Gregory the Great, on Song 1:5

“Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.”

“We know that in the beginnings of the Church, when the grace of our Redeemer had been preached, some believed and others did not believe; but those who believed were despised by the unbelievers, and having suffered a kind of persecution, were judged to have departed, as it were, into the way of the Gentiles. Whence the Church in those same persons cries out against those who were not converted: "I am black, but beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem." I am black indeed by your judgment, but beautiful through the illumination of grace. How black? "Like the tents of Kedar." Kedar is interpreted as "darkness"; for Kedar was the second of the lineage of Ishmael, and the tents of Kedar were the tents of Esau. How then black like the tents of Kedar? Because in your sight I have been judged after the likeness of the Gentiles, that is, after the likeness of sinners. How beautiful like the curtain of Solomon? It is reported that when Solomon built the temple, he covered all those vessels of the temple with curtains of skin. But surely the skins of Solomon could be beautiful in the service of the king. But since Solomon is interpreted as "peaceful," let us understand him as the true Solomon; for all souls clinging to God are skins of Solomon, mortifying themselves and returning to the service of the King of peace. I am indeed in judgment like the tents of Kedar, since I am judged to have departed, as it were, into the way of the Gentiles; but according to the truth I am like the curtain of Solomon, because I cling to the service of the King.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.

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