Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Resurrection of Our Lord

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:1–10)

But the angel rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. He sat in order to teach the Resurrection, not to relieve his weariness. A heavenly nature knows no weariness; it knows no fatigue. But the stone became the location for the angel’s instruction session, the chair of heavenly teaching, and the school of life, which had been put in place by the Jews to be the door of death, at the service of ashes, and to maintain grim silence.

The brightness of his countenance is distinguished from the dazzling whiteness of his clothing, in that the angel’s face is compared with lightning, and his clothing is compared to snow, because lightning comes from heaven and snow from the earth. Listen to the prophet as he says: “Praise the Lord from the earth, you fire, hail, and snow.” So in the face of the angel the brightness of the celestial nature is preserved, in his clothing the grace of communion with humanity is represented, and the appearance of the angel who is speaking is tempered, in such a way that eyes of flesh may both bear the gentle brightness of the clothing, and from the lightning-like gleam of his countenance tremble before the messenger of their Creator and stand in awe of him.

Peter Chrysologus, Sermons 75.5–6

The angel first mentions the name, tells of the cross, speaks of the Passion, acknowledges the death, but next professes the Resurrection, and then professes the Lord. And thus the angel identifies Him as His Lord after such great tortures and after the tomb, he speaks of His condition of servitude, and he realizes that all the dishonor of the Passion has been transformed into all the glory of the Resurrection.

Why then does the human being judge that God has been diminished in the flesh, or think that His power became deficient in the Passion, or believe that His sovereignty was wasted away by His condition as a servant? Rightly does he say that He was crucified, rightly does he show the place where the Lord had been laid, lest it be believed that it was someone else and not He Himself, one and the same, who rose from the dead. And if the Lord returns with the same flesh, brings back His wounds, still bears the very holes from the nails, and makes these pieces of evidence, which had been the indignities inflicted on His body in the Passion, into proofs of His Resurrection, why does the human being think that he will return in someone else’s flesh rather than in his own? Or is it perhaps that the servant disdains his own flesh, when the Lord did not change ours? Be content, O man, that you will be yourself in your own flesh, lest you not be yourself, if you rise in flesh that is not yours.

Peter Chrysologus, Sermons 76.1

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Palm Sunday

Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:20–26)

It irritated the high priests and Pharisees to hear from the crowds: “The King of Israel.”

They were hearing what they did not wish to hear.

They were used to addressing Him as one possessed by demons, but these were proclaiming Him “King”:

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”

Who is the one who suggested this utterance to the crowds?
Who is the one who put this praise into their minds?
Who is the one who entrusted them with branches from the palm trees?
Who is the one who suddenly at a fixed signal acted as military commander of them all?
Who is the one who taught them this harmony of voice?

The grace from above, the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

And therefore they called out with boldness:

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”

The crowds caused the Pharisees to turn away.

They loathed the high priests.
They lifted up their voices in song befitting God.
They caused creation to rejoice.
They sanctified the air.
They shook the dead beforehand.
They opened heaven.
They planted paradise.
They stirred up the dead to the same zeal.

For that reason, some of the Greeks at that time were urged on toward their zeal for God, because of this utterance befitting to God; and having reached a turning about, they approached one of the apostles by the name of Philip, saying to him: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Behold the preaching of the crowd, and how they moved the Greeks to conversion.

The Greeks say, “We wish to see Jesus” — not so much in order to look him in his face, as to carry the cross.

And therefore Jesus, having seen their intention, openly said to those present: “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.”

Glorified — referring to the conversion of the Greeks; a glory that the Jews donned but that the nations put on.

Therefore, Jesus said concerning the Gentiles: “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.”

Glorified — referring to the cross, for from it the cross is even now glorified.

For the cross itself even now still glorifies kings,
        and gives radiance to the priesthood,
        and preserves virginity,
        and establishes asceticism,
        and strengthens union,
        and guards widowhood,
        and protects orphans,
        and increases the blessing of children,
        and multiplies the Church,
        and enlightens the people,
        and preserves a spiritual lifestyle,
        and opens paradise,
        and guides the robber,
        and roots out enmity,
        and extinguishes hatred,
        and puts demons to flight,
        and drives the devil away.

Proclus of Constantinople On the Palm Branches

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fourth Sunday in Lent

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.… They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”… They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” (John 9:1–7, 13–17, 34–39)

Now, on departing from the Temple, He went expressly to perform this miracle, as is clear from the fact that it was He who saw the blind man, not the latter who came to Him. So intently did He look at him that His disciples also noticed the man. Because of this, at least, they began to question Him. For, when they observed Him intently looking at the man, they formulated a question and asked: ‘Who has sinned, this man or his parents?’ The question was a blundering one, for how could he have sinned before he was born? And how could he have been punished, if his parents had committed the sin? What, then, did Christ reply? ‘Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents.’ Now, he said this, not to absolve them of having committed sins (for He did not make the unqualified statement: ‘Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents,’ but added by implication: ‘that he should be born blind’), but ‘that the Son of God should be glorified in him.’ He meant that this man had sinned, of course, as also had his parents, but his disability did not result from that.…

But notice that the judgment of the blind man was completely submissive. For he did not say: ‘If it is wholly the clay, or the spittle, which is restoring my eyes, why do I have to go to Siloam? And if I need Siloam, why do I need the clay? Why did He spread it on my eyes? Why did He bid me wash?’ However, he did not voice any of these thoughts, but occupied himself with one thing only, namely, to give complete obedience to the One who was giving him orders and nothing that happened gave him any offense at all.

Those who endure some terrible suffering and are insulted for the sake of truth and the confession of Christ are the ones particularly held in honor by Him. For, just as the man who loses his wealth for His sake is the one who finds it before all others, and the man who hates his life is the one who especially loves it, so also the man who suffers insult is held in honor most of all. And this also happened in the case of the blind man. Therefore, the Jews turned him out of the Temple, and the Lord of the Temple found him. He was rid of the disease-ridden assembly and attained to the saving Fountain. He was dishonored by those who dishonored Christ and was honored by the Lord of the Angels. Such are the rewards of truth.…

Moreover, notice how the Evangelist told of His solicitude. For when Christ said: ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ he answered: ‘Who is He, Lord?’ Not yet, to be sure, did he know Him, though he had been cured by Him. He was blind before coming to his Benefactor, and after the cure, he was maltreated by those dogs. Therefore, like some judge of the games, He welcomed him as an athlete who had been through many hardships and had been crowned. Yet, what did He say? ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ What is this? After such refutation of the Jews, after such words as his, does He ask whether he believes? He did so, not out of ignorance, but in the desire to make Himself known and to show how much He esteemed the man’s faith. He meant: ‘So many people have insulted Me, but I make no account of them. I am concerned about one thing only: namely, that you believe in Me. For, one man who does the will of God is better than thousands who transgress it.…

‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He was asking the question of him, as it might be asked by one who had been present and had heard his words and first He awakened in the man the desire for Himself. He did not say at once: ‘Believe in Me,’ but addressed him in the form of a question. What, then, did the other reply? ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in him?’ These were the words of a loving soul that was earnestly seeking Him. He did not recognize Him whose cause he had so valiantly espoused, in order that you might learn his honesty. For, actually, he had not seen Christ before this moment. He said to him: ‘You have both seen Him, and He it is who speaks with you.’ He did not say: ‘I am He,’ but was as yet restrained and ambiguous in what He said. The words, ‘You have both seen Him,’ were still not clear; therefore, He added more explicitly: ‘He it is who speaks with you.’ He replied: ‘I believe, Lord,’ and at once ‘he worshiped Him.’

John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John 56, 57, 58

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Third Sunday in Lent

O come, let us rejoice to the Lord!
        Let us shout aloud to God, our Savior.
Let us come near His face with thanksgiving,
        and with psalms let us shout aloud to Him.
For God is a great Lord
        and a great king above all gods,
because the Lord will not reject His people.
        For in His hand are the ends of the earth,
        and the heights of the mountains are His.
Because His is the sea and he made it,
        and His hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us bow down and fall before Him,
        and let us weep before the Lord who made us,
because He is our God,
        and we are the people of His pasture
        and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you hear His voice,
        “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
        according to the day of testing in the desert,
when your fathers tested;
        they scrutinized and saw My works.” (Psalm 95:1–9)

The band of the pious had conquered the force of the impious; so it was right for them to offer the triumphal hymn to God, especially the choir of the apostles and martyrs. Beyond them, everyone of their kind would have in mind the thought, Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us shout to God our Savior, who brought about our salvation through sufferings to make us all immune to suffering, who chose to descend into Hades so as to raise us up to the heavens. Before the time of retribution, let us have recourse to repentance, and before the sentence is pronounced on us, let us placate the Lord; let us offer him also appropriate hymn singing.

Then he brings out God’s victory and the idols’ defeat. Beyond words is the power of our Lord; He is true God, He has power over all, and He proves the falsity of the name of the so-called gods. Next, he shows, as far as is possible for human nature, the signs of the divine power. He is maker of everything, Lord of all, He personally guides all things, with His hand He encircles creation, with a word He personally created moisture and dryness; His are the tops of the mountains, even should the demons times beyond counting persuade the fools among men to build on them temples dedicated to them.

So let us come together with enthusiasm and offer Him due worship, and beg for His mercy, weeping and wailing, He being our Maker and Lord. The history of Josiah and the people instructs us about the tears they shed after the reading of Deuteronomy. He is our Lord by nature, and particularly is He our God: he calls us His own people, and provides care as though for His own sheep.

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Psalms 95.2–4

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday in Lent

I lifted my eyes to the mountains.
        From where will my help come?
My help is from the Lᴏʀᴅ,
        who made the heaven and the earth.
Do not give your foot to surging;
        nor will the one who guards you sleep.
Behold, the One who guards Israel
        will neither slumber nor awaken from sleep.
The Lᴏʀᴅ will guard you.
        The Lᴏʀᴅ is your shelter at your right hand.
By day the sun will not burn you,
        neither the moon during the night.
The Lᴏʀᴅ will guard you from all evil;
        He will keep watch over your soul.
The Lᴏʀᴅ will guard your entering in and your going out
        from now and until forever. (Psalm 120 LXX [Psalm 121])

But in case we perhaps set our hope in the mountains mentioned, the second verse reveals the true Source of possible help to us, the Source which orders all things by a saving dispensation; thus our hope in the mountains is such that we realize that it is the Lord who lends help through them. It is from Him that the necessary benefit, the saving protection, the unshakeable blessing comes. As Paul says: Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God gives the increase. So that you would not think that this was some other lord—for the term is ambiguous—he says: Who made heaven and earth, thus denoting the Word by which all things were made.

After earlier asking that help come to him from the Lord, he suddenly changes direction and addresses his soul, urging it to continue with unflagging strength in its saving request. The foot is the extremity of our body, which at the mind’s command transports us to different places. By comparison with this we call our thoughts our feet, for we make our way into good or evil situations through them. So it is these feet, by which the devil fell and the first man was laid low, of which the prophet speaks to his soul. He prays that they may not be subverted by the slippery nature of sins, and that he may not experience destruction within, while his body remains unharmed. Such a slip is in the nature of pride, which often drives God’s servants to sin when they have already made progress. They fall into the worst error through thinking that they are of some importance.

Cassiodorus, Explanation of the Psalms 120:2–3

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the First Sunday in Lent

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12–19)

Therefore, it seems to me that in these matters the Apostle is describing death as if the hostile entrance of some tyrant who wanted to invade the dominions of a rightful king. First, he would seize the very passes and entrances into the kingdom by means of collusion with the guard. Then he would attempt to turn the hearts of everyone in the kingdom to himself and, for the most part, he would succeed. In this way, he would lay claim to a kingdom not his own. Therefore, while he is ruling through tyranny a commander chosen by the rightful king is sent—Moses, who must call back the people who have been taken over by the [tyrant] to the laws of civilized rule and must teach them to make use of the laws of the true king. But that tyrant, i.e., the death of sin, who had stolen his way in because of the collusion of the first guard, was ruling over all those who had fallen away by a transgression similar to that of the first man. But the commander of the lawful ruler does everything in order that he might lead at least some of the people out of the kingdom of sin and death. He succeeds at last in converting one nation and anyone else who wants to join himself to that nation. And by an order of the king, first of all, he instituted sacrifices, by means of which, when they are offered according to certain formalities, he could say, “and their sin shall be forgiven them.” And so it was only then that a certain part of mankind began to be liberated from the kingdom of sin and death. For that tyrant, who is called death, was exercising dominion from Adam, who was the first to give entrance to him by his own collusion, so that he could pass through to all men, up to Moses, the one we called a commander, who, sent by God, the king of all, began to weaken the tyrant’s kingdom and to call the people back under the law of the just ruler.… Listen now to when the Apostle says that the enemy and tyrant, whose dominions [Christ] destroyed, is going to be destroyed: He says, “The last enemy is destroyed, death.” The kingdom of death has already been destroyed, then, and the captivity which was being held under its authority has been led away. But because that enemy and tyrant is still ultimately to be destroyed at the end of the age, that is why we see him even now, I do not say reigning so much as robbing. Having been expelled from his kingdom, we see him going around through deserts and wastelands seeking to gather to himself a band of unbelievers.

Origen, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, 5.1.31, 37

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Transfiguration

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” (Matthew 17:1–9)

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:16–21)

After six days, Peter, James, and John were taken apart from the others and brought to the top of a mountain. As they were looking on, the Lord was transfigured and resplendent in all the brilliance of his garments. In this manner there is preserved an underlying principle, a number, and an example. It was after six days that the Lord was shown in his glory by his clothing; that is, the honor of the heavenly Kingdom is prefigured in the unfolding of six thousand years. By the three disciples who were taken apart is shown the future election of the people who were to come from a threefold origin: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. That Moses and Elijah, out of the entire company of saints, were standing by, shows Christ in his Kingdom standing among the Law and the prophets, with whom he will judge Israel, in whose testimonies he was foretold. So too, the reason that Moses was visibly standing by was to teach that the glory of the resurrection was designated for human bodies. As the Lord became brighter than snow or the sun, he was conspicuous with a splendor that exceeds even our view of the heavenly lights. But to Peter, who offered to make there three tabernacles, he did not respond at all; for it was not yet the time that the Lord should be found in his glory.

While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and they were encompassed by the spirit of divine power. A voice called out from the cloud: This is my Son, whom I love, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him, so that the Lord himself should be the proper author of such teachings. After the sacrifice of the world, after willingly going to the cross, after the death of the body, the Lord reaffirmed the glory of his heavenly Kingdom by the resurrection from the dead as our model to follow.

Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 17.2–3

For it is clear that the same Peter, together with his fellow apostles James and John, heard the aforesaid voice above the Lord when he was glorified on the mountain, according to the faith of the Gospels.

And we have a surer prophetic sentence, that, namely, in which he speaks in the person of the mediator between God and men, saying, The Lord said to me, You are my Son, today have I begotten you, “For if anyone at all,” he says, “does not consider our witness worthy of belief, the fact that we beheld in secret the divine glory of our Redeemer, that we heard the voice of the Father brought to him, at least no one will dare contradict the prophetic sentence, no one will dare to dispute this, which already long ago was incorporated in the divine scriptures and all bear witness is true.”

Bede the Venerable, Commentary on 2 Peter 1.18–19

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:13–20)

Salt is useful for so many purposes in human life! What need is there to speak about this? Now is the proper time to say why Jesus’ disciples are compared with salt. Salt preserves meat from decaying into stench and worms. It makes them edible for a longer period. They would not last through time and be found useful without salt. So also Christ's disciples, standing in the way of the stench that comes from the sins of idolatry and fornication, support and hold together this whole earthly realm.

Origen, Fragment 91.

In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the world. The soul is distributed in every member of the body, and Christians are scattered in every city in the world. The soul dwells in the body, and yet it is not of the body. So, Christians live in the world, but they are not of the world. The soul which is guarded in the visible body is not itself visible. And so, Christians who are in the world are known, but their worship remains unseen. The flesh hates the soul and acts like an unjust aggressor, because it is forbidden to indulge in pleasures. The world hates Christians—not that they have done it wrong, but because they oppose its pleasures. The soul loves the body and its members in spite of the hatred. So Christians love those who hate them. The soul is locked up in the body, yet it holds the body together. And so Christians are held in the world as in a prison, yet it is they who hold the world together. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle. So Christians sojourn among perishable things, but their souls are set on immortality in heaven. When the soul is ill-treated in the matter of food and drink, it is improved. So, when Christians are persecuted, their numbers daily increase. Such is the assignment to which God has called them, and they have no right to shirk it.

Letter to Diognetus 6

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

O Lord, who will dwell in Your quarters?
        And who will dwell on your holy mountain?
The one going without blame and working righteousness;
        the one speaking truth in his heart.
He who does not beguile with his tongue,
        nor does evil against his neighbor,
        and he does not take up a reproach against those near to him.
The one acting wickedly is scorned before him,
        but those fearing the Lord he honors.
He is one who swears an oath to his neighbor
        and does not break faith.
He does not give his money for interest,
        and he does not take a bribe against the innocent.
The one who does these things will not be shaken forever. (Psalm 14 LXX [Psalm 15])

And if you want to learn what sort of person the citizen of the kingdom of heaven is, then chant Psalm 14 [15].

Athanasius, To Marcellinus: On the Interpretation of the Psalms 16

It is not, like some of the psalms, wrapped, so to say, in profundity, but the Lord replies to the prophet’s questioning following the mode of the Decalogue, saying that one reaches the hall of His blessedness through ten virtues.…

The prophet longs to know whom the Lord has judged worthy of the Church, and like a devoted priest standing before Him, he seeks a reply and desires to be informed about his query. … Now in the Old Testament the Lord ordered a tabernacle to be made for Him when the people of Israel were in camp, so that in this way a house of God could be moved along with the Hebrews’ abodes. So it happened that the Catholic faith which has been spread through the Churches all over the world is called God’s tabernacle. … The holy hill means the Jerusalem to come. Note how splendidly suitable words distinguish different senses: Who dwells in Thy tabernacle? refers to the person still struggling in the contest of this world; Who rests on the hill? refers to any of the faithful who after this world’s toils are renewed by the calm of eternal peace.

This is the great divine Decalogue, the spiritual psaltery of ten chords. Here is the truly crowning number which only He could fulfill who with His Father laid low the sins of the world. Let us continually pray to His omnipotence that we who cannot of ourselves perform such acts as are enjoined on us may do them by being enriched with His gift.

Cassiodorus, Explanation of the Psalms 14

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Third Sunday after Epiphany

Drink this first; act swiftly, region of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, and the rest who are on the coast and across the Jordan, Galilee of the nations! People going in darkness, see a great light! Those inhabiting a region, a shadow of death, light will shine on you! The greatest part of the people that you led down in your gladness will also make merry before you, like those gladdened during the harvest and just like those who divide up the spoils, because the yoke laid on them and the rod on their neck has been taken away. For he shattered the rod of those demanding payment as in the day in the time of Midian. (Isaiah 9:1–4 LXX)

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. (Matthew 4:12–25)

Of those who do not see, some are blind and on account of blindness do not see; some are in darkness and for that reason do not see; yet others are neither in darkness nor are they blind, but because they close [their] eyes, they do not see. And the Divine Scripture knows these differences which concern the chief part of our heart; for the Savior says “to those who are in bonds, ‘Go forth!’ and to those who are in darkness, ‘Let it be revealed to them,’” and “to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, ‘Light has risen over them.’” Those ones did not see for the reason that they were in darkness, until the light rose over them. “O deaf ones, hear, and, O blind ones, see!” For this reason, those ones did not see before, because they were naturally blind. But all those who are outside these categories are much worse when compared to those who are blind and those who are in darkness, for they are those who do not see because they have willingly closed their eyes. Now, this is so, as we have declared, for the Savior will be a witness for me, saying, “If you were blind, you would not have sin, yet now you say, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.” And he says rightly, “You say, ‘We see’”; for truly they say that they see and have the ability to see, but, by closing their eyes, they do not see. And if at any time you were to see a soul naturally gifted at understanding, and swift and eager, not meditating on the eloquent words of God, know that that soul does not see these things that are contained in the Scriptures not because of blindness and not because he is in darkness but because he closes his eyes.

Origen, Homilies on Isaiah 6.7

And therefore the holy Gospel records where the first apostles landed, and the prophecy foretells all that was about to happen. And therefore he preached the gospel first to those in Galilee. For when Emmanuel was revealed and about to spend his time among humanity, it was necessary that the country not keep silent. And the country was Galilee, in which the Word preached the saving drink, saying: Drink this first, do it quickly, O country of Zebulun and land of Naphtali. And the tribe of Zebulun and the tribe of Naphtali were the two tribes which were allotted Galilee in the distribution of the land administered by Joshua son of Nun. But it happened that Greeks lived in this land in the midst of the two tribes (for not only Jews but also other races were inhabiting the land at this time). The word must have remembered this when it said: And the rest by the sea beyond the Jordan. And being exceedingly accurate, it brings forward even another Galilee when it says: Those by the sea and beyond the Jordan. It says by the sea concerning every harbor around the lake of Gennesaret, which has been remembered in the Gospel as the “sea.” Therefore it says: “As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers.” And from there the disciples of our Savior started out.

Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on Isaiah9.1