A DISCOURSE ON THE TURTLE-DOVE
(Or, On the Church.)A The solitude-loving turtle-dove, when it is time to pair, calls for its mate with plaintive, flattering cries, traversing the valleys; it summons its male, which is feeding by the waters, and encourages it to fly swiftly to it. By mutual agreement, they build their nest on the sturdy branches of trees, and without fear they brood over their eggs and teach their little ones to fly. Some say the turtle-dove is a creature of deep affection and chastity; so much so that if it happens that its mate is taken by an eagle or a fowler, it does not join itself to another, but longs for the one it lost, awaits its return, and dies in the memory and expectation of it. Listen, women, to the chastity to be found in birds. Whoever, therefore, keeps the image of the turtle-dove before your eyes, imitate this chastity of hers. Such is the most chaste Church. For after her husband, Christ, was crucified and ascended into heaven, she does not join herself to another husband, but longs for Him, awaits Him, and dies with Him in her longing. But lest we seem, beloved, to go beyond the authority of the Scriptures in mentioning the turtle-dove, let us bring forth the words of the Scripture itself: the blessed David B testifies, saying, "For the sparrow has found a house for itself, and the turtle-dove a nest for itself, where it may place its little ones" (Ps. LXXXIII, 4). Whom does he call a sparrow? Surely a human being: "Our soul, like a sparrow, has been snatched from the snare of the fowlers" (Ps. CXXIII, 7). The Lord, wishing to show this to His own disciples, how much they excelled others in holiness, says to them: "Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matt. X, 31). Therefore also Solomon cries out, saying, "That you may escape as a roe from the snares, and as a bird from the snare" (Prov. VI, 5). And again the divine voice: "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; which indeed is the smallest of all seeds; but when it has grown, it becomes greater than all the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches" (Matt. XIII, 31, 32). For here, too, He likened the countless race of men to birds. "For the sparrow has found a house for itself, and the turtle-dove a nest for itself, where it may place its little ones." He compared the chaste Church to the turtle-dove on account of her manifold grace of wisdom. Moreover, that you may know that the Church is adorned with variety, hear David speaking: "All the glory of the king's daughter is from within, in gold-woven garments, adorned with variety" (Ps. XLIV, 14, 15). "For the sparrow has found a house for itself, and the turtle-dove a nest for itself, where it may place its little ones"—that is, nourishing her newly enlightened children under the solid branches of the Cross. Jeremias also makes mention of this turtle-dove, saying: "The turtle-dove and the swallow of the field, the sparrows and the cicadas have known the time of their coming" (Jer. VIII, 7); he calls the turtle-dove the chaste Church, the swallow John, the lover of men, the cicada the most eloquent Paul, the pipe of the Church. Concerning this turtle-dove, the Lord commanded Abraham, saying: "Take for me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old ram, and a three-year-old goat, a dove, and a turtle-dove" (Gen. XV, 9). The Scripture remembers this turtle-dove in the Song of Songs, saying, "The voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land" (Cant. II, 12). The voice of this turtle-dove, Christ, the heavenly spring, has signified His advent to us. The voice of the turtle-dove has been heard today in our land. Let us, therefore, hear the voice of this turtle-dove, and hear what kind of song she sings. "I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem. Do not look upon me, because I am blackened, because the sun has looked down upon me" (Cant. I, 4, 5). "I am black and beautiful"; black, on account of the prior transgression; beautiful, on account of a swift repentance; black on account of mourning from the fall; beautiful on account of the splendor of baptism. "I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem." By the daughters of Jerusalem, He means the holy souls of the fathers. "I am black and beautiful," the Church of the nations. Do not consider me, you holy C souls, do not look upon me, because I am blackened, because the Sun of Justice has looked down upon me on account of my former sins. Who is that Sun that looked down upon her? Certainly not that one of whom Ecclesiastes says, "The sun rises and the sun sets, and returns to its place" (Eccle. I, 5). The Sun of justice has risen for us, Christ born of Mary according to the flesh: "The Orient" is His name; but He set when, after the Cross, He descended to the underworld. The sun rises and sets, and returns to its place. When He ascended into the heavens, He drew us to Himself, with Him saying, "When I have been lifted up, I will draw all things to myself" (John XII, 32). Concerning this Sun of justice, Isaias also pronounces, saying: "In those days the Sun of justice shall rise, and there shall be healing in His wings" (Mal. IV, 2). For when Christ, the Sun of justice, came, the woman with the issue of blood, touching the hem of His garment, dried up the fountains of blood. "I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem." If any soul here is blackened by sins, let her not fear, only let her perform repentance, and say, "I am black and beautiful." Even if she is positioned in her final breath, even if she has arrived at evening, let her not be afraid, only let her repent with weeping [and confess with a contrite heart]. "For weeping will lodge in the evening, and joy in the morning" (Ps. XXIX, 6). Imitate King Ezechias, who, being sick and lying on his bed, as he heard Isaias saying to him: "Set your house in order, for you shall die, and shall not live" (Isai. XXXVIII, 1)—he turned to the wall and wept bitterly, and by his repentance watered his bed with tears, restrained the sun, and immediately merited from God a period of fifteen years of life. D Let him draw near to God, let him be baptized with water: let him be illuminated in his eyes. If there is any faithful one here who has sinned, let him wash his body with the fountain of tears, and render his soul illustrious with the oil of beneficence. If you have adorned yourself thus, if you have thus adorned your soul with right actions, and made it well-ordered: the divine Word will love you, and will allure your mind, and will draw you to the desire of God, and then you too will say: "Woe is me, I am wounded with love" (Cant. II, 5); for the souls of the saints are wounded by love as if by an arrow. Do you wish to hear the arrow itself speaking? Read Isaias, and in him you will find how that arrow itself speaks: "He has placed me," He says, "as a choice arrow," God the Word says, "and has hidden me in His quiver" (Isai. XLIX, 2). Wounded by this arrow, Jeremias said to God: "But I have not labored following You, and I have not desired the day of man" (Jer. XVII, 16). Wounded by this arrow in his mind, David said to Him: "My soul has clung after You, for Your right hand has received me" (Ps. LXII, 9). Wounded by this arrow, Peter said to Christ: "Lord, You know that I love You" (John XXI, 15). Wounded by this arrow, Paul, and bound with Christ, said: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom. VIII, 35). Wounded by this arrow, the most chaste Church said: "Woe is me, I am wounded by love." O groans from the midst of the heart, emitting rivulets lovable to Christ! O groans leading the heavenly spouse Christ to Himself! Therefore she says: "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth" (Cant. I, 1). I, the Church betrothed from the nations, no longer wish for Moses, or Isaias, or Jeremias, or the other prophets; but let Him come Himself: with Him I wish to speak mouth to mouth; let Him come, and "let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth." I hear Jeremias saying concerning Him: "For... [alt-version omitted]
601 SPURIA.
ADMONITION TO THE FOLLOWING HOMILY
[The text begins with a fragment, but since this is the first page of the sequence, I commence from the translation of the first full thought:]
...deep is his heart above all things, and he is human, and who shall know him? Him I desire, him I beseech. A Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. I hear Amos saying: Behold a man standing on a wall of adamant, and in his hand is adamant. Him I seek, let him come, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. And as a woman who loves her husband, when the husband is away, peers through the windows and looks about for him, and keeps him in view, both by land and by sea, and even if she sees a ship approaching, there she imagines her own husband; and if she sees travelers coming from far off, there she reckons her own husband to be; for often, having met them, she inquires about her own husband: Tell me, where have you left him, in what city or village, what saying, or what doing, or when is he coming?
3. In this same way also the most holy Church, held fast by holy love and affection, B inquires of all the prophets, saying: Have you seen him? Is he perhaps coming? Is he not coming? Is he in heaven? Does he perhaps shepherd the ninety-nine unswerving sheep in heaven, and is he not coming to the sheep that has wandered? Tell me, where does he shepherd, where does he rest, whom my soul has loved? (Cant. 1. 6). Being questioned, the prophets speak with one voice through Isaiah, and say: We have seen him; but if you are expecting him, we have seen him, and he had neither form nor beauty, but his form was dishonored and failing among the sons of men. The most holy bride, the Church, answers: He is the one, him I desire, him I seek, I beseech him, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. Isaiah answers her: If it is he, he comes, and he comes with great power. The Lord, the Lord comes, and his arm with authority. Behold his reward, and his work before him; and in his hand he will gather the lambs, and he will comfort those that are with young (Is. 40. 10. 11). She hears that Isaiah describes him exactly C and calls him a shepherd: As a shepherd he shall shepherd his flock, and in his hand he will gather the lambs, and he will comfort those that are with young; and she says to him: Where does he shepherd, where does he rest, whom my soul has loved? Isaiah sends her to John, and John says to her: A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths (John 1. 23). She goes away into the desert to John, she holds him and asks: Tell me, are you the Christ? John answers: I am not the Christ. And she says to him again: If you are not the Christ, why do you baptize? He answered again: I am not the Christ; he comes behind me, he is mightier than I, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose (Ibid. v. 25. 26). And as he still delayed, she said to him: Woe is me, I am smitten with love (Cant. 2. 5). John says to her again: Do not groan, be silent, just wait a little. John sees the Lord approaching and says to her: Be silent, no longer groan. He points from afar, extending his finger, D and says: Lo, the one whom you seek; lo, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1. 29). Having heard from John of a lamb, and from Isaiah of a shepherd, she doubts, saying to herself: Whom, then, shall I believe? Shall I believe this one, or Isaiah? The Lord sees that she doubted, he cries out and says: I am the good shepherd; he resolves her doubt by the word. She approaches the bridegroom, embraces him, and kisses him. And that which is written in David is fulfilled: Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Ps. 84. 11). But that we may learn more fully that the bride was joined to the bridegroom, and the marriage took place spiritually, and the bridal chamber, John sings of him and says: He who has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears his voice, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3. 29. 30). There was need, as in a marriage, for gifts to be written for the bride; there was need for paper to be sought, and a writer, and a pen. The paper is found through Isaiah. The Holy Spirit commands the writer, and says: Take me a new scroll, great, and write on it with the pen of a man (Is. 8. 1). The pen was sought, it was found with David. For he says concerning it: My tongue is the pen of a ready writer, beautiful in form beyond the sons of men (Ps. 44. 2. 3). This Church David clothes as a bride; he himself adorns her, he himself admonishes her, and teaches her like a groomsman, or, as it is customary for men to say, a best man. He commands the bride: Look, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people; and the king shall desire your beauty (Ps. 44. 11. 12). Do not think that you are equal to him. Look, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people; and the king shall desire your beauty; because he is your Lord and the daughters of Tyre shall worship him with gifts (Ps. 44. 13). If you hear me, daughter, the rich of the people of the land shall entreat your face (Ps. 44. 13). It was necessary then to write down also the gifts given by each of them, servants and handmaids; from Christ, servants; from the bride, handmaids; Christ gives the servants; Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, arrive; they also demand the handmaids from the bride. David dictates: The virgins shall be brought to the king after her, her companions shall be brought to you (Ps. 44. 15). The marriage occurs; the Lord comes mystically in Cana of Galilee. Cana is interpreted as the creation of God; and the whole world is the creation of God. Here he celebrates spiritual marriages; he comes in Cana of Galilee, and there the whole choir of the saints is present; they offer gifts to the bridegroom, each according to his own ability, as in a marriage: Abraham the calf, his wife Sarah the cakes, Isaac the wood, Jacob the kids, Joseph gives wheat, Moses holds the lamp, Isaiah sings, and David dances. And since it was necessary that holy women also be present at such a marriage, and that they too should sing, Esther comes, Judith is adorned, is beautified; and Mary the sister of Moses takes the timbrel, and says: Let us sing to the Lord; for he has been glorified gloriously (Exod. 15. 1). And since it was necessary that in such a marriage praises should be inscribed, Paul, praising the marriage, says: Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled (Heb. 13. 4). That he speaks of Christ and the Church, let him interpret himself. For what, he says, is written? For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This mystery is great: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church (Eph. 5. 31. 32; Gen. 2. 24). What, therefore, he interprets, let us not doubt, in Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom be glory and power, with the Father without beginning, and with his all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
ADMONITION TO THE FOLLOWING HOMILY
This homily was placed by Savile among the disputed, or doubtful works. But I consider them entirely spurious. For that writer is altogether meager and perplexed. A disrupted series that differs entirely from Chrysostom's style. Malesius in the notes of Savile, p. 751, thinks that it is the same writer of this homily who issued another spurious one concerning the seven seals. But that one is of Severian, as will be told in its own place; whose diction is clearer, and not...