Fairness And Beauty

Τῇ ὡραῖον τοῦ κάλλους διαφέρει· ὅτι τὸ μὲν ὡραῖον λέγεται τὸ συμπεπληρωμένον εἰς τὸν ἐπιτήδειον καιρὸν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀκμήν· ὡς ὡραῖος ὁ σῖτος, ὁ ὥριμος ἤδη πρὸς θερισμον· καὶ ὡραῖος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς ἀμπέλου, ὁ τὴν οἱκείαν πέψιν εἰς τελείωσιν ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἕτους ὥρας ἀπολαβὼν καὶ ἐπιτὴδειος εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν· κάλλος δὲ ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῇ συνθέσει τῶν μελῶν εὐάρμοστον ἐπανθοῠσαν αὐτῷ τὴν χάριν ἔχον. Τῇ ὡραιότητί σου, τουτέστιν, ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τῶν καιρῶν· καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου, τῇ θεωρητῇ καὶ νοητῇ θεότητι. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ τὸ ὄντως καλὸν, τὸ κατάληψιν πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην καὶ δύναμιν ὑπερβαῖνον, καὶ διανοίᾳ μόνῃ θεωρητόν. Καὶ ἐγνώριζον αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος οἱ μαθηταὶ, οἶς ἐπέλυε τὰς παραβολὰς κατ' ἰδίαν, Εἰδον δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος Πέτρος καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς βροντῆς ἐν τῷ ὅρει, ὑπερλάμπον τὴν τοῦ ἡλίου λαμπρότητα, καὶ τὰ προοίμια τῆς ἐνδόξου αὐτοῦ παρουσίας ὀφθαλμοῖς λαβεῖν κατηξιώθησαν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον Ψαλμον ΜΔ´ Source: Migne PG 29.400b-d

Fairness and beauty differ, For that is called fair, which has come to completeness in some span of time to its own proper maturity. For example, wheat is called fair when it has grown to harvest, and the fruit of the wine is called fair which has come to its ripeness through the hours of the year and is now appropriate for use. Beauty, however, is an ordering of things, which is made by the arrangement of members, so that it has grace shining forth from itself. 'Your fairness,' that is, in the fulness of time, 'and your beauty,' 1 that is, the Divinity which is able to be apprehended by contemplation and reason. And that is true beauty, that which exceeds all human understanding and ability, which with the mind alone one is able to contemplate. For the disciples knew His beauty, He who explained the parables to them in secret. 2 And Peter and the Sons of Thunder 3 saw His beauty on the mountain, 4 His brightness surpassing the splendour of the sun, and with their eyes they were worthy to see the foretaste of His coming in glory. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 44 1 Ps 44.5 2 Mt 13.11, 36-43 3 Mk 3.17 4 Mt 17.1-2