Soul And Church

Καὶ ἀνίσταται ἐκ νυκτῶν καὶ ἔδωκεν βρώματα τῷ οἴκῳ καὶ ἔργα ταῖς θεραπαίναις Ἥ καὶ τὴν ἐκ νυκτὸς ἀνισταμένην ψυχὴν, γρηγοροῦσαν εὑρισκει ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος νυμφίος· πάντως δὲ καὶ προσευχομένην τοῦ μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν, λέγουσαν τὸ, Ἠγρυπνησα καὶ ἐγενόμην ὡς στρουθίον μονάζον ἐπὶ δώματος· βρῶμα δέ ἐστι ψυχῆς, ἡ μελέτη τῶν θείων λόγων· ἔργα δὲ, αἱ ἀρεταί· θεραπαινίδες δὲ, αἱ αἰσθήσεις· ταῦτ' οὖν παρέχει ἡ τιμιωτέρα λίθων πολυτελῶν ψυχὴ τῷ σωματικῷ αυτῆς οἴκῳ. θεωρήσασα γεώργιον ἐπρίατο ἀπὸ δὲ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς κατεφύτευσεν κτῆμα. Τὴν τοῦ σπουδαίου ψυχήν φησιν ἔχουσαν Ἐκκλησίαν ξύλον γνώσεως καὶ ξύλον ζωῆς· γνώσεως μὲν ὡς νόμου, ζωῆς δὲ ὡς λόγου· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκ πλευρᾶς Χριστοῦ προελθοῦσα, καὶ νύμφη τούτου εὑρεθεῖσα, ἡ σώφρων καὶ ἀνδρεία γηνὴ, ἡ τὴν πίστιν τούτου τηρήσασα, καὶ τοῦτον νυμφίον ἀπ' οὐρανῶν πάλιν προσδοκῶσα. Ὠριγένης, Ἐκλογαὶ Εἰς Παροιμίας Source: Migne PG 17.249d-252a

From the night she rises and distributes food to the house and work to the handmaids. 1 The soul rising in the night is found watchful by the spouse, the sun of righteousness, ever praying lest it fall into temptation, saying, 'I watched and was made like a lonely sparrow on the roof.' 2 And the food of the soul is meditation on the Divine words, and the works are the virtues, the handmaids the senses. These things, then, richer than precious stones, she, the soul, brings to the dwelling place of the body.   Ground must be examined and bought and planted out as a vineyard with the earnings of her toil. 3   He speaks of the Church as a zealous soul in possession of the tree of knowledge and the tree of life, that is, having knowledge of the law and the life of the Word. For she who came from the side of Christ is found to be His spouse, a prudent and brave woman, holding to the faith, hoping for that spouse from heaven again. Origen, On Proverbs, Chap 31 Fragment 1 Prov 31.15 2 Ps 101.8 3 Prov 31.16