Another thought comes to my mind, since I have mentioned the nut, which most fittingly we weave into this discourse, because it has come to speak about hidden sacraments. For it was not without reason that Jacob placed three variegated rods in the water, where the livestock would drink at their meeting time, nor did he wish them to be from one wood, but from different kinds. Indeed, for the result he was aiming at, it would have sufficed that they were from one wood, nor was there need for three, but either less or more, provided he placed variegated rods in the waters. What, then, is meant by placing three rods and of three woods, if not to signify a mystery, but this is closed? According to the strength that the Lord deigns to grant us, I will break and open it for you. Jacob had a pact with his father-in-law whose sheep he was tending, that if any variegated ones were born either in the sheep or in the goats, they would be his, that is, they would belong to the shepherd as his wage. For this reason, he arranged for the variegated rods, which the livestock, seeing them at conception, would, through the desire imparted by sight, bear varied offspring. In the varied livestock was signified the diversity of nations. And those livestock were of one form, and they conceived varied ones and bore varied ones. Indeed, from one Jewish people came the first preachers of the Gospel, but for many nations to be born, it was necessary that they conceive varied ones and bear varied ones. And this is Jacob’s portion. For in Jacob, Christ was prefigured. That lesser people, indeed, in Jacob, where it was said: And the greater shall serve the lesser. I remember explaining to your holiness about Esau and Jacob, to whom it was also said in that blessing which he received from his father: All nations shall serve you. The diversity of nations, then, pertained to Jacob, but unless there were announcers from the Jewish people, so that the livestock of one form, having conceived from drinking from the rods, would not bear faithful ones through the diversity of nations.
The sacrament of the Christian people preached by the apostles.
But how could the cattle conceive the diversity of nations? This could indeed be done from three rods. For the animals were in conception when he varied the rods, that is, he stripped them at intervals, and placed them in the water, from which they would draw in drinking the desire for diversity, which would appear in the colors of the offspring. But this could be done from any number and any kind of rods! However, the mystery of the future Christian people was not known to the Jewish people, except to a few holy prophets and a few envious teachers of the law to whom the Lord says: "Woe to you who hold the keys of the kingdom of heaven, neither entering yourselves nor allowing others to enter." They are also signified in that likeness where the tenants of the vineyard who did not pay the rent said: "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours" - which they would not have said unless they had known Christ in some part, although His divinity, by which He is equal to the Father, was hidden from them: "For if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory." But He did not send preachers from their number, but chose the weak things of the world to confound the strong, so that it would be said: "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the investigator of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" Therefore, the mystery which was hidden from them was revealed to the uneducated and unskilled, and through the baptism of Christ, was also made known to various nations: for this reason, the cattle conceived varied offspring from the three rods placed in the water. For as long as God the Father was proclaimed, the incarnation of the Son, which was still prophetically foretold and understood by very few, was hidden, the diversity of nations was not brought forth. But what happened was that the sheep drank from the three rods, that is, the first Israelites, through whom a diversity of nations pertaining to Jacob’s lot - that is, to the inheritance of Christ - would be born; of these Israelites, the Apostle says: "For I too am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." For Peter and Andrew and John and James and the other apostles and other first preachers of Christ were also Israelites, of whom the Apostle says that the Gentiles are their debtors: "For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they ought also to minister to them in material things." Therefore, those Israelites were like one kind of cattle, because they were of one nation: they drank in a way the mystery of the incarnation of the Lord, so that through the mystery of the Lord’s incarnation they would bring forth various nations in the Gospel, that is, the diversity of the cattle.
The sacrament of the Lord's incarnation is shown in three rods.
How, then, is the sacrament of the Lord's incarnation shown in the three rods? From where were those rods? One was from a nut tree, another was from a plane tree, and another from a storax. Thus it is written. Therefore, let us question our faith about what it believes concerning the incarnation of the Lord. For we believe He was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. He who was born pertains to the nut tree rod. For just as one reaches the nut through the wood to the food, so our Lord Jesus Christ would not bear us unless we reached His body through the wood of the cross. This is so clear that you understood my voice beforehand; for you declared with your voice what I was beginning to explain. Who led you to that food, so that you understood so quickly, except He who hung on the wood? For if not for the cross of the Lord, you would not be Christians; if you were not Christians, you would not receive this so quickly and so sweetly. To what does the plane tree rod correspond? We say that Christ was born of the Holy Spirit. I think the plane tree rod fittingly pertains to the Holy Spirit. For the remaining storax rod, it is undoubted that it should be attributed to the inviolate integrity of the Virgin Mary because of its sweetest fragrance. From this the most delightful fragrance and the sweet-smelling fame of the birth of the Lord began, because He was born of a virgin. The understanding of the plane tree rod is more laborious, how it is shown to pertain to the Holy Spirit. The Lord will be present, aided by your prayers, and will reveal through our ministry and our humble and devoted service for your advancement, how we should take the plane tree rod to mean the Holy Spirit. In the plane tree I seek what I should choose, and I find the tree of the plane tree praised for nothing else but providing the broadest shade for those resting from the heat. Those who know such a tree understand that I am speaking the truth. The plane tree is chosen and desired for the breadth of its shade and the delight of its coolness, where we rest from the heat. But the Virgin Mary, who was not going to conceive a son through the heat of lust, but in a certain coolness of the most faithful chastity and uncorrupted virginity, not desiring male embraces, but conceiving by faith, a pregnant virgin, a virgin giving birth, a virgin remaining, received this from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit Himself provided her with coolness from the heat of all carnal desire, and therefore He is figured by the plane tree rod. I would be lying if in the very Gospel the angel did not speak and say to her: The Spirit of God will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Final exhortation.
Now therefore, beloved, as the Lord wills, he provides not from our merit, but because of our faith which he himself deigns to give. As we always say and it should never be silent: every progress of the word may be found in your works. Very miserable is the land that, when well watered, either does not produce fruit or even generates thorns. Mourn with us those whom we lament. We are accustomed to say that fasts through these festive days of the pagans should be undertaken, so that we might pray to God for those pagans. But we so deeply abhor the wretched excesses of many, that we urge you, brothers, to pray with us for certain Christian brothers, that they might allow themselves to be corrected and improved from such wickedness someday. For what is this, how much and how grievous a wrong it is! Such a Christian, who disdains such small and trivial entertainment, what will he disdain, what will he endure for Christ when some temptation of tribulation comes? He who is overwhelmed by a drop, how will he be carried away by a river? Therefore, brothers, I have not said our sorrow to your holiness in vain. Those who are here today who did not fast yesterday, let them grieve that they have lived thus on other festive days of the pagans, with us being sorrowful for them, and someday they may deign to take away both our sadness and their own wickedness.