Miscellaneous Notes regarding Lectio Divina

These notations have been gleaned from several sources over a period of approximately fifteen years. The title "Miscellaneous Notes" is used for lack of a better term, and the contents of this file do not follow any special order. In a sense, it is more akin to a diary or reflections following the Church's liturgical year within a monastic context. Also included are occasional excerpts from books and journals.

Gen 18.6: "And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.'" "Cakes" in the LXX is egkruphias, from the verb egkrupto, "to hide, to conceal." Thus these cakes assume a special meaning.

"Stillness is total surrender without a vestige of individuality. Agitation of mind is the cause of desire, of the sense of being the doer, of personality. If that is stopped, there is quiet. In this sense 'knowing' means 'being.'" The Teaching of Ramana Maharshi.

Ps 48.8: "As we have heard, so have we seen." Two importance "as" references to be considered in light of 1 Cor 15.49: "Just as we have born the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven." Perhaps the "man of dust" image may be equated with the "as we have heard;" the "man of heaven" image may be equated with "so we have seen." The former by necessity precedes the latter. If we get the pattern of hearing, we automatically get the pattern of seeing. Hearing's pattern is readily available, but that of vision is less so; the latter needs to be realized actively after having passively received it through our ears. Both hearing and seeing have a location; that is, they achieve realization "in the city of our God."

A note regarding to the Feast of the Presentation: we see the mother (Mary) who contained the child (Jesus Christ) entering the temple or God (the Father) who then contains the mother. Thus the temple-as-God embraces the God-in-temple. In this fashion, Mary could be said to imitate Christ's words, "I am the gate; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved" [Jn 10.9].

Compare the Transfiguration with Christ's baptism:

-"This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" [Mt 17.5].

-"And lo, a voice from heaven saying, 'This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased'" [Mt 3.17]. For Luke's account, cf. 3.22: "And the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove."

The Transfiguration event doesn't mention the Spirit but says of Christ, "Hear him." The Baptism event mentions the Spirit but doesn't command "Hear him." However, Lk 9.35 does; it is mentioned with the voice coming from the cloud into which the disciples entered. Note the "triple in" of vss. 34 & 36 in the Greek text: 1) "and they were afraid as they entered (eiselelthein) the cloud," 2) "and when the voice had spoken (en to genesthai)," 3) "and told no one in (en) those days anything of what they had seen." Thus the Transfiguration has a cloud but no Spirit, whereas the Baptism has the Spirit but no cloud.

The Transfiguration event may be seen in light of the following passages, for example, Ps 34.6: "Look towards him and be radiant." The sense of the Hebrew for be radiant (nahar) suggests the flowing action of a stream which is derived from this verbal root. Consider this in light of Is 60.5: "Then you shall see and flow together (nahar again)."

For more on this "nahar theme" consider Jn 7.37: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water'" (cf. Num 20.2-13, Is 12.3, 44.3, 55.1). Here is a progression of sorts from viewing the transfigured Christ as nahar…light…to him as flowing water, also nahar.

Jn 12.26: "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also." Note the "where-there" sense of this verse which seems more important the person of Christ himself.

Three references to "palm tree:"

1) Ps 92.12: "The righteous flourish like the palm tree."

2) Sg 7.7: "You are stately as a palm tree."

3) Jn 12.13: "So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, 'Hosanna!'"

The Greek for palm tree is phonix; from it is derived the mythical bird phoenix which was reborn as soon as it was consumed by fire. Perhaps the connection stems from the fact that a palm tree's branches are leafy much like a large bird's. Each of the three citations above show different uses of this "phoenix."

Five functions of Christ contained in one scriptural verse, Heb 1.3, all of which are indicate action: "He 1) reflects the glory of God and 2) bears the very stamp of his nature, 3) upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had 4) made purification for sins, he 5) sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Compare the bride of the Song of Songs with Mary Magdalene, respectively:

-Sg. 3.4: "Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house and into the chamber of her that conceived me."

-Jn 20.17: "Jesus said to her, 'Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to the, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

This "mother's house" and "chamber" may be paralleled with "my Father's house" of Jn 14.2.

Perhaps no other character in the New Testament gets our attention as Mary Magdalene in that she combines the best embodiment of what Christ communicated. Although she was rebuked for clinging to him, surely she must have used this experience at Pentecost and clung to the Holy Spirit in an especially fierce way quite unlike the apostles. Since the Spirit is completely un-embodied as opposed to the physical Christ whom she knew so well, Mary could now put no limits on her clinging.

"A light for revelation to the Gentiles" [Lk 2.32]. Note use of preposition to (eis, also means "into"), thus signifying Christ as being a "light into revelation." Later in vs. 35 Simeon says to Mary, "that thoughts of out of many hearts may be revealed." Note that such thoughts (dialogismos, singular) are composed of the preposition dia (through) and logismos (thought); dia joined to the latter connote that such "through thoughts" or "thinking through" will be revealed or come to light.

Eph 1.5: "He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will." This verse may be divided into six parts; note the use of prepositions which present a dynamic picture of this motion applied to destiny:

1) Proorisas: destined; with the preposition pro, "before."

2) Eis huiothesian: "to be his sons" or in Greek, "into sonship" or literally, "into son-placing."

3) Dia Iesou Christou: "through (dia) Jesus Christ."

4) Eis autou: "into him" in the Greek text.

5) Kata ten eudokian: "according to the purpose."

6) Tou thelematos autou: "of his will."

From the Rule of St. Benedict (4.46): "To desire eternal life with all spiritual longing." It's much more vivid, even sensual, in the Latin: "Vitam aeternam omni concupiscientia spiritali desdidere."

Gen 26.19-25: A description of Isaac's well digging. He does this twice (vss. 19 & 21) and confronts the herdsmen of Gerar. Hence Isaac calls the wells Esek or "contention" and Sitnah or "enmity." The verb chapahar also implies a thorough searching or exploration. Isaac calls the third well Rehoboth or "broad place," "room." Later Isaac digs his fourth well and calls it Bneer-sheba or "well of the oath." This well was dug after the Lord promised to bless Isaac as he did Abraham; the term here for to dig is karah in the sense of digging for a treasure. Thus the final well is dug only after God's appearance in a dream. Tie in all these wells with Jn 4.6: "Jacob's well was there (Sychar, a city of Samaria), and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well." It was by this well (note: it belonged to Jacob as opposed to Isaac) that Jesus had the dialogue with the Samaritan woman: "But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (vs. 14).

With regard to all this well digging, Jacob was able to roll back a stone over the mouth of a well (cf. Gen 29.10) without any assistance. This stone was so large that a group of shepherds had to assemble before they could move the rock. Perhaps Jacob got his strength from "The stone which he had put under his head and set up for a pillar" (28.18). Jacob did this after his dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder; such was the well above where Christ carried on his conversation with the Samaritan woman.

"Spontaneity: a movement explicable without the intervention of any factor outside this movement itself, a movement which, on the contrary, contains in itself its own complete justification." Mystical Theology of St. Bernard by Etienne Gilson, p. 91.

In the Book of Revelation are several definitions of Jesus Christ in the three-fold temporal dimensions of past, present and future:

1.4: "from him who is and who was and who is to come."

1.8: "I am the Alpha and Omega…who is and who was and who is to come."

4.8: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

11.17: "Lord God Almighty, who are and who was, that you have taken your great power and have begun to reign."

21.6: "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end."

22.13: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

Lk 2.21: "At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb." St. Bernard comments on this text (In Circumcisione 1.3) that Christ's name was called (vocatum), not imposed (impositum). He has this name as proper to himself: "a natura propria habet, ut sit Salvator; innatum ei hoc nomen, non inditium ab humana vel angelica creatura."

Note too in Lk 1.31 when the angel announces to Mary that she will conceive and call the child Jesus--the first word of vs. 31 is idou, behold. Such beholding is essential to relate to the calling of the child's name and is inseparable from it. Only a biblical name can be given with an idou, a fact which places the name as a revelation of the person and not merely a name imposed from without.

Acts 7.55: "But he (Stephen), full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." This occurred at the moment when Stephen was being stoned and Saul (later St. Paul) was looking on (vs. 58). Atenizo: the verb for "to gaze," an intense regard or a look without extension, a-teino. Also note that Stephen was "full of the Holy Spirit and by being so filled (pleres), he became invisible with the invisible. Thus atenizo and pleres are two features of the same reality. The onlookers, including Saul, "blocked their ears" (vs. 57) when Stephen uttered these words; they were in a condition opposite that of Ps 48.8: "As we have heard, so we have seen." Later on, Saul was converted on the road to Damascus and "suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me'" [9.3-4]? This light in the presence of Jesus Christ and his church ("me") was for Saul an atenizo much like that with regard to Stephen. By way of note, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen the very day after Christmas. It is as though she were intimating that the atenizo of Stephen formed immediately after the birth of Jesus Christ.

Catholic tradition is fond of saying that St. Joseph never spoke a word, a fact backed up by Scripture. However, he had three dreams in which an angel spoke to him: Mt 1.20-1 (to take Mary as his wife), Mt 2.13 (to flee into Egypt) and Mt 2.19 (to return from Egypt). I.e., in each dream a speaking angel appears to a silent Joseph. This is his way of communicating, through another (angelic) being.

Jn 16.12-16: Here Christ speaks about the Holy Spirit who is about to descend upon the apostles at Pentecost. The Spirit's functions in these verses may be outlined as follows:

1) "He will guide you" or better, "will put you on the way," the way being Christ himself.

2) "Whatever he hears he will speak."

3) "He will declare to you the things that are to come."

4) "He will glorify me."

5) "He will take what is mine and declare it to you."

A quick note regarding the notion of image and likeness as found in Gen 1.26: "Let us make man in our image and likeness." The text doesn't say "as our image and likeness." Only Christ is "eikon of the invisible God (Col 1.15).

Ex 31.18: "And God gave to Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." Later upon returning to the Israelite camp, Moses saw the people worshiping the golden calf and "threw the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain" [32.19]. Thus the tables which were written on the summit of Sinai were shattered at its base. After some time, Moses again ascended Sinai and he-not God-"wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments (Hebrew text has words)" [34.28]. This was done after Moses "was there with the Lord" (vs. 28) forty days and forty nights. Perhaps the tables written by God had to be shattered; they were too powerful, so a second set had to be written by human hands. Thus these latter tables could be approached more readily by people.

A definition of myth: "A representation or a picturing of spiritual reality. Through images the myth provides an insight into the structure of this reality with its values and dangers and its directions and purpose, showing man how he can and must deal with it. Whenever any religious group is alive and vital, it will use mythological motifs to establish and offer this connection…A ritual is the implementation of a myth." Myth, History and Faith by Morton Kelsey, p. 120.

Prov 3.21: "Do not let them (wisdom and discretion) depart from your eyes." The verbal root here is luts; an alternate meaning is to be perverse. As a noun luts is used in Gen 28.19: "And Jacob called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city was called Luz (alternate spelling) at the first." With Proverbs in light of this Genesis verse, one is being advised to keep Bethel (House of God) before one's eyes, not Luz.

Several verses with reference to the verb "to hide," the same Greek word being used:

1) "But let it be the hidden (kruptos) person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Pt 3.4.

2) "In whom are hid (apokruphoi) all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col 2.3.

3) "For you have died, and your life is hid (kekruptai) with Christ in God." Col 3.3.

4) "But we impart a secret and hidden (apokekrummenen) wisdom of God which God decreed before the ages for our glorification." 1 Cor 2.7.

5) "And to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden (apokekrummenou) for ages in God who created all things." Eph 3.9.

6) "To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden (kekrummenou) manna." Rev 2.17.

Jn 20.22: "He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" Here is the only instance of the verb enephuo which the LXX uses in Gen 2.7: "And (God) breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." Refer both verses to 2 Tim 3.16: "All scripture is inspired (theopneustos) by God," that is, "breathed" by God.

The feast of the Circumcision which used to be celebrated on January first may be better viewed as "feast of the holy name" because on that day, the octave of Christmas, that Christ received his name, Jesus. The divine command of circumcision hearkens back to Gen 17.12 when God made a covenant with Abraham where he changed his name from Abram to Abraham.

"And going into the house (Magi) they saw the child with Mary his mother" [Mt 2.11]. Note use of "house," not a manger, a verse reminiscent of Sg 1.4: "The king has brought me into his chamber." The Magi were drawn to the house by the sight of a star; the bride is drawn to the king's chamber by the fragrant anointing oils (vs. 3). Thus we have two drawings, one by sight and the other by scent.

Also at Christ's birth we have the shepherds coming to see the event: "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us" [Lk 2.15]. This verse is paralleled by Ex 3.3: "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." Both instances have people coming to Christ as opposed to Adam running away from God (cf. Gen 3.8). With Moses standing on "holy ground ('adamath), he may be a type of Adam ('Adam) who was taken from the earth ('adamah) and is therefore in a new paradise. God's voice from the bush summons Moses, unlike Adam, who was driven outside the garden by the same voice.

Compare the use of two verses:

Hab 2.4: "But the righteous shall live by his faith." St. Paul quotes this verse with a different twist in Rom 1.17: "He who through faith is righteous shall live." There are two uses of two different prepositions: In the first we have "in" (b-) and in the second, "from" (ek).

With some justification we could perform an operation upon the Bible. More specifically, we could cut out the Song of Songs and add it at the end of the existing Old and New Testaments thereby having three testaments. The reason is that the Song may be taken as the fulfillment of the previous two; it describes "what happens" after the Book of Revelation comes to an end with the descent of the heavenly Jerusalem.

It's interesting to compare the Orthodox Jewish attachment to the letter of the Torah with the early Cistercians' attachment to the letter of St. Benedict's Rule. The latter fulfills the former by equating their passion of following Christ as closely as possible. "Les vieux auteurs demeurirent attaches a cet ideal des anciens jours, des jours du Sinai et de des foudres, mais embelli, sublime par les deux echos du Sermon sur la Montagne." St. Bernard et la Bible by Charles Dumontier, p. 79.

Two examples of "searching" using different forms of the same verse; former is by God and latter by man:

-1 Cor 2.10: "For the Spirit searches (erauna) everything, even the depths of God."

-1 Pt 1.10: "The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched (exeraunesan) and inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of God."

The feast of the Annunciation occurs on March 24 (provided that Holy week doesn't interfere) or nine months before Christmas Eve, December 24. Mary's pregnancy of nine months thus fills most of the year, awareness of which is helpful when the Angelus rings thee times a day.

Jn 3.14: "And as (kathos) Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so (houtos) must the Son of man be lifted up." The first part of this verse with "as" is active where Moses does the lifting. The second part with "so" is passive where Christ is lifted up (by the Father).

"Darkness in a cave is like no other darkness anywhere. Outside, even on the blackest nights, with the moon down and stars obliterated by clouds, the human eye can adapt enough to perceive the dim outlines of the world. But in a cave you literally cannot see your hand before your eyes. There is an alien quality to that darkness, a quality that prickles deep in our bones. It isolates us within our skins, shrinking the world to a sphere measured by the length of our arms, which may be the reason why touch is the most intimate of senses because it can only communicate news of what has already invaded our vulnerable immediacy, news of what is already at hand." The Ozarks, from The American Wilderness in the Times-Life series by Richard Rhodes, p. 47.

Ex 20.24: "An altar of earth ('adamah) you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings." I.e., an altar of "Adam-ness" which can be applied to Jesus Christ as the new or second Adam.

Compare Joshua's taking of twelve stones from the bed of the Jordan River with Christ's choosing of his twelve disciples:

-Jos 4.8-9: "And the men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel."

-Lk 6.13: "And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve whom he named apostles."

"See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition to the elemental spirits (ta stoicheia)^⁽¹⁾ of the universe and not according to (i.e., the stoicheia of) Christ." Here are two types of "elemental spirits" which are very different from each other yet parallel. They bear a certain kinship to the so/as parallel mentioned above with regard to Jn 3.14. The stoicheia are the first principles or beginnings of creation which in ancient terminology consists of earth, air, fire and water.

"Work is the conscious application of energy." Fr. Joseph Chu Cong, ocso, former novice master and prior of St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts, USA.

1 Jn 1.4: "And we are writing this that our joy (chara) may be complete." The "our" refers to the apostolic group which now has the authority to transmit chara as derived from Jn 15.11: "These things I have spoken to you in order that my chara may be in you, and that your chara may be full." The sentence structure of both verses is similar; note that Christ says "these things I have spoken to you:" direct transmission as opposed to "we are writing this."

Several examples of "clothing:"

-Jud 6.34: "The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon." The verb here is lavash, to cover as with a cloak."

-1 Chron 12.18: "Then the Spirit came up (lavash) Amasai, chief of the thirty."

-2 Chron 24.20: "Then the Spirit of God took possession of (lavash) Zechariah."

-Lk 24.49: "But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

A definition of dogma which I came across but can't recall the source: "The expression of an irrational whole by means of imagery."

"For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" [Lk 1.44-5]. These two verses may be outlined as follows:

-behold (idou): an indication that something is about to happen.

-voice (phone) of your greeting came to (eis, into) my ears: Mary's voice which is equivalent to this idou; eis as "into" signifies full presence-within.

-the babe in (en) my womb: the place for receptivity of idou. Compare John's leaping in the womb with vs. 47: "My spirit rejoices in (en) God my Savior."

-leaped for (en) joy: the response of John to idou; full presence "in" joy.

-blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment (teleiosis): realization of what God spoke to Mary.

-from (para) the Lord: the source of idou.

In Mt 11.2 John the Baptist is in prison and hears about "the deeds of Christ." Perhaps his hearing does not come from human reports but by the same non-verbal transmission of Christ's presence he experienced in his mother's womb. The Song's words (5.6) may apply to John: "My soul went out at his word" (LXX).

Two examples of the Hebrew verb shaqat, to desire, within two different contexts; the first is given as a punishment and the second as a fruition:

-"Yet your desire shall be for your husband" [Gen 3.16].

-"I am my beloved and his desire is for me" [Sg 7.11].

St. Bernard's Song Commentary (71.9) has the phrase, "si pie considere." It may be taken as a way to do lectio divina: considero implies a careful regard and weighing; it is related to the Greek eido, "to see, appear, look alike." Pie (from pius) is an important concept in Latin implying dutiful activity and being affectionate both with regard to the gods and one's family; it also has patriotic implications.

"Truth doesn't bite; it likes to have company." Br. Alfred Grimes, monk of Spencer Abbey.

"And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" [Jn 20.22]. Compare with Col 1.15: "He is the image of the unseen God, the first born of all creation." The breathing of the historical Christ is now being done by the cosmic Christ.

The seventh and final seal of Rev 8.1 has no contents but consider the words "there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." This verse culminates with the following seven plagues before and after. Sige for "silence" is used as opposed to hesuchia, an important break in events in such a crowded book as Revelation. For a definition of sige: "[It] describes a quiet condition in general, inclusive of silence." Thayer's Greek-English New Testament Dictionary.

In chapter 17 of John's Gospel the verb tereo ("to keep") occurs four important times:

1) vs. 6 has the apostles who have kept Christ's word (logos); it can evoke the keeping of Christ as Logos or paying close attention to him as expression (Logos) of the Father.

2) vs. 11 has the role reversed: the Father is now being addressed…"Holy Father, keep them in your name."

3) vs. 12 has Christ who "kept them in your name which you have given me." Also in this verse is the verb phulasso ("to guard" as a prisoner): "I have guarded them and none of them is lost but the son of perdition."

4) vs. 15 has Christ asking his Father to keep the disciples in the world.

In Mk 1.6 we read of John the Baptist being "clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist." Compare with Gen 3.21: "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them."

Two instances of memory:

-Bar 5.5: "Arise, O Jerusalem…look toward the east and see your children gathered from west and east, at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God remembered them."

-Jn 14.26: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." This verse recapitulates that of Baruch above.

Contrast the banishment of Adam and Eve from paradise with the angel's welcoming gesture at the birth of Christ: "At the east end of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life" [Gen 3.24]. "And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them" [Lk 2.9]. Both instances have angels involved with people; the former is to keep them away and the latter to invite them. The two are accomplished by means of light: flaming sword and the Lord's glory. A few verse later (Lk 2.15) the shepherds say to each other, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing (rhema)," a word meaning that which has been spoken. It is used in vs. 19: "But Mary kept all these remata, pondering them in her heart."

In vs. 17 we read "And when they saw it they made known the rhema which had been told them concerning this child. Note the progression from outward sign to inward realization:

1) Shepherds perceive rhema as an external event.

2) Shepherds made known rehma to other people.

3) Mary pondered rhemata in her heart; rhema here becomes an inward pondering which first started with the angel greeting the shepherds.

Mt 2.2 has the Magi saying, "We have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him." The Magi didn't have a revelation by an angel but by a star which is equivalent to the rhema to the shepherds. The star-as-rhema "went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was" [vs. 9]. After having offered their gifts, the Magi "departed to their own country by another way" [vs. 12]. Outwardly their reason for a change of route was fear of retaliation by Herod. While the Magi came to Christ by a star's guidance and having presented their gifts to him and Mary, they were no longer in need of a star's guidance because "I am the light of the world. He who follows me no longer walks in darkness but has the light of life" [Jn 8.12]. I.e., the Magi have come to realize what are "the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" [Col 1.27]. The Magi will come again with the Queen of the South: "[She] will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here" [Lk 11.31]. By way of note, the queen of Sheba came to Solomon because "she heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord" [1 Kg 10.1]. Note that she didn't come for Solomon nor even for his wisdom but "concerning the name of the Lord." Her astonishment at Solomon's gifts reads literally, "And there was no longer any breath (ruach) in her" [vs. 5]. Compare this "lack of breath" with the Magi: "They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" [Lk 2.10].

In Mt 2.9 we have the wise men who "went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was." The Greek text has paidion for child as well as oikia for house (vs. 11). This suggests that the wise men came to the holy family much later than at Christ's birth or even shortly thereafter. Compared with Lk 2.16 we have "[the shepherds] went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger." The Greek for babe is brephos who would be unable to comprehend the wise men's gifts, but a paidion could do so.

Lk 2.41-52 has the story of Jesus at twelve years of age in the temple. Here (vs. 43) he is a pais (paidion: diminutive of pais) teaching there. The distinction between paidion (at Magi's visit) and pais (teaching in the temple) isn't that crucial here. Nevertheless, it may be said that Christ taught Mary the significance of the Magi's visit in the same way he taught the teachers in the temple. Also, compare the verb sumballo of Lk 2.19 (ponder) with diatereo of vs. 51. The former literally means "to bring together, to ponder, to consider;" the latter, "to keep continually or carefully." Diatereo is connected with Christ as pais who is teaching Mary. Later (Jn 17.11, 12, 15) Christ prays to the Father in order to tereo his disciples as noted in another section. Another instance of this transmission of the mystery of Jesus Christ is when Mary and John the Evangelist stood at the cross. Jesus commended his mother into John's care or as the Greek has it, eis ta idia, "into his own" [Jn 19.27]. John's idia could absorb Mary, as it were, because earlier he had laid "close to the breast (en to kolpo) of Jesus" [Jn 13.23]. We could say that John learned from Mary's earlier sumballo and diatereo experiences.

Jn 6.45: "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God,'" quoting a passage from Is 54.13 where the Hebrew verb is lamad, a term often used in conjunction with the Torah. Christ's words are situated in the larger context of his teaching about himself as "living bread;" in vs. 46 he says "Not that anyone has seen the Father except him who is from God." This verse, in turn, is reminiscent of Jn 1.18: "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known." John's verse is reminiscent of Ex 33.20: "For no man can see my face and live." This was uttered in the desert, so it parallels Christ as living bread when he borrows from Moses in Ex 16, also uttered in the desert.

Another note regarding the verb lamad: it can be used as referring to training for battle which is perhaps why Is 54.17 (consider in it light of vs. 13 quoted above, lamad) says "No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper," that is, no lamad regarding battle will be against you.

A definition of meditation: "The work at hand should be given a place in the framework of the meditation, as an illustration of its subject." The Heart of Buddhist Meditation by Nyanaponika Thera, p. 50.

As noted in Notes on the Psalter, also in this Home Page, "blessed" is the very first word of Psalm One, 'ashry, and derives from the verbal root 'ashar, "to go straight on, to guide, to direct." Thus 'ashry suggests a forward, almost aggressive movement in relationship to God. One translation by a Jewish scholar^⁽²⁾ renders Ps 1.1 as "Forward strives the man." Ps 84 has three instances of this word worth noting:

1) vs. 4: "Blessed are those who dwell in your house."

2) vs. 5: "Blessed is the man whose strength is in you; in whose heart are the ways of them."

3) vs. 13: "Blessed is the man who trusts in you."

All three uses of 'ashry are bound up with forward, eternal movement which can related to vs. 7: "They will go from strength to strength; every one of them appears before God in Zion." The Greek word makarios (blessed) as used in the beatitudes are a weak translation of this dynamic 'ashry movement.

In St. Bernard's Song Commentary, Sermon 84 begins with Sg. 3.1: "In lectulo meo per noctes quaesivi quem diligit amina mea." Lectulus is the diminutive of lectus, "chosen, picked," whose verbal root is lego, "to collect, gather, pick." Thus with a typically Cistercian play on words, Lectulus may be related to lectio (divina), a selective (picky, you might say) type of reading.

The synoptic Gospels depict Jesus Christ as being sent into the desert after his baptism, for example, Lk 4.1-2: "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness." Christ is both full of the Spirit from his baptism (3.21-2) and led into the desert by the same Spirit. Compare this with Pentecost: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" [Acts 2.4]. Again, Spirit (Pneuma) is associated with "filled" (pleroo). Christ is in the desert after Luke gives his genealogy which commences with Christ and works backwards "to Adam, son of God" [32.38]. Adam too was tempted but in Paradise; it is significant that Christ is similarly tempted right after Luke gives his genealogy.

Because Christ was pleres Pneumatos, he did not have to eat, mythologically speaking if you will. All satisfaction was met in the pleroma. The mention of Pneuma in Luke's temptation account points to its function: Christ went to the desert for forty days, symbolic of Israel being in the desert for forty years. Pneuma's function was to teach Christ as man the Israelite experience. He teaches by way of the memory, that is, bringing to mind in Christ the desert period of forty years. "He [Holy Spirit] will teach you all things" [Jn 14.26]. Since this same Spirit is present with Christ, there is reason to believe that the same teaching process is at work with him.

Perhaps King Solomon in Sg 3.6 may be applied as a type of Christ: "What is that coming up from the wilderness, like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?" Myrrh and frankincense were offered by the wise men when Christ was very young and thus mark his ministry which culminates in his offering of self. Solomon as "coming up from the wilderness" may be applied to Christ as he began his ministry after being in the wilderness.

"Behold, a stormy wind came out of the north and a great cloud, with brightness round about it and fire flashing forth (exastrapton, LXX) continually" [Ezk 1.4]. "Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze" [vs. 7]. Compare these two verses with the transfigured Christ: "And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white (exastrapton)" [Lk 9.29]. I.e., the same word is used in both instances. Later in Ezk 2.1 is a voice speaking: "then the Spirit entered me and set me upon my feet." Compare with Christ's words (Mt 17.7): "Rise and have no fear."

"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared" [Lk 24.1] Note the phrase for "early dawn," orthrou batheos; batheos signifies "at the depth…the very darkness point…of dawn."

"And Moses went up…to the top of Pisgah…and the Lord showed him all the land. 'This is the land I will give to your seed. I have caused you to see it, but you shall not go over there. So Moses…died there…and he (God) buried him, but no man knows of his sepulcher unto this day" [Dt 34.1-6]. This interesting passage may apply to St. Joseph whom the Lord also "knew face to face." It gives good reason for Joseph's silence after he had seen the Promised Land or Jesus Christ. No need to utter words, for God "caused him to see it with his own eyes." Such "causing" implies being taught by God much like Adam in Eden. Like Moses, Joseph died outside the Promised Land in that while corporeally present, it (Christ) was not present in all fullness. Nevertheless, God himself buried Joseph like Moses in a place unknown to others.

A definition of Midrash: "…the Midrash being to the Bible what imagination is to knowledge." Messengers of God by Elie Wiesel, p. 60.

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet" [Rev 1.11]. The "Lord's day" refers to our modern Sunday, first day after the earlier six of creation. Perhaps the Book of Revelation in which this verse is situated may be viewed as the description of how a new creation comes into being following the pattern of Genesis. Furthermore, John (2.1-3.22) gives messages to seven churches, these messages being like the days of creation. Afterwards John finds himself "in the Spirit" again (4.2), only this time to see the struggle between the heavenly and earthly realms.

Keeping in mind this keenness of vision with regard to John the Evangelist, it was prefigured in Jn 21 4 & 7: "Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach…That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!'" John was able to perceive Christ at this time of day when light was dim and perhaps mist was on the sea's surface. Furthermore, John and his companions were "about a hundred yards off" from the shore (vs. 8), a considerable distance which enhanced the marvelous ability of John to see under those adverse conditions.

"See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have" [Lk 24.39]. Here the risen Christ asks his disciples to touch (pselaphao) him. Consider this verse in light of 1 Jn 1.1: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched (pselaphao) with our hands, concerning the word of life." This Greek verb means "to feel, grope about, search after, caress." It is like feeling a piece of fruit in the market to test its ripeness. Luke has pselaphao with "see," reminiscent of Ps 34.8: "Taste and see that the Lord is good." The Hebrew taham (taste) implies discernment, of testing the quality of a thing.

The notion behind pselaphao may be amplified further: "And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" [Rom 8.27]. This verse is twofold: The Father's searching of hearts and his knowing the Spirit's phronema…mind…in these same hearts. The Father doesn't know from first hand experience, so to speak, about human hearts and uses the Holy Spirit to obtain such knowledge. This act of searching (erauno) by the Father is a form of pselaphao/taham. He thus "tastes" and "sees" by the Holy Spirit. Romans continues in vs. 29: "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." This conforming (summorphos) is akin to pselaphao; the former is a kind of concreatization of the latter's probing.

Not only does pselaphao has as its object "that which was from the beginning" but the hearing, seeing and looking. To drive home its importance, this phrase may be inserted after each sense perception: "That which was from the beginning we have heard," "That which was from the beginning we have seen," "That which was from the beginning we have looked upon," "That which was from the beginning we have touched with our hands." There are two types of visual beholding, seeing and looking upon; the former is a simple look whereas the latter (from which theoria is derived) implies careful consideration. All perceptions take this "from the beginning" and move it to "the eternal life which was with the Father" (vs. 2). Note that the preposition pros (to) means "in the direction of," a direct movement towards it which had origins "from (en or in) the beginning."

"…in the inner man, and that you may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth" [excerpted from Eph 3.16-8]. Here the "inner man" which has no dimensions relates to that which is expressed in dimensions, four points of direction which compose space as we know it. Thus "If we have known Christ according to the flesh, we thus know him no longer" [2 Cor 5.16].

The first occurrence of the Hebrew verb shamar (to watch, to guard) occurs in Gen 2.15: "The Lord God took the man and put in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it." Shamar may apply to an activity not especially physical but of attentive care much as a shepherd watches his flocks. We may say that the man in Eden had as his task to shamar what transpired there. Coupled with this injunction is the other, havad (to till) which has the alternate meaning of serving. Havad can therefore apply to treating Eden like a special treasure or serving it as a dear friend.

Shamar is later transferred to the keeping of the divine Torah and its commands, for example, Ps 119.4: "You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently." Shamar stands in the same relationship to the Torah or to man outside Eden as this garden was when man was inside it. By way of note, consider shamar in light of tereo (Lk 2.19) discussed above, Mary's pondering of the angel Gabriel's message.

Another use of shamar: "He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken" [Ps 34.20]. This passage refers back to the paschal lamb, Ex 12.46, and forward to the crucified Christ, Jn 19.36. Note the play on words: shamar and shavar, to break.

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you (epeleusetai epi se), and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" [Lk 1.35]. Words taken from the angel Gabriel to Mary with regards to Christ's birth. Later at Pentecost we read: "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place" [Acts 2.1], referring to Christ's disciples. Note that Mary was not present, although earlier (1.14) she is with the disciples at prayer. Mary doesn't need the descent of the Holy Spirit because it had already come upon her. Refer to the Greek verb cited above with the two "upons," as though to emphasize the Spirit's special presence with regard to Mary. The same idea is conveyed by a third one, "overshadow you" (EPIskiasei se). On the other hand, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost which enabled them to boldly speak about Jesus Christ. It was their task to speak from this fullness, whereas Mary doesn't because she had begotten him through the three "upons" just mentioned. Perhaps Mary was looking upon the disciples after Pentecost as a mother would look upon her children.

The disciple Matthias was chosen to take Judas' place in order to fill the mystic number twelve, the original number of Christ's disciples (cf. Acts 1.15-26). The eleven disciples before this election formed a table, as it were, with one leg missing and unable to fully support and balance the weight placed (of Jesus Christ) upon it. Note that the account of Matthias' election is followed immediately by the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; it was as though the Spirit were waiting for this added support before he could rest upon them with safety and security. In contrast to Christ's physical weightiness, the Spirit is infinitely light, being by nature composed of breath. Now and only now "the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" [Rev 21.14].

At the crucifixion all the disciples ran away except for John; it may be paralleled with the running away of Adam and Eve from God. I.e., both ran away from the Tree of Life. The Spirit "found" the disciples at Pentecost; the "voice of God" found Adam and Eve in the garden, but notice the different results.

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth…but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against his mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household" [Mt 10.34]. Note the various ties which compose human relationships with the major exception of that between husband and wife; only those which result from this union are listed.

"The Spirit blows where he wills, and you hear the sound of its, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes" [Jn 3.8]. The Greek for "goes" (hupago) is found only once in the LXX, Ex 14.21: "Moses extended his hand over the sea; and the Lord drove back (hupegage) the sea by a strong east wind all night." This verb has the sense of leading or bringing "under" (subducere) or receding. It is interesting to see that the Holy Spirit does this; implied is avoidance of direct confrontation. Note too that the act of hupago with regard to the Red Sea took place in the darkness of night.

A note regarding Sts. Peter and Paul: Peter received the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt 16.19) with the power of binding and losing. Paul did one better: he was snatched into heaven (2 Cor 12.4) and "heard things which no man can utter."

"And she (Martha) had a sister called Mary who sat (parakathestheisa) at (pros) the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching" [Lk 10.39]. The verb is composed of two prepositions, para (about) and pros (towards); the latter direction-towards-which is emphasized even further by a second preposition pros regarding Mary's presence at Christ's feet. Consider this verse in light of 1 Cor 7.35: "But to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion (euparedron) to the Lord." Euparedron contains the preposition para; compared with Mary's parakathestheisa, we could say that true devotion is a cultivation of this para-ness.

"I tell you, although he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs" [Lk 11.8]. The word anaideia (importunity) also means shameless persistence, a good image of prayer as intended in this context about obtaining the Holy Spirit (vs. 13). Anaideia is akin to parresia, boldness or freedom of speech. "Since we have such a hope, we are very bold" [2 Cor 3.12].

In Eph 1.3-14 (twelve verses) are nineteen occurrences of the prepositions eis or en (into or in). They may be outlined as follows:

-who blessed us in Christ

-with (en) every spiritual blessing

-in the heavenly places.

-he chose us in him.

-he destined us in love.

-in him.

-to (eis) the praise of his glorious grace.

-in the beloved.

-in him.

-for (eis) the fullness of time.

-all things in Christ.

-in him.

-in him, according to the purpose of him.

-who accomplishes (ENergyountos) all things.

-to live (eis to einai) for (eis) the praise of his glory.

-in Christ.

-in him you who have heard the word of truth.

-and have believed in him.

-to (eis) the praise of his glory.

St. Bernard (Song Commentary, 7.7) quotes Ps 63.8: "adhaesit anima mea post te…Videndo adhaerebat, et adhaerendo videbat." I.e., Bernard equates adhering to God with seeing God; first comes this adhering, then the vision. Keep in mind Ps 34.8 mentioned earlier: "Taste and see that the Lord is good," where tasting (taham) may be paralleled with adhering. This adherence is proper to one being made in God's eikon or image as noted in Jn 1.4: "In him was life, and this life was the light of men." Here light is directly located within a person and primary emphasis is upon life as found in God himself.

"My soul clings to you" [Ps 62.8]. Davaq is the verb here, representing single-mindedness as in Ps 86.11: "Unite my heart to fear your name." The verb for "to unite" is 'achad, "make one." Such oneness hearkens back to the theme of light of the last paragraph. Cf. Lk 11.34: "When you eye is (literally) simple, your entire body is full of light." Aplous (simple) is a refinement of 'achad, for it implies a relaxation or natural state lacking tension.

Two more uses of davaq, "to cling, each with a different context:" "My soul clings to the dust" [Ps 119.25] and "I cleave to your testimonies" [vs. 32].

The Hebrew word sod alludes to a sitting together, an assembly, deliberation, familiar conversation, acquaintance. Sod can refer to either human or divine relationships, for example, Ps 25.14: "The friendship (sod) of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant." Thus sod is an expression of lectio divina.

St. Bernard (Song Commentary, 13.4) speaks of Joseph not as usurping Pharaoh's wife because a wife is man's glory (1 Cor 11.17). To tamper with the husband/wife relationship would be interfering with the deepest bond in human life. Later in section 4 Bernard quotes Is 48.11: "I will not yield my glory to another." Parallel these two glories: glory is equaled by Bernard as a wife which can't be shared with another person as well as with (God's) a human being.

"The myth is a myth because it is muein (Greek: to be closed, shut up, silent) and not legein (Greek: to speak), because it is silence and not speech." Faith, A Constitutive Dimension of Man by R. Panikkar, p. 224.

"Because your steadfast love (chesed) is better than life" [Ps 63.3]. The particle or preposition min (from) is prefixed to "life" and implies a separation. In this verse that which is most characteristic of God, his chesed, is "separate" from what we hold dearest, life. Perhaps when uttering this the psalmist had in mind Ex 30.5: "I am the Lord your God, a jealous God."

When considering the Holy Family, it is quite an unusual group. You have a child who claims to be God, a mother who is a virgin and a father-one supposedly so-who never speaks a word but has dreams in which angels appear.

Torah: "instruction, doctrine, (the) law." It comes from the verbal root tor, "to travel about, follow after." Consider this verbal root as in Num 13.16: "These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out (tor) the land." The spies were to tor the land much as they tor the Torah. Also derived from tor is "turtle dove," a bird which makes a deep-throated yet soothing coo which this verb imitates. Such is the case with studying the Torah…"The turtle dove is heard in our land" [Sg 2.12]…the "Torah is heard in our land."

After Jesus Christ was baptized, he ascended the Jordan River while John the Baptist remained in the midst of its waters. John remained there to restore those twelve stones which Joshua ("Jesus") had removed (cf. Jos 4.3). While John stays in the Jordan, Jesus ascends to later call his twelve disciples. This juxtaposition of twelve stones and twelve disciples may tie in with, "He who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist" [Lk 7.28].

"You are the salt of the earth" [Mt 5.13]. Here salt is placed not on the earth's surface but within in. "You are the light of the world" [vs. 14]. Here light is placed within the world much like the salt within the earth. Note the use of ge (earth) and kosmos (world).

In some passages above I made some remarks about St. Paul's use of "so"/"and" (or "like" or something similar) to compare two diverse yet similar realities. This so-as process may be applied to Rom 5.15-21 and takes the following outline; sometimes the literal translation is used to highlight the meaning:

-Not as the trespass | thus the gift

-If many died through one man's trespass | much more have the grace of God and the free gift…abounded for many.

-The judgment following one trespass brought condemnation | the free gift…brings justification.

-If…death reigned through that one man | much more will those who receive the abundance of grace (etc.).

-As one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men | so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men.

-As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners | so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

-Law came in to increase the trespass | but where sin increased, grace abounded.

-As sin reigned in death | grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ.

St. Benedict's Rule (#19) deals with the monk's attention at the Divine Office or liturgy. Some phrases in Latin are very succinct and are thus better to leave in the original. Note the correlation between singing and being watched:

-servite Domino in timore.

-psallite sapienter.

-in conspectus angelorum psallam tibi.

-in conspectus divinitatis et angelorum eius esse.

-et sic stemus ad psallendum, ut mens nostra concordet voci nostrae.

"That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" [Phil 3.10]. I like the use of koinonia (here it's a noun), a term used a lot to describe various aspects of the Christian community. Koinonia as related to Christ's suffering is a direct way of saying that such afflictions can effect this close relationship with him. It's emphasized by "being like him in death," much more vividly put in the original text by the verb summorphizomai or "with form." This aligning of our human for with God's form is much like saying to be conformed to our divine eikon. Vs. 11 continues with "that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." Exanastasis is a variant of resurrection (the usual term being anastasis); note the preposition ex- (from) coupled with ana- as it to give it more meaning. The verb form implies a shooting forth in order to produce growth. For another use, cf. Acts 15.5: "But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up."

The risen Christ says "Do not lay hold of me" [Jn 20.7] yet later says to Thomas "Put (phere) your finger here and see my hands; put out (phere) your hand and place (bale) it in my side" [vs. 27]. Verbs of direct action are used here as if Christ wanted Thomas to touch his wounds, not so much his entire body as in the case of Mary, vs. 7.

"Do not quench the Spirit" [1 Ths 5.19]. The verb sbennumi implies a burning by the Holy Spirit who should be left to burn and to devour. Two verses with a similar intent: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit" [Eph 4.30]. "For our God is a consuming fire" [Heb 12.29].

Mt 12.38-42 has Christ speaking of Jonah who preaches to the inhabitants of Nineveh and how he was in the whale's belly three days and three nights, symbol of his impending death and resurrection. When Jonah was shut up in the whale he uttered a heart-felt prayer for deliverance which can be applied to Christ as he lay in the tomb (cf. Jon 2.2-9). Peter speaks of this: "In which he went and preached to the spirits in prison" [1 Pt 3.9], a preaching not dissimilar to Jonah's in Nineveh. Jonah's preaching did not stop with Nineveh but reached, as it were, to the Queen of the South (Sheba) which Christ noted when he spoke of her right after Jonah (cf. Mt 12.42). The queen exclaimed to King Solomon, "Happy are your men! Happy are your servants" [1 Kg 10.8]! The adjective "happy" is derived from the verbal root 'ashar which as noted earlier connotes a forward or striving motion…always in progress.

"Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy" [1 Pt 1.8]. Note play of words, horontes/pisteuontes (see/believe). Such "not seeing" is a type of being in Christ or being a son of God which is a superior realization concomitant with "inexpressible joy;" the adjective aneklaletos here is privative of eklaleo, "to speak out, divulge," yet its link with joy is a better kind of non-verbal divulging or emitting of joy at "not having seen." Vs. 9 continues with the implication that the "inexpressible joy" is ongoing: "As the outcome of our faith you obtain the salvation of your souls." The verb here is komizo, "to take care of, provide, receive." It also intimates getting back what is rightfully one's own. Thus komizo used with telos (outcome).

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" [Mt 13.44]. Note that the man first sells all his possessions despite the fact that he has found the treasure in the field which he easily could have taken, legally or otherwise. With the resulting money he purchases the field because it is a special type which grows treasures; if he were to legally or not take the treasure, the field would not continue to produce more treasures.

"You shall love the Lord your God…with all your might" [Dt 6.5]. Exceptionally vivid and strong words: vekal-me'odeka, from the adverb me'od, excessive…"with all your excessiveness."

"I spread out my hands to you" [Ps 143.6]. The verb parash literally means "to break into pieces, expand." Applying this to one's hands symbolizes intense longing for God…"I break into pieces my hands."

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" [Mt 16.19]. Compare with Gen 3.24: "And at the east end of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." Thus keys and sword represent two opposites of the same reality.

The genealogy of Jesus Christ according to Matthew's account starts from Abraham and works forward in time. Somewhere in his Song Commentary St. Bernard remarks of this progression, "Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills" [Sg 2.8]. Building on this, we could say that when the genealogy reaches Joseph, the following words may be applied: "Behold, he stands behind our wall (traditionally perceived as the Old Testament); he looks forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattices" [Sg 2.9]. Then Matthew's genealogy takes on a new twist with John's "genealogy:" "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" [3.6]. To conclude these remarks, Bernard compares Mary to an aqueduct (In Nat. B.V.M, #1.4), somewhat akin to the function of a genealogy and parallels it with Jacob's ladder: "Cuius (aqueduct) nimirum summitas, instar profecto scalae illius quam vidit Patriarcha Iacob caelos tangere, immo et transcendere coelos, and vividissimum illum aquarum, quae super coelos sunt, posset attingere fontem."

The two liturgical seasons of Advent and Paschal Time have a lot in common because they both deal with awaiting someone. The first awaits Jesus Christ and the second awaits the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Apply the following two verses pertaining to Mary to Paschal Time and note their referral to the Holy Spirit:

-"She was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit" [Mt 1.18].

-"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" [Lk 1.35].

Then consider those references to the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, this time with reference upon the word "fulfill" (pleroo):

-"When the day of Pentecost had come (been fulfilled)" [Acts 2.1].

-"It filled all the house where they were sitting" [vs. 2].

-"They were all filled with the Holy Spirit" [vs. 4].

In Jn 2.13-22 we have Jesus driving out the money changers from the Jerusalem Temple. He then adds "Destroy (luo) this temple and in three days I will rebuild it." Note the verb luo which more basically implies a losing or dissolving, not necessarily a physical brick-by-brick dismemberment.

"I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up" [Ps 30.1]. This verse contains two contradictory movements: "extol" and "draw up." The Hebrew of the latter is dalah which also means "to hang down" and from which is derived dal, "door." When God thus "doors" the psalmist, we can move to Jn 10.9: "I am the gate…the dal."

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them" [Rev 20.11]. The two most basic and unquestioned features of reality flee before God's presence and literally leaves you with no reference point. This reality is foreshadowed by Ps 103.22: "Bless the Lord in all places of his dominion," only now this "place" has been transformed into a singularity, to borrow a term from astrophysics, to describe the collapse of space and time within a black hole. Vs. 12 speaks of opening the book of life in the presence of the dead which is actually a scroll which opens and closes with great swiftness. Two echoes of this Revelation verse: "Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them; and there is nothing concealed from its heat" [Ps 19.6]. "The sea looked and fled, Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs" [Ps 114.3-4]. Note that Ps 19.6 has in the next verse, "The Law (Torah) of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul." Like the book of life in Revelation, once the Torah is opened, the new creation is revealed which is why chapters 21 and 22 depict the descent of the heavenly Jerusalem to replace the fleeing of earth and sky. It is interesting that this city is called a tent (skene, 21.3; from Lev 26.11-12) which like a scroll, can be rolled up in a flash.

The Hebrew verb shawah means "to make even, flat, lay out smoothly, to equal." An instance is Ps 16.8: "I keep the Lord always before me." This "keeping before is thus like making oneself on the same level as God or being conformed to his image. Note that the psalm has "before me" as if he set the Lord as an object in front of him and then laid himself out flat upon it. One instance which shows a feature of shawah: "When (the plowman) has made plain the face thereof." One more reference, Ps 18.33: "He made my feet like hinds' feet."

In Ephesians 5.29-33 St. Paul speaks in marital images with regard to the union between Christ and his church using Gen 2.24, "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves (PROSkollethesetai; Hebrew is davaq, discussed elsewhere) to (pros) his wife, and they become one flesh." Note the double use of pros which connotes a "being at" as with "and the Word was with (pros) God" [Jn 1.1]. The use of pros enhances the being-present-in of "in (eis, into) one flesh." A bit later (vs. 32) Paul says "It refers to (eis) Christ and to (eis) the church, thereby applying the marital pros/eis to the church. No small wonder that in 2 Tm 1.14 Paul says "Guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells (ENoikountos) in (en) you."

Heb 4.12 speaks of the penetrating capacity of the Word of God as applied to a two-edged sword "piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." The next verse continues with the effect of this capacity: "And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare (tetrachelismena) to the eyes of him..." Related to this Greek verb is the word trachelos, the bending back of one's neck to be slit. The last words of vs. 13, "with whom we have to do," pros hon hemin ho logos, are difficult to translate…something like "to whom we the word (in sense of an affair).

Erasmus on marriage:

"Should no marriage be honored above all the sacraments because it was the first to be instituted, and by God himself? The other sacraments were established on earth, this one in paradise; the others as a remedy, this one as fellowship in felicity. The others were ordained for fallen nature, but this one for nature unspoiled…The excitation of Venus, which is necessary for marriage, is from nature and whatever is of nature is pure and holy…Why restrain from that which God instituted, natural sanctions, reason persuades, divine and human laws approve, the consent of all nations endorses and to which the highest examples exhort? What is more sweet than to live with her with whom you are united in body and soul, who talks with you in secret affection, to whom you have committed all your faith and fortune?…Friends flit like swallows but a wife is faithful and only death dissolves marriage, if indeed it does. If you suffer adversity, you have one who will console you and try to make your trouble her own. If you stay at home you have a respite from the tedium of solitude. If you are away you long for a kiss. Absent you desire, restraining you rejoice. By marriage the number of your loved ones is increased. You acquire another father and mother. What more charming than to have a little Aeneas who will cherish you in your old age and in whom you are reborn!" Erasmus of Christendom by Roland Bointon, pp. 49-50.

Note the four elements which are equated to Christ our "boast:" "He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our 1) wisdom, our 2) righteousness and 3) sanctification and 4) redemption" [1 Cor 1.30]. This verse begins with the phrase (literally), "from him (Father) you are in Christ Jesus…thus the four elements just listed have being in (en) Christ and are from (ex) the Father. "Compare this quote with Jer 9.23: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches."

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth" [Ps 119.104]! The Hebrew malats more properly means "to be smooth" than "to be sweet." In the context of Ps 119 which praises God's law and precepts, this is the only occurrence of malats; God's words seem to have a slipperiness or difficulty to grasp in the mouth. Although present in the mouth, they cannot be appropriated or manipulated.

"So that your alms may be in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you" [Mt 6.4]. Two mentions of "secret" here, one for prayer and one for God the Father. Some manuscripts have en phanero which is the Syriac version--begalya'--for the Father's action of "rewarding." The Greek en phanero has the exact opposite meaning of "in secret," that is, "in manifestation." There is a similar occurrence of begalya' in vs. 6 with regard to praying "into your room" as well as in vs. 18 with regard to fasting.

"Whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old" [Acts 3.21]. The Greek for "establishing" is apokatastasis, a term celebrated by Origen meaning the restoration of all things in Christ. This restoration is linked with the "times of refreshing" of vs. 19, "times" being kairos (singular), a special event or circumstance. Look back to 1.6 where the disciples ask Christ, "Lord, will you at this time (chronos) restore (apokatastasis used verb) the kingdom to Israel?" Note the other translation of time, chronos, the passage of events without attribution of significance, the opposite of kairos. For another use of apokatastasis, cf. Mt 17.11: "Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things." This should be taken in conjunction with John the Baptist and is a statement made right after the Transfiguration, a preview, as it were, of apokatastasis. For a reference using the verb, cf. Mk 3.5: "He stretched it out (withered hand), and his had was restored."

An excerpt pertaining to analog time:

"That is the beauty of analog (time, as opposed to digital). Because--like its linguistic companion, the analogy--it tries to reproduce the contour of reality. It lives in context. There is a before and an after. The digital watch gives you precision, but leaves you wondering where you are. Analog is a return to a certain harmony that the digital world chops away…Digital arbitrarily cuts up the continuum of information into bite-size bits, selects pieces and presents them back glued together to simulate the original continuum…The digital watch tells you the time. It does not represent it…Analog devices represent reality as a continuum on which things (seconds, degrees, sound waves) are assigned a location. Romantic, but not quite as practical as digital devices." From an article in Time Magazine, The Joy of Analog, by Charles Krauthammer, May 26, 1986.

"If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits (stoicheia) of the universe, why do you life as if you still belonged to the world" [Col 2.20]? These stoicheia come from the Stoic tradition and ultimately may be reduced to earth, air, fire and water. Their combination makes up the visible world to which the Christian tradition requires a death. Note, however, that a bit later Paul exhorts, "Seek the things that are above (ano)" [3.1], that is, above the stoicheia.

Mt 13.1-9 has the parable of the sower which produces four results: seed devoured by birds, seed on rocky ground, seed in thorns and seed on good soil. This fourth seed is refined further to thirty, sixty and a hundred fold. Despite the abundance of seeds, only one out of four produces…and of this, only one out of three yields one hundred fold. A few verses after this parable Christ quotes Is 6.9-10 with regard to the people's dullness of mind to receive his words. He contrasts the people or first three seeds with prophets and the righteous or the fourth seed which had the longing…the epithumia (vs. 17)…to witness what the people see. "Things into which angels long to look" [1 Pt 1.12], that is, the same angels who say "Glory to God in the highest" [Lk 2.14].

"He turned the sea into dry land; men passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him" [Ps 66.6]. A reference to the Exodus, more specifically, the very depths of the Red Sea. Note the specific locality signified by sham, "there, in that place." Within the center of greatest danger the psalmist expresses Israel's thanks, reminiscent of Jonah in the whale's belly, 2.9: But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord!"

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" [Phil 3.14]. A short sentence loaded with several meaningful prepositions:

-kata skopon (better, "according to the goal")

-eis to brabeion ("into the prize")

-ano kleseos ("upward call")

-en Christo Iesou ("in Christ Jesus")

"Watch therefore--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning" [Mk 13.35]. Each time of watching refers to night as opposed to day, or the night's four watches, because we don't know the time…the kairos…when Christ will come. Proi or "morning" refers to very early in the morning when the first streaks of light can be detected. Christ's words of watchfulness are directed towards the doorkeeper; situated at the entrance, he is in the best position to notice the kairos.

"Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house" [Lk 2.49]? Note the indefinite tois (things) and the lack of a transitive verb; emphasis is upon being-in: en…einai. The Greek text lack's "house."

"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted" [Heb 12.3]. The verb analogizomai for "consider" is the root for "analogy." I.e., there is an "analogy" between Christ and the person wishing to imitate him in difficult circumstances. This verse may be paralleled with Rom 12.6: "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them; if prophecy, in proportion to our faith." The noun analogia for "proportion" suggests comparison.

"No one has gone up into heaven except him who has descended from heaven" [Jn 3.15]. Compare with Rom 10.6-7: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that s, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach." Paul is quoting from Dt 9.4, 30.12-14. Note that the Deuteronomy text balances out this ascent/descent axis by the use of "near" or qerev…the verbal root means "to approach, be near, be at the center of."

"The Holy Spirit…will remind you of all which I have spoken to you" [Jn 14.26]. The verb for "remind" is hupomimnesko, literally, "to remind under (hupo)." It's almost as though the Holy Spirit will take over our faculty of memory and hence blot out perception of the past as it impinges upon present thoughts and action. He does this by remaining hupo our memory.

"But as he (Joseph) considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream" [Mt 1.20]. The verb enthumeomai means a deep, prolonged pondering which here is followed by a sudden idou, "behold," by the angel.

"And they (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day" [Gen 3.8]. Note that they heard God's voice; they didn't see him. Furthermore, this voice was doing a strange thing, that is, walking within the garden, taking a stroll, as it were. This hearing of God's voice is what the serpent wanted to blot out from the minds of Adam and Eve as much as possible which is why other biblical books have the constant exhortation to listen to it.

"It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" [Rom 8.16]. Note the verb summartureo, "witness with," sum (sun). This with-ness is communicated by verbs in the next verse: "fellow heirs" (sugkleronomoi), "suffer with him" (sumpaschomen) and "glorified with him" (sundoxasthomen).

The Book of Deuteronomy concludes with Moses being prohibited by God to enter the Promised Land although he could view it from Mt. Nebo (Pisgah). Perhaps there was no need for him to enter it because at Christ's Transfiguration Moses appeared with him and Elijah (Lk 9.30) on top of Mt. Tabor which is clearly within the Promised Land. Thus from on top of Nebo Moses saw that he would one day be on Tabor. Recall too that Elijah was taken into heaven (cf. 2 Kg 2.11).

"In my Father's house are many rooms" [Jn 14.2]. Compare with Gen 6.14: "Make an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall you make in the ark." The Hebrew for "rooms" is qinym, literally "nests." Interesting to consider the Father's house as having nests instead of rooms, like a dovecote.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" [Jn 1.5]. The verb here is katalambano, "to grasp, take possession of," something which darkness can't do with regards to Jesus Christ. Several references to katalambano in the positive sense:

-"Run that you may obtain it" [1 Cor 9.24].

-"Power to comprehend…breadth, length, height and depth" [Eph 3.18].

-"Not that I have already obtained this" [Phil 3.12].

From the pamphlet of a "delayed vocation" seminary, Connecticut:

"It is well known that before the fifth century almost all vocations were adult and second career, as they were in the times of the Gospels, the Acts and the Epistles. The same pattern applied uniformly to all Founders and early members of Religious Societies in any age of Church history. This included the pattern to be expected from Christ's own words in extending the invitations ('vocation') to follow him in a special manner: 'Leave wife and children; leave accumulated possessions; leave one's established life also.' This is surely an invitation to adult and second career vocations. It is likewise clear that after the 19^th century, 'vocation' had become synonymous with 'youth.' By the middle of the 20^th century, two things had happened: 1) The youth-vocation field suddenly began to vanish in a spectacular fashion; and 2) the youth-only mindset had become so strong and so universal that it could not recognize what was happening and doggedly held its ground, while a universal 'vocation crisis' built up throughout the world."

"Then Naaman said, 'If not, I pray you, let there be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth ('erets); for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord'" [2 Kg 5.17]. Naaman was a foreigner sent to be cured of leprosy and was done so at Elisha's command. The idea is that a god can't be worshiped apart from his own land. The term 'erets often signifies the sacred territory or apartness of Israel with respect to other lands; to take some of it like Naaman was to bring this 'erets back to his home and therefore to extend its sacredness there. Once 'erets is transferred to a spot other than its own it becomes a maqom (place, in the specific sense) or more specific than the usual 'erets. "Surely the Lord is in this maqom and I did not know it" [Gen 28.6]. Later in the New Testament the Magi come to worship Christ, perhaps from Syria, the land which contained Naaman's 'erets. If so, the Magi knew that this 'erets would dispose them to make the trip to THE 'erets to worship like their predecessor Naaman.

"But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out