Gregory the Great, on Song 5:5

“I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh.”

“By myrrh the mortification of our flesh is figured; hence the holy Church says of her workers who strive for God even unto death: "My hands have dripped with myrrh." Therefore we offer gold to the newborn King if we shine in his sight with the brightness of heavenly wisdom. We offer frankincense if we burn the thoughts of the flesh on the altar of the heart through holy devotion to prayer, that we may be able to give forth a sweet fragrance to God through heavenly desire. We offer myrrh if we mortify the vices of the flesh through abstinence. For by myrrh, as we said, dead flesh is prevented from putrefying. But for dead flesh to putrefy is for this mortal body to serve the flow of lust. Therefore we offer myrrh to God when we preserve this mortal body from the putrefaction of lust through the seasoning of continence.”

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