The Rams

Ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κύρίῳ, υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κύρίῳ υἱοὺς κριῶν. Ὁ κριὸς τοίνυν ἡγεμονικόν ἐστι ζῶον, καθηγούμενον τῶν προβάτων ἐπί τε νομὰς τροφίμους καὶ ἀναπαύσεις ὑδάτων, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ σηκνοὺς καὶ ἐπαύλεις. Τοιοῦτοι δέ τινες καὶ οἱ τῆς ποίμνης τοῦ Χριστοῦ προεστῶτες· προάγοντες μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς εὐανθεῖς καὶ εὐώδεις τῆς πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας τροφὰς, καὶ ὕδατι ζῶντι τῇ ἐπιχορηγίᾳ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἄρδοντες καὶ ὑψοῦντες καὶ πρὸς καρποφορίαν ἐκτρέφοντες· ὁδηγοῦντες δὲ πρὸς ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπι βουλευόντων ἀσφάλειαν. Τούτων οὖν τοὺς υἱοὺς παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσάγεσθα βούλεται τῷ Κυρίῳ ὁ λόγος. Εἰ δὲ κριοὶ οἱ προηγούμενοι τῶν λοιπῶν, υἱοὶ ἂν τούτων εἶεν οἱ πρὸς τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν βίον διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀγὰθῶν ἔργων σπουδῆς ἐκ τῆς διδασκαλίας τῶν προεστώτων μεμορφωμένοι. Ἐνέγκατε οὖν, τῷ Κύρίῳ, υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κύρίῳ υἱοὺς κριῶν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον Ψαλμον ΚΗ´ Source: Migne PG 29.283a-b

Bring to the Lord, sons of God, bring to the Lord sons of the rams. 1 The ram is the leader of the others, he goes before the sheep to the pasture of the field, and to the refreshment of the waters, and again he goes back home and to the fold. Such are the foremost of the flock of Christ, who lead it to fair flowers, to the sweet scented nourishment of spiritual teaching, and bountifully bestowed with the Holy Spirit they water with the water of life, and they raise up, and they nourish to the yielding of fruit, and leading to rest, they bring to safety against those who plot against them. Therefore the sons of these, by the sons of God, he wishes to be brought to the Lord. Because if the rams are leaders of others, the sons are those who have been fashioned to the virtuous life through desire for good works by the teaching of the foremost among them. Bring, then, to the Lord, sons of God, bring to the Lord, the sons of the rams. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 28 1 Ps 28.1