Gregory the Great, on Ezek 40:12

“And the border before the little chambers one cubit: and one cubit was the border on both sides: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side and that side.”

“And a border before the chambers of one cubit. And one cubit the border on each side. As we have often said, the chambers are the hearts of the elect, burning with love for almighty God. What then is expressed by the border before the chambers, if not faith? Because unless this is first held, one can by no means attain to spiritual love. For charity does not precede faith, but faith precedes charity. For no one can love what he has not believed. Therefore the border is before the chambers, faith before the ardor of charity, because, as has been said, unless you believe what you hear, you will in no way be inflamed with love for what you have heard. But the border before the chambers is of one cubit, because faith joins the hearts of hearers to God in love when it is not divided through errors and schisms, but endures in unity, so that evidently a border of one cubit may lead the soul of the hearer to the chamber, because the beauty of the heavenly bridegroom which it proclaims here it afterward displays in the heavens. Where it is also well added: And one cubit the border on each side. On both sides, however, is said as if it were said "to both," namely to the threshold and to the gate. For we have said that the Old and New Testament are designated by the width of the threshold and the length of the gate. At the end, moreover, it is added that one cubit is the boundary on both sides, because indeed both the Old Testament announced to us one Mediator of God and men, and the New Testament announces to us that the same one will come in eternal glory, whom we have already known to have become incarnate for us. Therefore one cubit is the boundary of both, because both he whom the law foretold appeared in the flesh, and he himself of whom the New Testament now speaks will appear in the glory of majesty. And then will be the end of both, when, having been seen in the power of his divinity, he will have fulfilled all things that were foretold. For it is written: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." The end, that is, not one who destroys, but one who perfects. For he perfected the law when, as the law had foretold, he appeared incarnate. But the New Testament still speaks many things about his judgment, still narrates many things about his kingdom, which we do not yet see fulfilled. Behold, the Gospel is read daily, the life to come is preached. Therefore there will also be an end of the New Testament when the Lord will have fulfilled the things he promised concerning himself. The new testament will indeed come to an end, because it will be perfected. For when He of whom it speaks shall have been seen, the words of that same testament will cease. Hence also to holy Church, awaiting the day of true light as if it were springtime, it is said through the voice of the Bridegroom: "Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. For now the winter has passed, the rain has departed and gone away, flowers have appeared on the earth." For whether it be holy Church or each elect soul, she is the beloved of the heavenly Bridegroom through love, a dove through the Spirit, beautiful through the beauty of her conduct. When she is now led forth from the corruption of the flesh, the winter without doubt passes for her, because the torpor of the present life departs. The rain also departs and recedes, because when she is led forth to contemplate almighty God in His own substance, drops of words will no longer be necessary, so that the rain of preaching need not be poured forth. For what she was less able to hear, she will more fully see. Then flowers appear on the earth, because when the soul has begun to taste beforehand certain first-fruits of sweetness from the life of eternal blessedness, as if already going out she smells the fragrance in the flowers, what she will have more abundantly in fruit after she has departed. Hence it is also added there: "The time of pruning has arrived." In pruning, indeed, barren branches are cut away, so that those which prevail may bear fruit more abundantly. Therefore the time of our pruning arrives when we abandon the unfruitful and harmful corruption of the flesh, so that we may be able to attain the fruit of the soul. This fruit will be most abundant for us: the vision of the One. Therefore there is one cubit at the end on each side, because He is the one who said: "I am alone until I pass over." He who alone with the Father and the Holy Spirit presides in heaven, like a solitary sparrow in a building. Just as He fulfilled the law through the mystery of His incarnation and perfect humanity, so He will fulfill the promises of the new testament through the revealed glory of His brightness. This one cubit the measure of the ark has also declared to us. For the ark, which was commanded to be made three hundred cubits in length, sixty in width, and thirty in height, was completed in one cubit. For what is figured by the ark except the holy Church, which is broad below and narrow above? Which is gathered from three hundred, sixty, and thirty cubits to one cubit, because from that breadth which the holy Church has in its still weak members, being gradually narrowed and advancing upward, it tends toward one. For reason itself demands that we believe that in that breadth of the ark all beasts, all quadrupeds and reptiles were in the lower parts, while humans and birds were certainly in the upper parts. For near the upper part there was a window in the side, from which the man released the raven and the dove, so that he might know whether the waters of the flood had now passed. And because that same ark was completed in one cubit, humans and birds were near the cubit. Rightly therefore by the ark the universal Church is designated, which is still broad in its many carnal members, narrow in its few spiritual ones. And because it is gathered to one man, who is without sin, it is completed, as it were, in one cubit. For we see many within the bosom of this same holy Church lifted up in pride, dissolved in carnal pleasure, gaping after the acquisition of earthly things, crossing seas at the command of avarice, enslaving themselves to wrath, giving themselves to quarrels, and injuring their neighbors whenever they can. But because the holy Church still tolerates them so that they may be converted, the beasts, as it were, dwell below in the breadth of the ark. We see others who now seek not what belongs to others, bear injury inflicted upon them with equanimity, are content with their own possessions, and live humbly. But because these are now few, the ark grows narrow. Moreover, we behold others who even abandon what they possess, give no attention to earthly things, love their enemies, subdue the flesh from all pleasures, suppress all impulses under the judgment of reason, and are lifted up by the wing of contemplation through heavenly desire. But because such persons are exceedingly rare, the ark is now brought to a cubit, where men and birds are contained. Yet let it be asked whether anyone among them can be without sin, and none is found. Who therefore is without sin, except He who was not conceived in sins? Therefore the ark is completed in one cubit, because the one Author and Redeemer of the holy Church is without sin, to whom and through whom all advance who know themselves to be sinners. Let it therefore be said of the threshold and the gate: "And one cubit, the end on both sides," because when the one Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, shall appear in His majesty, He will fulfill all things of both testaments that have been foretold and promised. If indeed in this place he mentions both the border and the chambers, neither does this disagree with this meaning, because when the majesty of our Redeemer shall have been shown to us, faith comes to an end, since man will then have begun to see what he believed. And the chambers reach their end, because the hearts of the faithful are perfected in love of Him incomparably far beyond what they are now. Therefore one cubit is the end on each side, because the vision of the one Lord and Savior in His elect brings faith to an end and perfects charity. It is pleasing to consider who we are who treat these matters. Certainly we came from the Gentiles, certainly our parents were worshippers of wood and stone. Whence then is this for us, that we search out such profound mysteries of the prophet Ezekiel which the Hebrews do not know even now? Let us therefore give thanks to the One who fulfilled by deed all the things that were written about Him in sacred Scripture, so that what could not be understood when heard might be revealed when seen. For there His incarnation is contained, there His passion, there His death, there His resurrection, there His ascension. But who among us would have believed these things when heard, unless he had known them when accomplished? Therefore the sealed book, as is read in the Apocalypse of John, which no one could open and read, the lion of the tribe of Judah opened, because He revealed to us all His mysteries in His passion and resurrection. And through the fact that He bore the evils of our weakness, He showed us the good things of His power and glory. For he was made flesh, that he might make us spiritual; he graciously stooped down, that he might lift us up; he went out, that he might bring us in; he appeared visible, that he might show forth invisible things; he endured scourges, that he might heal; he bore reproaches and mockings, that he might free us from eternal reproach; he died, that he might give life. Let us therefore give thanks to him who gives life and who died, and all the more for giving life, because he died. Whence Isaiah, contemplating our salvation and his passion, well says: "That he might do his work, his strange work; that he might perform his work, his work is alien to him." For the work of God is to gather the souls which he created, and to call them back to the joys of eternal light. But to be scourged and covered with spittle, to be crucified, to die, and to be buried—this is not the work of God in his own substance, but the work of sinful man, who merited all these things through sin. But he himself bore our sins in his body upon the tree. And he who in his own nature remains always incomprehensible, in our nature deigned to be apprehended and scourged, because unless he had taken upon himself the things that belonged to our weakness, he would never have raised us up to the power of his strength. Therefore, that he might do his work, his strange work; and that he might perform his work, his work is alien to him, because God incarnate, that he might gather us to his righteousness, deigned to be beaten for us as if he were a sinful man. And he did a strange work that he might do his own, because through this, that in weakness he bore our evils, he brought us who are his creatures to the glory of his strength, in which he lives and reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.”

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

This page is the stable address of one quotation — verbatim, dated, attributed, with its edition. Cite it freely.