The Church and the Bride

Παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, ἐν ἱματισῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη.   Περὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἤδη διαλέγεται, περὶ ἥς ἐν τᾡ Ἂσματι μεμαθήκαμεν, ὅτι μία ἐστὶ τελεία τοῦ Χριστοῦ περιστερὰ, ἥτις εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν χώραν τοῦ χριστοῦ λαμβάνει τοὺς ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς γνωριζομένους, διακρίνουσα ἀπὸ τῶν φαύλων, ὥσπερ ὁ ποιμὴν διακρίνει τοὺς ἄρνας ἀπὸ τῶν ἐρίφων. Παρίσταται οὖν ἡ Βασίλισσα, ἡ τῷ νυμφικῷ Λόγῳ καθηρμοσμένη ψυχὴ, ἡ μὴ βασιλευομένη ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῦ χριστοῦ βασιλείας μετέχουσα, ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν ἱματισμῳ διαχρύσῳ· τουτέστιν, ἐν δόγμασι νοεροῖς καθυφασμένοις καὶ πεποικιλμένοις, σοβαρῶς ἑαυτήν καὶ ἱεροπρεπῶς κατακοσμοῦσα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ μονοειδῆ τὰ δόγματα, ἀλλὰ ποικίλα καὶ πολύτροφα, ἠθικούς τε καὶ φυσικοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐποπτικοὺς λεγομένους περιέχοντα λόγους, διὰ τοῦτο πεποικιλμένον εἶναι τὸν ἱματισμὸν τῆς νύμφης ὁ λόγος φησίν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΜΔ'

She stands at your right hand in vestments interwoven with gold, inset with variety. This is spoken of the Church, concerning which in the Song of Songs we have learned that she is the one perfect dove of Christ, given a place the right hand of Christ on account of her good works, being removed from the thoughtless, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. So stands the queen, the soul bound to the spousal Word, not subject to the rule of sin, but one who shares in the kingdom of Christ, by the Saviour's right hand in vestments interwoven with gold, that is, with spiritual teachings embroidered and varied, since by these cloths religion is fittingly adorned. Teachings are not of one kind but diverse and varied, embracing moral and natural and mystical subjects, so Scripture says the vestments of the bride are inset with variety. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 44