Understandings Of Man

Tribus modis hominem Scriptura appellat: Per naturam, ut Faciamus hominem; per culpam, ut Vos sicut homines moriemini; per infirmitatem, ut Maledictus qui confidit in homine. Hugo De Sancte Victore, Miscellanea, Liber VI, Tit LXXVI De triplici hominis acceptione Source: Migne PL 177.848b

There are three ways in which Scripture names man. According to nature, as with 'Let us make man.' 1 According to fault, as 'You shall die like men.' 2 According to weakness, as 'Cursed is he who puts his trust in man.' 3 Hugh Of Saint Victor, Miscellanea, Book 6, Chapter 76, On The Threefold Understanding of Man 1 Gen 1.26 2 Ps 81.7 3 Jerem 17.5

The Cursing Of The Fig Tree

Τὴν συκῆν οὐκ ἁπλῶς ὁ Κὺριος κατηράσατο, μὴ τοῦτο νόμιζε, ὦ τῶν θείων ἀκόρεστε, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ τοῖς ἀγνώμοσιν Ἰουδαίοις, ὅτι ἔχει δύναμιν καὶ πρὸς τιμωρίαν ἀκροῦσαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς θαύμασιν οὐδὲν αὐτὸν παραχόντα τινὶ λυπρὸν ἑωράκεισαν, μόνον εὐργετεῖν αὐτὸν ὑπελάμβανον δύνασθαι, οὐκ ἔχοντα κακοῦν τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐξουσίαν. Ἐκ τῆς ἀψύχου τοίνυν οὐσίας, πείθει τὸν ἀχάριστον δῆμον, ὅτι καὶ ἀμύνασθαι δύναται, καὶ ὡς ἀγαθὸς οὐ βεδούλευται. Ἐξηράνθη οὖν ξύλον, ἵνα φοβήσῃ ἀνθρώπους. Ἄμα δέ τις τούτῳ καὶ ἀπόῥῥητος συμπέπλεχται λόγος, παρὰ γερόντων εἰς ἡμᾶς σοφῶν διαφοιτήσας· ὅτι τὸ ξύλον τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦτο, οὖ καὶ τοῖς φύλλοις εἰς σκέπην οἱ παραβάντες ἐχρήσαντο. Καὶ κατηράθη παρὰ Χριστοῦ φιλανθρώπως, μηκέτι καρπὸν ἐνεγκεῖν αἴτιον ἁμαρτίας. Ἐπειδὴ δευτέρα Θεοῦ παρουσία, πρὸς ἐνανθρώπησιν μὲν οὐκ ἔστι, πρὸς δὲ τίσιν τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐκάστῳ. Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή ΝΑ’ Θεοπομπῳ Τριβουνῳ Source: Migne PG 78.213b-c

Do not think, O insatiable one for things Divine, that the Lord cursed the fig tree in mindless fashion, 1 but it was so that He might show to the ingrate Jews what power He possessed, and that He might use it for punishment. Since in His miracles they did not perceive anything troubling to themselves, therefore they thought that He could only do what was beneficial, and that He did not possess that power which is able to afflict the wicked with evil. But by this thing without a soul He admonishes a thankless people that He is indeed able to bring requital on crimes, though on account of His own goodness He is unwilling. That tree withered, then, so that men might be touched with fear. And there is also a certain secret message bound up in this, which wise elders have spread among us, that is, that this is the tree of transgression, whose covering of leaves sinners make use of. And it was cursed by the benevolent Christ so that it would no longer bear fruit on account of fault. For at the Second Coming He shall not be kind to those who err, but return to each man according to his deeds. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 51, to Theopompus the Tribune 1 Mk 11.12-14

Curses And Prophecy

Fac, Domine, ut gladio proprio ejus superbia amputetur: capiatur laqueo oculorum suorum in me, et percuties eum ex labiis charitatis meae. Da mihi in animo constantiam, ut contemnam illum, et virtutem, et evertam illum. Erit enim hoc mermoriale nominis tui, cum manus feminae dejecerit eum. Non enim in multitudine est virtus tua, Domine, neque in in equorum viribus voluntas tua est, nec superbi ab initio placuerunt tibi; sed humilium et mansuetorum semper tibi placuit deprecatio. Videtur quibusdam minus intelligentibus, quod precationes sanctorum contra reprobos, quae in Scripturis aliquando commemorantur, quasi maledictiones sint, cum nullo modo haec verba ex voto malitiae, quod in sanctorum cordibus nequaquam fieri potest, sed ex spiritu prophetiae processerint. Quod enim Spiritus sanctus praesciebat esse justo judicio reprobis futurum, hoc per sanctorum ora praedixit faciendum. Ut est illud in psalmis: Fiat mensa eorum coram ipsis in laqueum, et in retributionem, et in scandalum. Obscurentur oculi eorum, ne videant, et dorsum eorum semper incurvetur. Et Paulus in Epistola sua ita scripsit dicens: Alexander aerarius multa mihi mala ostendit, reddet illi Dominus secundum opera sua. Qui et in Actibus apostolorum ad Ananiam pontificem os ejus percutere jubentem ait: Percutiet te Deus, paries dealbate. Unde et verba ista Judith, quibus dicit: Capietur laqueo oculorum suorum in me, et percuties eum ex labiiis charitatis meae, non sunt maledictiones intelligendae, sed de venturis praeconia prophetiae. Hoc enim Spiritus sanctus per os sanctae feminae voluit praemonstrare, quod sciebat nefarium principem nequitia sua promereri: nec non illud in mystico opere praesagere, quod omnis haereticus, sive schismaticus, sive Judaeus, sive etiam paganus, qui Ecclesiam pravo dogmate, sive perverso exemplo corrumpere voluerit, proprio superbiae suae gladio caput voluntatis iniquae sententiam justi judicis amputabitur, et inferni cruciatibus subiiciendus poenas dolorum sentiet in aeternam. Rabanus Maurus, Expositio in Librum Judith, Caput IX Source: Migne PL 109.564b-d

Let it be, O Lord, that his pride is cut off with his own sword. May he be taken by the snare of his own eyes on me, and strike him by the charm of my lips. Give constancy to my soul, that I may scorn him, and virtue that I may overthrow him. For this shall be a memorial of your name, when by the hand of a woman you cast him down. Not in the multitude is your strength, O Lord, nor in men on horseback is your will, nor have the proud ever been pleasing to you, but the prayer of the humble and the meek has always been pleasing to you. 1 It seems to some with less understanding that the prayers of the holy against the wicked, which are sometimes recorded in Scripture, are just like curses, when in no way do these words come from a wish for evil, because in the hearts of the holy this is never possible, but rather they proceed from a spirit of prophecy. For the Holy Spirit foreknows what the just judgement of the wicked will be, and this He foretells through the mouths of the holy. As it says in the Psalms: 'May their table be before them as a snare, and as a punishment, and as a scandal. Blind their eyes, lest they see, and bend down their backs always.' 2 And Paul in his letter writes, saying: 'Alexander the coppermsith has caused me much evil, the Lord shall reward him according to his works.' 3 He who said in the Acts of the Apostles to Ananias the High Priest, who ordered him to be struck on the mouth, 'God strike you, you whitewashed wall!' 4 Whence these words of Judith, 'May he be taken by the snare of his own eyes on me, and strike him by the charm of my lips' should not be understood as a curse, but a prophetic declaration of things to come. For this is what the Holy Spirit wished to foreshow through the mouth of this holy woman, that He knew what the evil prince deserved for his wickedness. And in this mystical deed it is foretold that every heretic or schismatic or Jew or pagan who with depraved teaching or perverse example shall wish to corrupt the Church, by the sword of his own pride will have the head of his wicked will cut off by the sentence of the righteous judge, and subjected to the torments of hell he shall experience the punishments of the wicked forever. Rabanus Maurus, Commentary On Judith, Chap 9 1 Judith 9.12-16 2 Ps 68.23-24 3 2 Tim 4.14 4 Act 23.3