Gregory the Great, on Ezek 1:24

“And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army, and when they stood, their wings were let down.”

“"As the sound of the most high God." What is it that the sound of wings in the holy living creatures is called as the sound of the Most High God, except that Almighty God both fills the minds of the saints with heavenly desire, and himself hears them when filled? For he himself creates love in the hearts of the saints, and he himself receives prayer from loving hearts. Peter wept bitterly over his denial, but yet there it is first stated that Jesus looked upon Peter. Mary Magdalene came after many stains of guilt, to the feet of our Redeemer with tears; but who poured this into her within, except he who kindly received her outwardly? Who was urging her to tears through the spirit of compunction, except he who outwardly was receiving her unto pardon before those reclining together at table? Therefore our Redeemer was drawing forth the mind of the sinful woman when he pierced her with compunction over her guilt, and was receiving her so that he might free her from guilt. Well therefore is this sound of wings called as the sound of the Most High God, because whatever is done in the virtues of the saints belongs to the grace of him who bestows merits. He is rightly called the Most High God through the prophet. For in Sacred Scripture, God is sometimes spoken of nominally, and sometimes essentially. He is spoken of nominally, as it is written: "Behold, I have made you a god to Pharaoh." And as Moses says: "If anyone does this or that, bring him to the gods," that is, to the priests. Who again says: "You shall not revile the gods," that is, the priests. And as the Psalmist says: "God stood in the assembly of gods, and in their midst He judges gods." But God is spoken of essentially, as He Himself says to Moses: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Hence the Apostle Paul, wishing to distinguish the nominal name of God from the essential, spoke of our Redeemer, saying: "Whose are the fathers, from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever." For he who is called God nominally is among all things; but he who is called God essentially is God over all things. Therefore, to show that Christ is God by nature, he mentioned that He is not merely God, but God over all things, because any chosen person, as we said before, placed as an example of righteousness, can be called a god, but among all things, since he is god nominally; but Christ is God over all things, because He is God by nature. Therefore, He whom Paul calls God over all things, the prophet Ezekiel calls the Most High God. After it was said: "I heard the sound of wings, like the sound of many waters," because it is further added: "Like the sound of the Most High God," we can also understand this as what we know will be for all the elect. For the sound of wings, as we said, was in the holy preachers; the sound of waters, in the peoples converted and following. But that same sound will one day be the sound of the Most High God, because the multitude that is now drawn to the faith through holy teachers will one day be gathered into the heavenly homeland, so that there all the elect may praise without end, when they see without end Him whom they praise. And because then the whole multitude of saints becomes perfectly the body of the Redeemer, according to Paul's words saying: "Because creation itself will be freed from slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God"; and they will then so cling to Him that nothing from the corruption, which is conquered through the resurrection, will any longer oppose them in their holy love, but they will become united to the glory of their Redeemer; it is rightly said: "Like the sound of the Most High God." The order of the description must be noted, because first the sound from the wings of the living creatures is mentioned, which afterward is called like the sound of many waters, and finally like the sound of the most high God. For what the saints first preached, this the peoples converted to the faith afterward believed and held, who finally, raised up to the heavenly realms, will also render praise to the liberator of all. Thus the sound of the living creatures becomes like the sound of waters, and the sound of waters becomes like the sound of the most high God, because the praise of the almighty Lord, which at first few proclaimed in the world, many afterward cried out. And the praise which many now cry out, while their own corruption still fights against them within themselves, all the elect, now united to their head, will resound in the heavenly fatherland.”

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