Two Births

Sicut nimio dolore et infirmitate longa luminibus obscuratis, nisi sensim refusa fuerit, fit inimica lux, certe cum solis sit condita lux oculis, solis sit oculis lux amica, per quos utique reliquo corpori vel traditur, vel negatur; ita diuturno perfidiae morbo contenebratis mentibus, nisi paulatim fuerit fidei claritas restituta, subito ipso fidei splendore magis perfidiae crassescit coligo, longo usu aut producitur, aut obtunditur semper natura. Hinc est quod Dominus tetro infidelitatis nubilo cordibus jam caecitas, ut irradiaret partus virginei sacramentum, desperatae et annosae sterilitatis ante praemisit conceptum: ut qui videbat post senectutem longam arida membra reviviscere, et transacto curriculo jam vitae veteranae in primam reflorescere pubertatem, atque ipsam naturam in occidua aetate ad nascentis servi insignia suscitari, pudicitiae florem, pudoris titulum, castitatis insigne, virginitatis claustra manere post partum crederet posse, auctore ipso ex utero procedente, servari. Et ut  praefationi nostrae ac similitudini, quam de oculis sumpsimus vetusto languore defessis, ipsa de qua loquimur modo adsit et astipulentur auctoritas, ac probet oculos hominum nocti male assuetos, obscuratos, promotos sensim revocatus ad lucem, in Joanne Dominus accednit sui luminis et praemisit lucernam, ut degustato lumine in se jam divini Solis jubar ipsum perferrent, ipsam deitatis caperent claritatem. Juxta illud quod dictum est de Joanne: 'Ille erat lucerna ardens et lucens' : ut ille densas noctis placido lumine aperitet tenebras, ipse noctis nescium diem jam desiderantibus ad lucem perpetem redonaret. Hinc est quod et magos adhuc noctis incolas, et totis obstupscentes oculis, tenuiter micans stella assuefacit ad lucem et gradatim pertrahit ad ipsum fontem luminis et dierum. Et re vera, fratres, congruit, quia totius anni metas temporum quadriga percurrit, ac nobis Domini nostri natalitia festa revocat, et gaudia jam reducit.  Nunc de Joannis ortu, de partu sterilis jam loquamur, ut compendio credulitatis isto, ad illud ubi partus est sinu partu, ubi creatur auctor ipse procreantis, ubi nascitur ipsa origo generantis, inter hiemales ac nubibus et nebulis dubias luces, lucerna praevia, stella duce pervenire possimus. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo LXXXVII

Like light obscured by excessive pain and long illness, which unless allowed back in gradually, becomes light that is harmful, though certainly the light of the sun was created to be a friend to the eyes, and it is by them that it is either given or denied to the rest of the body, so too with minds kept in the dark by lengthy sickness of faithlessness, for if in a moment brightness of faith is revived, in that sudden splendor of the faith the darkness of faithlessness grows, for on account of long use nature either progresses or regresses. This is why the Lord for hearts blinded by the dark cloud of faithlessness, that he illuminate the mystery of the Virgin birth, prior to it, arranged a conception from a despairing and sterile senility, that he who saw fruitless members revived after long age, and after the passage into old age of life first youth reflower, and that nature in the twilight of age restored to signify the wonder of the servant born, then the flower of virtue, and the honour of modesty, and the title of chastity, and the seal of virginity after birth being preserved, and the Creator Himself coming forth from the womb, he would be able to believe. The figure of which we have spoken, proffering the eye wearied by long disease, we spoke to indicate that the Creator is in some way like this, that as eyes of men accustomed to night and darkened are gradually recalled to the light, so the Lord in John kindled his light and set it forth as a lamp, so that by a taste of the light in him they might now be able to bear the radiance of the Divine Sun Himself and grasp the brightness of the Deity, according to which it is said concerning John, 'He was a lamp blazing and shining, 1 that he pierce the thick darkness with gentle light, so that He might restore the day that does not know night to those who now desire to come to perpetual light. This is how the Magi, dwellers in night, and with eyes all obscured, were by a faintly shining star made accustomed to the light and gradually drawn to the fount of light and days. 2 And concerning these truths, brothers, it is right, that as the four horse chariot of the year runs it course, recalling us to the feast of the nativity of Our Lord, already restoring our joy, we now speak of the birth of John and of a birth from sterility, that by this shortening of disbelief, to that where there is birth without birth, where is birthed the Creator of those who give birth, where is born the fount of generation, we are able to come, amid the weak winter lights in cloud and mist, with a light going before, with a star leading. Saint Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 87 1 Jn 5.35 2 Mt 2 1-2