Church And Deeds

Sicut servus desiderat umbram, et sicut mercenarius praestolatur finem operis sui, sic et ego habui menses vacuos, et noctes laboriosas enumeravi mihi. Quae tamen sententia si ad vocem sanctae Ecclesiae ducitur, intellectus eius paulo subtilius indagatur. Ipsa quippe vacuos menses habet, quae in infirmis suis membris terrenas actiones absque vitae praemio defluentes sustinet. Ipsa noctes laboriosas enumerat, quae in membris fortibus multiplices tribulationes portat. In hac etenim vita quaedam laboriosa sunt, quaedam vacua, quaedam vero vacua simul et laboriosa. Amore quippe conditoris praesentis vitae tribulationibus exerceri laboriosum quidem est, sed vacuum non est. Amore autem saeculi voluptatibus solvi vacuum quidem est, sed non laboriosum. Amore vero eiusdem saeculi adversa aliqua perpeti et vacuum simul est et laboriosum, quia et ex adversitate mens afficitur, et remunerationis praemio non repletur. In his itaque sancta Ecclesia qui in ea iam positi adhuc voluptatibus defluunt, et proinde fructu boni operis non ditantur, menses vacuos ducit, quia vitae tempora sine retributionis munere expendit. In his vero qui, aeternis desideriis dediti mundi huius adversa patiuntur, laboriosas noctes enumerat, quia tribulationum tenebras quasi in caligine vitae praesentis portat. In his autem qui et transeuntem mundum diligunt, et tamen eius contrarietate fatigantur, simul menses vacuos et noctes laboriosas tolerat, quia eorum vitam et retributio subsequens nulla remunerat, et praesens tribulatio angustat. Recte autem nequaquam dies, sed in eis menses vacuos habere se perhibet. Mensium quippe nomine dierum collectio et summa signatur. Per diem ergo unaquaeque actio exprimitur, per menses autem actionum finis innuitur. Et saepe cum in hoc mundo aliquid agimus, intenta spei alacritate suspensi, hoc ipsum quod agimus vacuum non putamus; sed postquam ad actionum terminum pervenimus, non obtinentes quae appetimus, laborasse nos in vacuum dolemus. Non solum igitur dies, sed et menses vacuos ducimus, cum nos in terrenis actionibus sine fructu laborasse, non ex actionum principio, sed fine pensamus. Cum enim labores nostros adversitas sequitur, quasi vitae nostrae vacui menses arguuntur, quia ex completione actionum agnoscitur quam frustra in actionibus sudabatur. Sanctus Gregorius Magnus, Moralia, sive Expositio in Job, Liber VIII, Caput VIII Source: Migne PL 75.811a-d

As a servant desires the shade and as an hireling hopes for the end of his work, so I have had months of emptiness and I have numbered for myself wearisome nights. 1 Now if this sentence is understood as the voice of the Holy Church, its meaning may be pursued with a little more subtlety. For she herself has 'months of emptiness,' who in her weak members bears worldly actions which flow away to nothing, lacking the reward of life. She 'numbers to herself wearisome nights,' who in her strong members bears manifold afflictions. For in this life there are some things that are hard and some that are empty, and some that are both hard and empty at the same time. For from love of the Creator to undergo the afflictions of the present life is indeed hard, but not empty. To be undone in pleasures by the love of the world is indeed empty, but not hard. But to suffer any adversity amid the love of the world is at the same time both empty and hard, because the soul is afflicted by adversity and not refreshed with the compensation of reward. And so in those who are now placed in the Holy Church and undone amid pleasures, and who are thus not enriched with the fruit of good works, she passes 'months of emptiness,' because she passes periods of life without the gift of the reward. But in those who, being devoted to everlasting longings, endure the adversities of this world, 'she numbers herself wearisome nights,' because she, as it were in the gloom of the present life, undergoes the darkness of tribulation. But in those who love this transitory world and yet are wearied with its opposition, she bears at the same time 'days of emptiness,' and 'wearisome nights,' because no recompense comes after to reward their lives and present affliction oppresses them. But it is right she is presented as not having 'days' but 'months of emptiness' in these. For by the name of months the sum and total of days is signified. By 'day' therefore, each deed is expressed, but by 'months,' the end of the deeds is implied. And often when we act in this world, being swiftly lifted up by the intent of our hope, we do not think that that which we do is empty, but later when we come to the end of our deeds, not obtaining what we desired, we are aggrieved that we have laboured in vain. Thus we spend not only 'days', but even 'months of emptiness,' when in the beginning of our actions we do not think that we have been labouring in worldly deeds without fruit, but only at the end. For when trouble follows upon our deeds, it is as if the months of emptiness of our life condemn us, because it is only in the consummation of our actions that we understand how vainly we have exerted ourselves in our deeds. Saint Gregory the Great, Moralia, or Commentary on Job, Book 8, Chap 8 1 Job 7.2-3