Even Years: Blessed Isaac of Stella, Sermon 51
| Filius Dei primogenitus est in multis fratribus, qui, cum esset natura unicus, gratia conciliavit sibi plures, qui cum eo sint unus. Dedit enim potestatem filios Dei fieri, his qui recipiunt eum.
| The Son of God is the firstborn among many brethren; though by nature he is the Only-begotten, by grace he united many to himself, to be one with him. For to those who receive him he gave the power of becoming sons of God.
| | Factus igitur hominis filius, multos fecit Dei filios. Multos igitur conciliavit sibi, ut sua caritate et potestate unicus: qui, cum carnali generatione in seipsis sint plures, divina tamen regeneratione cum ipso sunt unus.
| When therefore he was made a son of man, he made many to be sons of God. By his love and power he united —as one— many to himself; in themselves, by their birth in the flesh they are many, but by their divine rebirth they are one with him.
| | Unus enim totus ac solus Christus caput et corpus: unus autem is unius Dei in caelis, et unius matris in terris; et multi filii, et unus filius, et plures filii, sic Maria et Ecclesia, una mater et plures; una virgo et plures.
| For Christ, Head and Body, is one, whole and unique; but this one Christ is of one God in heaven and one mother on earth; this Christ is both many sons and one son. For as Head and Body are one son and many sons, so Mary and the Church are one mother and many; one virgin and many.
| | Utraque mater, utraque virgo; utraque de eodem Spiritu sine libidine concipit; utraque Deo Patri sine peccato prolem fundit. Illa absque omni peccato corpori caput peperit; ista in omnium peccatorum remissione capiti corpus edidit. Utraque Christi mater, sed neutra sine altera totum parit.
| Each is mother, each is virgin; both conceive in holiness from the same Spirit; both bring forth a child without sin for God the Father. Mary gave birth to the absolutely sinless Head for the Body; the Church gave birth, in the forgiveness of every sin, to the Body for the Head. Each is the mother of Christ, but neither without the other gives birth to the whole Christ.
| | Unde in Scripturis divinitus inspiratis, quod de virgine matre Ecclesia universaliter, hoc de virgine maria singulariter; et quod de virgine matre Maria specialiter, id de virgine matre Ecclesia generaliter iure intellegitur, et cum de alterutra sermo texitur, fere permistim et indifferenter de utraque sententia intellegitur.
| And so in the divinely inspired Scriptures, what is said in general of the Virgin Mother the Church, is said individually of the Virgin Mary; and what is said in the particular case of the Virgin Mother Mary, is rightly understood of Virgin Mother Church universally; and when mention is made of either, it is to be understood almost indifferently and conjointly of both.
| | Unaquaequae etiam fidelis anima, Verbi Dei sponsa, Christi mater, filia et soror, virgo et fecunda suapte ratione intellegitur. Dicitur ergo universaliter pro Ecclesia, et specialiter pro Maria, singulariter quoque pro fideli anima, ab ipsa Dei sapientia, quod Patris est Verbum.
| Every faithful soul, spouse of the Word of God, mother, daughter and sister of Christ is understood to be a virgin with her own form of fertility. This is said of the whole Church, more particularly of Mary and individually of the faithful soul, by the Wisdom itself of God, the Father's Word.
| | Unde et sequitur: Et in hereditate Domini morabur. Hereditas enim Domini, universaliter Ecclesia, specialiter Maria, singulariter quaeque fidelis anima. In tabernaculo uteri Mariae moratus est Christus novem mensibus; in tabernaculo fidei Ecclesiae usque ad consummationem saeculi; in cogitatione et dilectione fidelis animae in saecula saeculorum morabitur.
| Therefore the text continues, I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. The inheritance of the Lord universally is the Church, more particularly Mary, and individually every faithful soul. Christ abode for nine months in the he tent of Mary's womb; he abides until the consummation of the ages in the tent of the Church's faith; he will abide for ever and ever in the knowledge and love of the faithful soul.
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Odd Years: Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Psalm 45 (16-17: CSEL 64, 340-342)
Aduentu domini saluatoris aduersariae potestates
cum sua legione turbatae sunt iussae ab humanis exire corporibus et precatae,
ut mitterentur in porcos. turbatis nequissimis potestatibus necesse fuit
turbari cultores simulacrorum, inclinari quoque regna peccati. erat enim graue
regnum, quod sibi in graue seruitium subiugauerat omnium animos peccatorum; qui
enim peccatum facit seruus est peccati. regnum autem peccati mortis est regnum,
quod diu toto orbe praeualuit. unde et apostolus ait: sed regnauit mors ab
Adam usque ad Moysen etiam in eos qui non peccauerunt in similitudinem
praeuaricationis Adae, qui est forma futuri.
uenit ueritas, figura cessauit; uenit uita,
regnum mortis euanuit; uenit remissio peccatorum et peccati uincla resoluta
sunt. ante etiam leuiora delicta mortis nexibus stringebantur, post aduentum
autem domini salutaris etiam grauiora flagitia sunt remissa. inclinata sunt
ergo regna spiritalium nequitiarum quae sunt in caelestibus, quia cultus
simulacrorum et inlecebra peccati coepit inminui euangelicae praedicatione
doctrinae. inclinata est perfidia, posteaquam fides coepit in nationum regnare
pectoribus. inclinantur regna peccati, cum legitur: non regnet peccatum in
uestro mortali corpore. inclinauit omnia regna perfidiae uoce sua dominus
dicens: uenite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego uos reficiam.
Hanc uocem dedit altissimus et omnes secuti sunt
populi nationum, dura peccati regna fugientes et perpetuae mortis atrocitatem
atque intolerabilem flagitiorum omnium seruitutem, cum polliceretur fessis
requiem, captiuis remissionem, seruientibus libertatem et decusso iugo ferreo
Babylonii regis iugum suum suaue ceruicibus fidelium subrogaret, ne uacua colla
gentilium rursus inimicus catenis suae iniquitatis adstringeret. Christus enim
quos alligat liberat et quos adstringit absoluit...
dedit uocem suam in passione dominus et uniuersa
elementa tremuerunt, omnis terra commota est, ut ritus gentilium solueretur,
fieret terra domini et plenitudo eius, ut scriptum est, cessarent auguria
perfidorum, sacrificium impietatis cognitio fidei et studium deuotionis
abolerent.
dat uocem suam dominus cotidie et resultat in
cordibus singulorum, ut terrenum omne decidat eius qui bene credit affectu
atque omnis interiorum sensus animorum ab errore, a corruptione luxuriae et
dissolutione ad cognitionem caelestium sacramentorum et studium castitatis, a
nequitia ad uirtutem pia confessione moueatur.
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