The Eye And Love

Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus... Prosequitur autem munditiam cordis nostri, et de exteriore docet metaphorice interioris hominis officium. Quia sicut oculis istis carnalibus omnia corporis membra ordinate ad operationem diriguntur: ita intentione mentis et luce fidei cuncta virtutum genera, ut lucidum corpus perficiant, illustrantur. Ubi non nisi unus et simplex quaeritur oculus, de quo sponsus in Canticis: Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea, vulnerasti cor meum in uno oculorum tuorum, ubi purissimum cordis ejus lumen expressit. Quia licet plura virtutum genera hinc inde resplendeant, ex uno fidei, qui per charitatem operatur, oculo vulneratur Christus amore dilectionis: nam lucerna lumen in testa est, sic et charitas amoris Christi in fide lucet. Cum autem fides cessaverit, tantum nobis sola charitas. Sanctus Paschasius Radbertus Corbeiensis, Expositio In Evangelium Matthaei, Liber IV Caput VI Source: Migne PL 120.305b-c

Your eye is the lamp of your body... 1 He seeks the purity of our hearts and by an exterior metaphor teaches the duty of the interior man. Because all the members of the body are directed in their order about their work by bodily eyes, so by the intent of the mind and the light of faith all the types of the virtues shine to fashion a bright body. When nothing is sought but the single and pure eye, concerning which the spouse says in the Song of Songs: 'You have wounded my heart, my sister, you have wounded my heart with one of your eyes,' 2 there the pure light of her heart is expressed. But because there are many types of virtue that may shine forth from there, it is the one that is faith, which works through love, 3 which is the eye by which Christ is wounded with love, for as the light in the earthen vessel is the lamp, so the charity of the love of Christ shines forth in faith. And for us there will only be love when faith has come to an end. 4 Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 4 Chapter 6 1 Mt 6.22 2 Song 4.9 3 Galat 5.6 4 1 Cor 13.8