Death's Defeat

Neutra igitur vel ad instans in statu permanet conditionis, quo vocatur ad esse, sed vitium originis redit ad non esse, eum incipit esse, ut mirabiliter et miserabiliter non prius inchoet esse quam non esse; venire quam redire; ascendere quam descendere, nec incipiat miserabiliter anima prius vitam dare quam mortem dare, ut sit et caro mortificans, a quo vivificatur, et anima vivificans, a quo mortificatur. Hic occurrunt lugubres illae nuptiae septem virae et toties homicidae filiae Raguelis, quam Tobis filius Tobia sine periculo ducere protuit, qui daemone fortiorem angelum comitem, imo ducem, habuit Tobias et Tobias, pater et filius, vetus et novus, caecus et videns: Adam et Adam, primus et secundus, pater et filius, vetus et novus, caecus et videns, homo et hominis filius. Sed de homine vel filio hominis aliquando secundum carnem, aliquando secundum animam, aliquando secundum utrumque sermo conficitur. Nunc ergo hic Tobias animam significat filii hominis, Sara vero communiter carnem hominis, angelus autem dux et comes Tobiae Dominum Dei Verbum, quam animae quam semel suscepit, sapienter ducatum praestitit, fideliter comitatum, fortiter auxilium, prudenter consilium. Septem vero viri morti magis quam mulieri conjugati, universas, praeter Christi animam, quae non prius carni quam morti unitae sunt, propter carnem tamen morti unitae, et propter mortem a carne separatae. Daemon suffocans, naturalis illa originalisque concupiscentia datur intelligi: quae de domo Raguelis et cubiculo Sarae, nisi fortior supervenerit, minime ejicitur. Superveniente itaque fortiore Verbi virtute fortis ejicitur, fugatur, ligatur, vasa ejus, id est naturalia, quae captiva tenebantur, diripiuntur. Ducitur captiva captivitas, thalamus purgatur; liberatur domus, Sara sine periculo ducitur, pater miratur, mysterium agnoscit, angelo gratias agit, epulas parat, vicina invitat. Plena sunt haec mysteriis, redundant sacramentis. Isaac, Cisterciensis Abbas, Sermo VII, In Dominica Infra Octavas Epiphaniae I Source: Migne PL 194.1714d-1715c

Therefore not for an instant does either the soul or the body remain in its state which it is called to be, but Original Sin returns to non-being, even as it begins, so that mysteriously and wretchedly there is no beginning to be without not being, no coming without going, no rising without falling, nor does, most miserably, the soul give life but it gives death, so that the flesh brings death from what gives it life, and the soul gives life from what brings death. Here there is a reminder of those woeful marriages of the seven murdered husbands of the daughter of Raguel, and how Tobit's son Tobias was able to take her in marriage without danger, since Tobias had an angel as a companion, and indeed guide, who was stronger than the demon. 1 These two, father and son, old and young, blind and seeing, are both Adam, the First Adam and the Second Adam, 2 father and son, old and new, man and the Son of Man. When we speak of the Son of Man, sometimes it refers to the flesh, sometimes to the soul, sometimes to both. Here with us now Tobias signifies the soul of the Son of Man, but Sara means the flesh of man in general, and the Angel, the guide and companion of Tobias, is the Lord, the Word Of God, which as soon as He takes up a soul, is the wise guide, the loyal companion, the strong helper, the prudent counsellor. As for the seven husbands who were joined to death rather than a wife, they are all souls, apart from Christ's, which as soon as they are united to the flesh are bound to death, and because of the flesh are joined with death and because of death are separated from the flesh. The choking demon is to be understood as the concupiscence natural to our fallen nature, that lurks in Raguel’s house and Sara's bed chamber unless someone stronger should come. 3 Therefore with yet stronger virtue the strong one is cast out and driven off, and bound, and the vessels of our nature which he held captive are stripped from him. 'Captivity is led captive,' 4 the marriage chamber is cleansed, the house is freed. Sara's marriage without peril amazes her father, and he recognizes the mystery and thanks the angel, and he prepares a banquet and invites the neighbours. All this abounds with mysteries and overflows with secrets! Isaac of Stella, from Sermon 7 On The Sunday Within the Epiphany Octave 1 Tobit 3.7-8, 6.14 2 1 Cor 15.45-47 3 Lk 11.22 4 Ephes 4.8