Foundations

Qui fodit in altum et posuit fundamenta super petram... Fundamenta quando pluraliter in Ecclesiae mysterio ponuntur, doctores significant, de quibus dicitur: Fundamenta ejus in montibus sanctis. Quando vero singulariter fundamentum, ipse doctorum doctor et fundamentum fundamentorum exprimitur Christus: De quo dicitur: Fundamentum enim aliud nemo potest ponere, praeter id quod positum est, quod est Jesus Christus. Haec ergo fundamenta non supra terram, sed supra petram sapiens architectus locavit, quia mentes sublimium virorum, non in terrenis desideriis Christus, sed insuperabili sua fide, spe et charitate constituit. Petra autem erat Christus. Qui fodit in altum, quia praeceptis humiltatis terrena omnia fidelium de cordibus eruit, ne propter aliquid infimum vel commodum temporale Deo serviant. Moraliter autem fundamenta domus ipsae sunt intentiones bonae conversationis, quae perfectus verbi auditor, exhaustis humilitate Christiana supervacuarum fragiliumque cogitationum ruderibus, in adimplendis Christi mandatis firmiter inserit, hoc, videlicet, in seipso Christo cooperante specilaiter agens, quod in universali Ecclesia Christus generaliter agit. Gaudensque cum Psalmista: Quia eduxit me de lacu miseriae, et de luto faecis, et stauit supra petram pedes meos, etc. Sanctus Beda, In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, Liber II, Caput VI Source: Migne PL 92.412d-413a

He who dug deep and set the foundations on a rock... 1 In the mystery of the Church foundations in the plural signifies teachers, concerning which it is said: 'His foundations in the holy mountains.' 2 But when foundation is in the singular, it speaks about that teacher of teachers and foundation of foundations who is Christ, concerning whom it is said: 'No one is able to lay down another foundation, but the one which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.' 3  These foundations, then, the wise builder did not set on earth but on stone, because Christ does not establish the minds of upright men in worldly desires, but in unbreakable faith and hope and charity. 'For the rock was Christ.' 4 He digs deep because in the commands of humility he digs out all the earth from the heart of the faithful, lest they serve God on account of some base and comforting temporal thing. Morally the foundations of this house are the exertions of the good life, which is a flawless listener to the Word, and with Christian humility it draws out the rubble of all vanity and weakness of thought in the firm implanting of the fulfilling of Christ's commandments, which certainly a man does in himself with the particular aid of Christ, and Christ does generally in the Church. And so he rejoices with the Psalmist: 'Because He led me from the pit of misery, and from the pit of filth, and set my feet on the rock...' 5 Saint Bede, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Luke, Book 2, Chapter 6 1 Lk 9.23 2 Ps 86.1 1 Cor 3.11 4 1 Cor 10.4 5 Ps 39.3