Feasts And Fruits

Καταβήτω ὁ ἀδελφιδός μου εἰς κῆπον αὐτοῦ καὶ φαγέτω καρπὸν ἀκροδρύων αὐτοῦ. Ὦ πεπαρρησιασμένης φωνῆς. Ὦ φιλοτίμου τε καὶ μεγαλοδώρου ψυχῆς πᾶσαν ὑπερβολὴν μεγαλοφροσύνης νικώσης. Tίνα δεξιοῦται πρὸς εὐωχίαν τοῖς ἰδίοις καρποῖς; Tίνι παρασκευάζει διὰ τῶν ἰδίων ἀγαθῶν τὴν πανδαισίαν; Tίνα καλεῖ πρὸς τὴν τῶν παρεσκευασμένων ἑστίασιν; Tὸν ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα, τὸν διδόντα τοῖς πᾶσι τροφὴν ἐν εὐκαιρίᾳ, τὸν ἀνοίγοντα τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ πληροῦντα πᾶν ζῷον εὐδοκίας, τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνοντα καὶ ζωὴν διδόντα τῷ κόσμῳ, τὸν πᾶσι τοῖς οὖσι τὴν ζωὴν ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας πηγῆς ἐπιρρέοντα· τούτῳ ἡ νύμφη προτίθησι τράπεζαν. Kῆπος δέ ἐστιν ἡ τράπεζα ὁ διὰ τῶν ἐμψύχων δένδρων πεφυτευμένος, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ δένδρα, εἴπερ δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς, οἱ τροφὴν αὐτῷ προτιθέντες τὴν τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν οὕτως εἰπόντος τοῦ τὴν ἡμετέραν εὐωχουμένου ζωὴν ὅτι Ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν, ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου. Δῆλος δὲ ὁ σκοπὸς τοῦ θείου θελήματος, Ὃς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. Αὕτη οὖν ἐστιν ἡ ἑτοιμασθεῖσα βρῶσις αὐτῷ τὸ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς. Kαρπὸς δὲ ἡμῶν ἡ προαίρεσις γίνεται ἡ τῷ δρεπομένῳ ἡμᾶς θεῷ δι’ ἑαυτῆς ὡς διά τινος ἀκρεμόνος τὴν ψυχὴν ἐγχειρίζουσα. Χρὴ δὲ διὰ τούτων ἰδεῖν ὅτι πρότερον ἡ νύμφη τῷ καρπῷ τοῦ μήλου καταγλυκαίνεται εἰποῦσα· Καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ γλυκὺς ἐν τῷ λάρυγγί μου· καὶ τότε καρπὸς καὶ αὐτὴ γίνεται ὡραῖός τε καὶ γλυκάζων καὶ τῷ γεωργῷ πρὸς εὐφροσύνην προκείμενος. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος Νύσσης, Ἐξηγησις Του Αἰσματος Των Ἀσμάτων Ὁμιλία Ι’ Source: Migne PG 44.985b-d

Let my beloved come down into his garden, and let him eat the fruit of his fruit trees. 1 Such freedom of speech. Such a generous and munificent soul that has triumphed over all proud extravagance. Whom does she welcome to a feast of her own fruits? For whom has she prepared a banquet of her own good things? Whom does she call to the meal that has been made ready? Him from whom and through whom and in whom are all things, 1 who gives to everything its food at the appropriate time and fills every living thing to satisfaction with the opening of His hand, 3 who comes down as the bread from heaven and gives life to the world, 4 who from his own spring pours life into every being. For Him the Bride lays her table. And the table is a garden planted with the trees of souls, and we are the trees, if indeed we are, who place before Him the food that is the salvation of our souls, because the one who feasts on our life says, 'My food is to do the will of my Father.' 5 And manifest is the aim of the Divine will, He who wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. 6 This, then, is the food made ready for Him, our salvation. And our fruit is our choosing to be plucked by God, through which, as from a branch, the soul is taken in hand. And concerning these things, one should note that previously the Bride is filled with sweetness by the fruit of the apple tree, with her saying: 'And his fruit is sweet in my throat.' 7 And that is when she herself becomes a fruit at once beautiful and sweet and available for the joy of the farmer. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Commentary on The Song of Songs, from Homily 10 1 Song 4.16 2 Rom 11.6 3 Ps 144.15-16 4 Jn 6.33 5 Jn 4.34 6 1 Tim 2.4 7 Song 2.3