Loins and Fire

Velut aspectus ignis intrinsecus per circuitum, a lumbis ejus et desuper; et a lumbis ejus usque deorsum vidi quasi speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu. Quid est quod Mediator Dei et hominum homo Christus Jesus a lumbis et desuper aspectum ignis intrinsecus per circuitum habere describitur, et a lumbis et deorsum speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu?  Investigandum namque est quare a lumbis et desuper ignem intrinsecus, nec tamen splendentem ignem habere narratur; a lumbis vero et deorsum habere ignis speciem dicitur, non tamen hunc habere intrinsecus memoratur, quia et splendentem et in circuitu hunc habere describitur. Quid enim lumborum nomine, nisi propago mortalitatis exprimitur? Propter quod etiam de Levi dicitur quia adhuc in lumbis patris erat cum Melchisedech occurrit Abrahae. De lumbis vero Abrahae virgo Maria exiit, in cujus utero Unigenitus Patris per Spiritum sanctum incarnari dignatus est. Ex qua incarnatione universo innotuit mundo Deus, sicut per Psalmistam dicitur: Accingere gladium tuum circa femur tuum, potentissime. Gladium etenim circa femur potentissimus sumpsit, quia sermo praedicationis illius ex incarnatione convaluit. Quid vero iste ignis designat, nisi ardorem sancti Spiritus, qui corda quae repleverit incendit? De quo ipsa Veritas dicit: Ignem veni mittere in terram. Quid est ergo quod in hoc aspectu hominis qui prophetae apparuit a lumbis superius intrinsecus per circuitum ignis ardet, a lumbis vero inferius non ignis intrinsecus, sed in circuitu resplendet, nisi quod ante incarnationem unigeniti Redemptoris nostri, sola intra se Judaea ardorem amoris ejus habuit; post incarnationem vero illius in circuitu ejus ignis resplenduit, quia in universo mundo gentibus claritatem sancti Spiritus effudit? Prius ergo ignis intrinsecus erat, sed splendor non erat, quia Spiritus sanctus in multis quidem patribus Judaeam replebat, sed ad notitiam gentium necdum ejus lumen emicuerat. A lumbis vero ejus et deorsum ignis in circuitu splendet, quia postquam de Virgine carnem sumpsit, in humano genere longe lateque sancti Spiritus dona dilatavit. Et notandum quod ignis iste a lumbis superius per circuitum esse describitur, non extrinsecus sed intrinsecus, quia amoris flamma, sicut dictum est, in electis atque spiritalibus viris ubique in suis finibus Judaeam replevit. Nec tamen exibat extrinsecus, quia sese in multitudinem gentium non dilatabat. Quae ardoris flamma visa est postmodum in circuitu splendere, quia per mundi cardines in universis gentibus omnipotentis Dei coepit amor excrescere. Sanctus Gregorius Magnus, In Ezechielem Prophetam, Liber Primus, Homilia VIII

Like the appearance of fire within all around from his loins and above, and from his loins and below I saw as an appearance of shining fire all around. 1 Why is the Mediator of God and men, the man Jesus Christ, described as having the appearance of fire within all around from the loins and above and from loins and below the appearance of fire shining around? For it must be considered why fire is within from the loins and above, not however it being named a shining fire, and then why from the loins and below it is said to have the appearance of fire, not however being said to be within but being described as shining all around. But what is given by the name of loins, unless is expressed mortal propagation? On account of which of Levi it is said that he was in the loins of his father when Melchisedech meets with Abraham 2 And from the loins of Abraham Mary came forth, in whose womb the Only Begotten of the Father by the Holy Spirit was worthy to become incarnate. From which incarnation God became known to the whole world, as the Psalmist says, 'Bind your blade around your thigh, O most powerful one.' 3 Certainly the most powerful one takes hold of the sword around the thigh, for the word of the preaching of Him from the incarnation grows strong. Why indeed is this designated fire unless it is the flame of the Holy Spirit who kindles the hearts which He fills? Concerning which the Truth Himself says, 'I have come to place fire on the earth.' 4 Why is it then that in the appearance of the man which appears to the Prophet that from the loins and above within fire all around burns, and from the loins below there is no fire within but all around it shines, unless that before the incarnation of the Only Begotten, Our Savior, only those in Judea had the fire of His love, and after the incarnation all around fire shone because in the whole world the splendor of the Holy Spirit poured out? Before, then, fire was within, but shining it was not, because the Holy Spirit filled many of the fathers of Judea but to the notice of the Gentiles it had not yet spread its light. From his loins and below the fire shone all around because after He took flesh from the Virgin, the gift of the Holy Spirit expanded among the human race far and wide. And let it be noted that this fire from the loins above and all around is described as not being without but within because the flame of love, as it is said, filled elect and spiritual men everywhere within the borders of Judea. It did not, however, go without, because into the multitude of the Gentiles it did not expand. Which flame of love is seen after shining all around, because to all the nations in all the directions of the world the love of the omnipotent God began to go forth. Saint Gregory the Great, On the Prophet Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 8 1 Ez 1. 27 2 Heb 7.10 3 Ps 44.4 4 Lk. 12. 49