Ezek 1:23

“Hence it is fittingly added soon after: "And under the firmament their wings were straight, one toward the other." Then the wings of virtues are straight beneath the firmament when the good that one person has, he bestows upon another, so that he who has received earthly substance may relieve the poverty of a needy neighbor; he who is full of the grace of teaching may illuminate the darkness of an ignorant neighbor with the word of his preaching; he who is supported by temporal power may relieve those oppressed by violence; he who is full of the spirit of prophecy may turn aside evils threatening a neighbor's life by persuading him to good; he who has received the grace of healing may devoutly and humbly bestow his intercession for the health of the sick; he who, free from earthly activities, has merited to be occupied with God alone, may pray for his erring neighbors. But it often happens that he who is too much occupied with earthly substance does not watch in prayer as much as he ought. And it frequently happens that he who, stripped of all the burdens of the world, is free to entreat the Lord, does not have the sustenance for living. But when the rich man extends food and clothing to the poor, and when the poor man bestows his prayer upon the soul of the rich, the wings of the living creatures are stretched straight from one to another. For when that man offers me the word of preaching and expels the darkness of ignorance from my heart with the light of truth, and when I, because perhaps he is oppressed by some powerful person of this world, impart to him the comfort of my defense and rescue him from violent hands, we stretch our wings to one another in turn, so that we may touch each other with mutual affection and assistance from the good we have received. Hence the first pastor rightly admonishes, saying: "The end of all things has drawn near. Be therefore prudent, and watch in prayers; above all, having mutual charity continuous among yourselves, because charity covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without murmuring. Each one, as he has received grace, administering it to one another." What therefore in Ezekiel is called a wing, in the apostle Peter is called received grace. And what he says: "The straight wings of one to another," the pastor of the Church says: "Each one, as he has received grace, administering it to one another." For our wings are no longer straight if they are bent back only for our own benefit. But they become straight when we direct what we have to the benefit of our neighbor. For since our goods are not from ourselves, but we have received them from him by whom it was made that we should exist, we ought not to keep them private for ourselves to the extent that we perceive them given to us by our Author for common benefit. Hence the apostle Peter rightly adds in his exhortation on this matter, saying: "As good stewards of the manifold grace of God." And he still adds: "If anyone speaks, as it were the words of God; if anyone ministers, as from the strength which God administers." As if he openly said: Humbly bestow good upon your neighbors, because you know that what you have is not from yourselves. For any wing of virtue, when it is stretched out by being imparted to a neighbor, will not be straight if it lacks humility.”

“"Each one covered his body with two wings, and another was similarly covered." We have already said above that action is signified by the body, while virtues are signified by the wings. And when he says: "Under the firmament their wings were straight, one toward the other," we must ask how it is added: "Each one covered its body with two wings." In this matter it is clearly indicated that they both extended their wings toward one another, and yet they covered their own body with two wings. What is this, except that we ought to bestow upon others the virtues we have received, while not ceasing to think carefully about those things in which we have sinned, and to lament our guilt daily through fear and penitence? For we have said above that the two wings by which the body is covered are fear and penitence. Therefore let us so grow in charity that we extend our wings toward our neighbors; and let us never cease to think about and lament ourselves. Let wings be extended toward one another, let wings cover the bodies, so that we both offer examples of good actions, and fear and penitence hide from judgment the evil things we have done. In the old translation it is said of these wings: "Two were joined to each one, and covering their bodies." In these words it is understood that those same wings that were joined one to another were also those that covered their bodies. This is rightly understood figuratively, because those virtues protect us before almighty God which we impart and join to our neighbors out of charity; while we live in harmony with them, we cover over the evil things we have done. Therefore by these wings can also be understood the two precepts of charity, namely love of God and of neighbor. For by loving God, we pursue our own evils within ourselves, that is, we cover the body. But by loving our neighbor, we hasten to help him in whatever way we can, that is, we extend our wings toward another. But that which is added, "And the other was similarly veiled," is not found in the old translation. And it can be asked why, after it was said, "Each one veiled its body with two wings," there is added, "And the other was similarly veiled." Searching carefully through the translation of the Seventy interpreters, of Aquila, of Theodotion, and of Symmachus, we find nothing of these words; but rereading the writings of blessed Jerome, we recognized that he found this sentence so placed in the Hebrew truth, not indeed according to the letter, but according to the sense. For it can be asked why, after it was said, "Each one veiled its body," there is immediately added, "And the other was similarly veiled." For if it said "one and the other," the manner of speaking would stand. But after it was said "each one," why is "the other" added, when in "each one" all are comprehended? But if we distinguish both the life of the perfect and the merits of those making progress, we see that both "each one" and "the other" are not unreasonably placed. For those who both weep over their own sins and extend the wings of virtues to their neighbors as an example are without doubt perfect. But there are many of the little ones who observe and imitate their tears. And those who could have been naked in their own depravities consider holy and more vigilant men; and soon, angered at their own depravities, they are kindled to lament and inflamed to repentance. And as they observe the holy ones veiling their bodies, so they themselves are also veiled with the wings of their own tears. For they strike themselves with great reproaches: why do those who do not have virtues not in the least bewail their sins, if those who already extend the wings of virtues to their neighbors through examples still do not cease to lament? In these words it is necessary that we who are still little ones always place before the eyes of our mind both the virtues and the tears of the perfect. Let us imitate what we behold in them, so that when we begin to grow through increases, we may be able to veil the evils we have done from that strict examination. For in constant weeping, in our daily repentance, we have a priest in heaven who intercedes for us. Of whom it is also said through John: If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he himself is the propitiation for our sins. We hear of his power. But fear again gnaws at our exultation, because he who is our advocate is called righteous. For we have unjust cases, but a righteous advocate in no way takes up unjust cases, nor consents to speak words on behalf of injustice. What then shall we do, my dearest brothers? But behold, it occurs to my mind what we should do. Let us both abandon and accuse the evils we have done. It is written: The righteous man is his own accuser at the beginning. For any sinner converted in weeping already begins to be righteous when he starts to accuse what he has done. For why should he not be righteous who now rages through tears against his own injustice? Therefore our righteous advocate will defend us as righteous in the judgment, because we both recognize and accuse ourselves as unjust. Therefore let us not trust in our weeping, not in our deeds, but in the pleading of our advocate, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.”