ there are flowers, as it says: The flowers have appeared on the earth. Where there were thorns before, there are now flowers; 'The time has come,' he says, 'to cut. Where there was a desert before, there is now a harvest.' The voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land; our prophet has added well, as if marveling, that where there was previously impurity, there is now chastity. The fig tree has brought forth its full fruits. What was commanded to be cut down as if unfruitful, now begins to bear fruit. But why do you hesitate, because it said 'full fruits'? It removes the former ones, so that it may bring forth better ones: just as the fruit of the synagogue is rejected, but the church is renewed.
And although full tranquility exists, and the mysteries have grown, yet again He says: Rise up secure in the covering of the rock, that is, protected by the defense of my passion and the support of faith. For honey has been drawn from the rock and oil from the strong rock. This covering, when put on the souls of the devout, they are no longer naked, and this is their protection. Therefore, He also says to this soul: Come, my dove, in the covering of the rock near the protection: show me your face, and make your voice known. He encourages to confidence, so that he may not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, nor of its emblem. He encourages to confession, wanting all traps to be removed; so that the good odor of faith may breathe, that the day may shine, that the shadow of the opposing night may not harm; for whoever is close to Christ, says: The night has passed, but the day is approaching (Rom. XXIII, 12). There is the shadow of the worldly things that pass, and there is the day of the heavenly Christ, who shines for his holy ones.
60. (Verse 15.) Take for us small foxes that are destroying the vineyards, so that our vineyards may flourish. Scripture says that man is made in the image and likeness of God, but it is accustomed to call the serpent, or a horse neighing at women, or a little fox, or a beast. Regarding one of them, the Lord says: Go, tell that fox (Luke 13:32), meaning Herod. And elsewhere, when he noticed that he was being cunningly questioned, he said: Foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests, where they may rest (Matthew 8:20); because they cunningly dwell in some hiding places of earthly passions.
61. Also, Samson caught two foxes, and tied torches to their tails, and let them loose through the fields of the Philistines (Judges 15): by this action, he signified that wicked and deceitful men, especially heretics, have free rein to bark with their tongues, but their ultimate outcome is hindered or their contentious principles are set on fire by the end of their deceit. Therefore, he also let loose three hundred foxes, because those who desire to commend themselves through the preaching of the deceitful cross are unable to grasp its mystery. Instead, they attempt to burn the fruits of others with their false and simulated preaching. Certainly, the true cross of the Lord does not burn the merits of others, but enriches them.
And rightly it is written: Capture for us little foxes, destroying the vineyards, so that our vineyards may flourish. By this it is shown that either the Lord Jesus or the Church commands the deceitful tricks of fraudsters to be exterminated from their vineyards, so that they may not harm the little vineyards, since they cannot harm the mature vines. For a heretic can attempt to attack the imperfect, but cannot overthrow the perfect.
63. (Verse 16.) My brother for me, and I for him. This voice is of a virgin; for to preserve an immaculate body from the mingling with a man, and to raise the palm of chastity, with mud upon the body even to the conversation of angels, is a private benefit, a public glory. How rare in the world is he who can say this, how alien to vices, how distant from every stain of sin, who has nothing in common with the world, and says: My beloved is for me and I for him, he shall dwell in the midst of my breasts. Certainly, let each one claim nothing of this world for himself, to whom there is no possession of bodily desires, whom desire does not inflame, greed does not stimulate, lust does not effeminate, luxury does not corrupt, ambition does not overthrow, envy does not torment, and no concern for secular affairs troubles him: a true minister of the altar, born to God, not to himself; for Levi, as the interpretation has it, signifies: Taken up for myself; it signifies: And he is mine; and it solely signifies: Taken up; it signifies: And taken up for me.
64. He himself is both for me and for God. How is he both a priest for me and for God? He is both an advocate for me and a supplicant to the Lord: offering sacrifice for me, and offering himself to the Lord. Furthermore, elsewhere Levi is said in interpretation for me; for if Levi is named for me, Levi is for me: if he offers for me, he is for me: if he intercedes for me, he is for me: but if he is called by the Lord, he is called for me: that is to say, he is not subject to anyone else, he does not demand tithes, he is not generous from his own possessions. He himself, that is, as if overflowing with all things for himself. I do not seek tithes from this, nor fruits, nor gifts, nor presents; he himself is my gift, he himself is my tribute. He is not generous to me in his possession, but he himself is my possession, he himself is my fruit, he himself is my sense. Taken by me, or rather taken for me, this cannot be without divine grace. For just as possession cannot be mine unless I purchase it: so it cannot be Levi's unless he is taken by the Lord, for when he is taken, he rightly says, he is mine. Finally, when it was commanded to Moses that he should divide and distribute the dwellings of the Jewish people through each tribe, God exempted the tribe of Levi, saying to the sons of Levi: They shall not have a portion or inheritance among their brethren, for the Lord God is their portion (Deuteronomy 10:9). And elsewhere: I am the Lord, their portion (Numbers 18:20).
The earthly division is denied to those who, while not claiming a worldly portion for themselves, become possessors of the celestial realm. They should know that they possess this alone, that is, the service of faith and devotion, much richer than those who spread out the wide expanses of their possessions. However much they may extend their boundaries, the land fails and the sea encloses insane desires, and they pay greater tribute than the fruit they yield. But this person, possessing nothing, serves only God and is a portion above the earth; he is not limited by the failing earth, nor enclosed by the sea. Whose portion is God, is possessor of the whole nature. Therefore, for the fields, He is sufficient to Himself, having the good fruit, which can never perish. For the houses, He is sufficient to Himself, that it may be the dwelling of the Lord, and the temple of God, than which nothing can be more precious. For what is more precious than God? Or what does this man lack, who can say: Let me not glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians VI, 4)?
66. The prince of this world cannot claim ownership in this fellowship, in which he finds nothing of his own. Therefore the Lord who came to teach, so that God might become our portion, said: 'The prince of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me' (John 14:30). And desiring to have imitators of Himself, He said: 'Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money' (Matthew 10:9). Thus Peter, showing that his portion is in God, not in the world, said: 'Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk' (Acts 3:6); that is, this is my portion, my portion is Christ: Therefore, in the name of Christ Jesus, rise up and walk' (ibid). This is, in my portion I am rich, in my portion I am powerful. I rightly anticipate such fruits of this portion, like health and life being given; because this is the inheritance of the portion that I have chosen for myself: My beloved is mine, and I am his.
67. Who feeds among the lilies. The lily signifies chastity. Therefore, the good shepherd knows where to feed his flock, which pastures are beneficial for his sheep. What are our pastures, that is, the faithful, if not Christ? In whose pastures the Prophet rejoiced, saying: In a place of pasture, there he placed me (Psalm 22:2); for there he feeds and refreshes us. Good pastures are the divine sacraments. There you gather the new flower, which gave the sweet smell of resurrection: you gather the lily, in which the splendor of eternity dwells: you gather the rose, that is, the blood of the Lord's body. Even the Scriptures are the good pastures in which we are nourished by daily reading, in which we are refreshed and restored; when we taste what is written, or rather, when we frequently chew what has been offered to us with the highest mouth. By these pastures, the flock of the Lord is fattened. Even the Easter of Christ are the mountains of valleys; for Christ also feeds in these, like a gazelle or a young stag of the deer, that is, in the splendors of the saints.
68. (Vers. 17.) Until the day dawns and the shadows fall. Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree to see Christ: Jesus also extends his hands to us, to overshadow the whole world. How are we not in the shadow, who are protected by the covering of his cross? How are we not in the shadow, whom the crucified one defends against the malignity of the world and the heat of the body? Do we not know that the Word of God, coming into this world, did not come as a word. What he was in the beginning, what he was with God: but he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil. II, 7). He came in a light cloud, and while he was the power of the Most High, he overshadowed Mary; that he might transform the body of our humility, to be made like the body of his glory. Just as he therefore changed his form when he was born of the Virgin: so also the words of God seem to be transformed to us, when they are read in the Gospel, when their appearance is seen in the Scriptures as if through a mirror; because the whole truth cannot be comprehended here, but when that which is perfect comes, not through discussion, not through appearance as if transformed, but they shine with complete and explicit truth.
69. Therefore, let the soul bend with the yoke of the Word, and let it guide its reins, so that by the will of God it may be led away from vices and may receive the scent of eternal life; for this life is not perfect, but this life is in shadow. Therefore, in order for the man Christ Jesus to be born from the Virgin, the power of the Most High overshadowed his future mother; for he descended into shadow, beginning to work the salvation of mankind from shadow, and he will complete it with the brightness of the eternal sun. Therefore, this life is shadow. Hasten to the sun, so that it may protect you from the cold of this shadow, and bathe you in summer warmth. And therefore it advises us to pray, so that our flight does not happen in winter or on Saturday, not indicating a specific time and day, but preventing us from becoming cold due to our sins, and being empty of good deeds.