Keeping A Secret

Inventa est... A Joseph sicut a viro curioso circa uxorem suam. Habens in utero, id est, gravida post tres menses, scilicet cum de Elizabeth rediisset. Divina voluntate factum est quod virgo noluit annuntiationem angeli marito suo aperire. Si enim puella ei revelaret, non facile sibi crederet, imo aliquam culpam forsitan suspicaretur. Ideo sibi celandum erat, donec angelica demonstratione illum secretum sibi detegeretur... Joseph autem... Cum rem adeo mirabilem inveniat Joseph, in dubium ponitur quid faciat. Cum enim eam castam novisset, et unde malum posset suspicari de ea, nesciret, impium esset si eam diffamaret Ex altera parte justitia non exigebat, ut rei incognitae se copularet, quia aut bona erat aut mala. Si mala erat, rei malae sociari non debebat. Si bona erat, timebat quod non esset dignus. Itaque medium consilium invenit, ut occulte eam dimittat, ut eam dimissam non videatur dimisisse, sed semper loquatur cum ea, et semper procuret eam, et tamen in assidua cohabitatione non recipiat, cum vellet eam dimittere, quia justus erat, occulte, pius nominatur, eam ab infamia defendens, et hoc est, cum justus esset voluit dimittere; cum nollet traducere in publicum, id est, infamare, voluit hoc facere occulte. Ubi nos habemus traducere, Graeci habent propalare. Vel, cum noluit eam traducere in domum suam ad cohabitationem assiduam. Itaque diu cogitavit. In quo notatur animus sapientis, qui nihil temere vult incipere. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput I Source: Migne PL 162.1250a-b

She was found to be with child... 1 By Joseph, as a man attentive to his wife. 'She was found to be with child,' that is, she grew heavy after three months, that is, when she returned from Elizabeth. 2 By the Divine will the Virgin did not wish to disclose the annunciation of the angel to her husband. For if the girl had revealed it to him, he would not easily have believed it, but he would have suspected some fault. Therefore she concealed it from him until that secret was revealed to him by an angelic revelation... 'But Joseph...' When Joseph discovered the wondrous thing, he doubted what was done. For when he knew her to be chaste and he did not know how this wrong could have been done to her, it would have been wicked to defame her. On the other hand justice did not demand that he bind himself to something unknown, whether it was good or evil. If it was evil, he should not associate with it, if it was good, he should fear that he was unworthy of it. Therefore he found a middle course, which was to send her away secretly, so that being dismissed he would not seem to have dismissed her, but he could always speak with her and have care for her, and yet not dwell in close association with her. When he wished to send her away secretly because he was righteous, he is named pious, because he wished to protect her from shame, and that is why as a righteous man he wished to send her away, not wishing to disgrace her in public, that is, to defame her, and so he wished to do so secretly. Now where we have 'disgrace' the Greek has 'make notorious.' So he did not wish to disgrace her in his own house by continual association. Thus he thought long upon it, in which one may note the soul of the wise man, who does not venture to begin anything without consideration. Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 1 1 Mt 1.18 2 Lk 1.39-57

Woe to the Pregnant

Vae praegnantibus et nutrientibus... Simpliciter quidem istud propter moram potest: quia ventris onere impeditas, imminentem temporum ruinam effugere sit molestum. Sed quid conditio, sexus et generationis ordo commeruit? Nisi forte aetas illa mulierum, quae in illa tempora inciderint, proprie sit futura maledicta. Sed absit istud, ut quidquam sit, quod homini nisi sua culpa malum fiat. Non igitur de fetarum onere Dominum admonuisse credendum est, cum dicit: Vae praegnantibus: sed animarum peccatis repletarum ostendisse gravitatem, quae neque in tecto positae, neque in agro manentes repositae irae tempestatem vitare possint. Dolor enim praegnantes ex natura consequitur: et partus sine totius corporis vexatione non funditur. Quae  ergo tales animae reperientur, in suo et onere et dolore continebuntur. Illis quoque vae erit quae nutrientur. Est infantia lacte depulsa non minus ad fugam inutilis, quam ea quae etiamnum lacte alatur. Et quomodo vae illi quae nutriatur; cum nihil intersit aetatis ac temporis, nutriri lacte, et decessisse de lacte? Sed perinde hic etiam infirmatatm animarum, quae ad cognitionem Dei tamquam lacte adhuc alantur ostendit: quae perfecti cibi  virtute indigentes, tenui divinae cognitionis infirmoque gustatu imbuantur. Et idcirco vae ipsis erit: quia et ad effugiendum antichristum graves, et ad sustinendum imperitae, nec peccata effugerint, nec cibum veri panis acceperint. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis, In Evangelium Matthaei Commentarius, Cap XXV

Woe to the pregnant and those at the breast... 1   Taken simply this can be understood as a matter of delay, because the impediment of a heavy womb makes flight from the imminent moment of ruin difficult. But why should the condition, pertaining to sex and the process of generation deserve it? Unless perhaps the women of that age, those who then happen to exist, are especially the target of a future curse. But let it not be that there may be something evil of man unless by it is by his own fault. It should not be thought, then, that the Lord gave warning on account of the weight of the unborn child when he said, 'Woe to the pregnant'  but that He was speaking of a soul full with the weight of its own sin, which may neither on the roof, nor remaining in the field, avoid the coming storm. For the pains of pregnancy follow from nature and birth without the suffering of the whole body is not possible. Those, then, who have such souls, are hindered by burdens and pain. And woe, it is also said, to those at the breast. The weaned infant is no less useless for flight than those who are still taking milk, and so how may there be woe to those who are still at breast, when there is no difference between the one fed with milk and the one weaned? But here is shown the infirmity of the souls, whom concerning the knowledge of God, are like those still taking milk, 2 who lacking the strength of perfect food are imbued with the faint and weak taste of the Divine knowledge. And therefore woe is proclaimed to these two types, because either they are too burdened to escape the Antichrist, or too ignorant to resist, having not fled from sin, having not yet taken the true bread. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25 1 Mt 24.19 2 cf 1 Cor 3.2

John the Forerunner

Spiritu sancto, inquit, replebitur adhuc ex utero matris suae. Videtis quemadmodum Joannes ante pervenit ad coelum quam tangeret terram, ante accepit divinum Spiritum quam haberet humanum, ante suscepit divina munera quam corporis membra, ante coepit vivere Deo quam sibi, immo ante vixit ille Deo quam Deus viveret illi, juxta Apostoli: Vivo autem jam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus. Sexto mense suae matris exsultat in utero, et in uterum Virginis venisse nuntiat Christum. Fervens nuntius, qui ante gestivit nuntiare quam vivere; impatiens dux, qui antequam perveniret ad corpus pervenit ad Regem; ante rapuit arma quam membra; ante aciem petiit quam lucem; et ut vinceret mundum, vivit ante naturam, ipse sine visceribus viscera matris exsuscitat; et quia tardabat corpus, solo spiritu implet evangelizantis officium. Quid dicam? Joannes antequam Christum praecederet, se praecessit. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo XCI

'With the Holy Spirit,' the angel said, 'he shall be filled while yet in the womb of his mother.' 1 You see how John reaches heaven before he touches earth, that first he received the Divine Spirit before a human one, that he acquired Divine gifts before corporeal members, that first he lived for God before himself, that he lived for God before God would live for him, according to what the Apostle says, 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.' 2 In the sixth month he leaps in the womb of his mother and he announces that Christ has come into the womb of the Virgin. He is an eager messenger who was intent on making an announcement before living, he is an impatient guide who before he came to the body came to the King. He took up arms before his corporeal members, he sought the battlefield before the light, and that he gain victory over the world, he lived before nature's way. Without internal organs he shook the internal organs of his mother, and because his body was slow, with the spirit alone he fulfilled the duty of evangelising. What shall I say? Before he was the forerunner of Christ, John was his own forerunner. Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 91 1 Lk 1.15 2 Gal 2.20

Conceiving the Holy Spirit

Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Λογγῖνος τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀκακίῳ· Ἡ γυνὴ τότε γινώσκει ὅτι συνέλαβεν, ὅταν σταλῇ τὸ αἱμα αὐτῆς. Οὖτως οὖν καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ, τότε γινώσκει ὅτι συνέλαβε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὅταν σταλῇ τὰ ῥέοντα ἀπ' αὐτῆς κάτωθεν πάθη. Ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ἐνέχεται ἐν αὐτοῖς, πῶς δύναται κενοδοξεῖν ὡς ἀπαθής; Δὸς αἵμα, καὶ λάβε πνεῦμα. Ἀποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Longinus said to father Acacius: 'A woman knows that she has conceived when she no longer loses blood. And likewise with the soul, for it knows it has conceived the Holy Spirit when the passions stop pouring forth out of it. As long as one is filled with the passions, how can one think oneself unafflicted? Give blood and receive the Spirit.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Receiving The Word

Ecce enim ut facta est vox salutationis tuae in auribus meis, exsultavit gaudio infans in utero meo: et beata quae credidisti.   Vides non dubitasse Mariam, sed credidisse; et ideo fructum fidei consecutam. Beata, inquit, quae credidisti. Sed et vos beati, qui audistis, et credidistis; quaecumque enim crediderit anima et concipit et generat Dei Verbum, et opera ejus agnoscit. Sit in singulis Mariae anima, ut magnificet Dominum: sit in singulis spiritus Mariae, ut exsultet in Deo. Si secundum carnem una mater est Christi; secundum fidem tamen omnium fructus est Christus. Omnis enim accipit Dei Verbum, si tamen immaculata et immunis a vitiis, intemerato castimoniam pudore custodiat. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, Expositio Evangelii Secundum Lucam, Liber II

For behold the voice of your greeting in my ears, the child in my womb jumped for joy, and blessed you who have believed. 1 You see that Mary had not doubted but believed, and therefore the fruit of faith followed.  Blessed, she said,  you who have believed. But even you are blessed, you who have heard and have believed, for that soul which has believed conceives and generates the Word of God, and knows His works. May the soul of Mary be in each one of you so that it magnifies the Lord. May the spirit of Mary be in each one of you so that it exults in God. If according to the flesh one woman is the mother of Christ, Christ is the fruit of everyone according to faith. Everyone receives the word of God, if immaculate and cleansed from vice he guard his chastity undefiled from shame. Saint Ambrose, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Book 2 1 Lk. 1.44

Progressing To Good Judgement

Τούτῳ τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀμμωνᾷ προεφήτευσεν ὁ ἀννᾶς Ἀντώνιος, λέγων, ὅτι Ἔχεις προκόψαι εἰς τὸν φόβον τοῠ Θεοῠ, καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτὸν ἔξω τοῦ κελλίου, καὶ ἔδειχεν αὐτῷ λίθον, καὶ ἔιπεν αὐτῷ· Ὕβρισον τὸν λίθον τοῦτον καὶ τύψον αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ ἐποίησεν οὕτως. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος· Μὴ ἐλάλησεν ὁ λίθος; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Οὑχί. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος· Οὕτω και σὺ καταλαβεῖν μέλλεις τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον. Ὅ καὶ ἐγένετο. Προέκοψε γὰρ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀμμωνᾶς οὕτως, ὡς ἀπὸ πολλῆς ἀγαθότητος μηκέτι εἰδέναι τὴν κακίαν. Ἐν οἶς γενομένου αὐτοῦ ἐπισκόπου, προσήνεςκαν αὐτῷ παρθένον λαβοῦσαν ἐν γαστρὶ, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Ὁ δεῐνα ἐποίησε τοῠτο· δὸς αὐτοῖς ἐπιτιμίαν. Ὁ δὲ σφραγίσας αὐτῆς τὴν κοιλίαν, ἐκέλευσε δοθῆναι αὐτῇ ἔξ ζυγὰς σινδονίων, λέγων· Μήποτε ὡς ἀπέρχεται γεννῆσαι, ἀποθάνῃ ἢ αὐτὴ ἢ τὸ παιδίον, καὶ μὴ εὔρῃ κηδευθῆναι. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ κατ' αὐτῆς ἐντυχόντες· Τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας; δὸς αὐτοῖς ἐπιτιμίαν. Ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς· βλέπετε, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι ἐγγύς ἐστι τοῦ θανάτου· καὶ τί ἔχω ἐγὼ ποιῆσαι; Καὶ ἀπέλυσεν αὐτήν· καὶ οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν ὁ γέρων κατακρῖναί τινα. Ἀποφθέγματα Ἀγίων Γερόντων, Παλλάδιος Γαλατίας Source: Migne PG 65.121b-c

Father Anthony spoke a prediction to Father Ammonas, saying that he would progress in the fear of God. He led him outside his cell, and showing a stone to him, said to him, 'Hurt this stone, and beat it.' And he did so. Then Anthony said to him, 'Has the stone said anything?' He replied, 'No.' Then Father Anthony said to him, 'You too will rise to the level of this stone.' And so it was. For Father Ammonas advanced to the point where his goodness was so great, he took no notice of wickedness. Thus, having become bishop, someone brought to him a young girl who was pregnant, saying, 'The wretched girl has done this; give her a punishment.' But he, having marked the young girl's womb with the sign of the cross, commanded that six pairs of fine linen sheets should be given her, saying, 'It is for fear that, when she comes to give birth, she may die, she or the child, and have nothing for the burial.' But her accusers resumed, 'Why did you do that? Give her a punishment.' But he said to them, 'Look, brothers, she is near death; and what shall I to do?' Then he sent her away, for the elder did not dare condemn anyone. Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Birth, Suffering and Joy

Πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὰς λύπας σου καὶ τὸν στεναγμόν σου· ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα.  Τὰς ὠδῖνας ἐνταῦθα αἰνιττεται καὶ τὸν πολὺν κάματον ἐκεῖνον, ὄν ὑπομένειν ἀνάγκη, καθάπερ φορτίον ἐν μησὶ τοσούτοις τὸ βρέφος βαστάζουσαν, καὶ τὰς κατὰ μέρος φυομένας ἐνταῦθεν ἀλγηδόνας, καὶ τῶν μελων τὸν διασπασμὸν, καὶ τὰς ὀδύνας ἐκείνας τὰς ἀφορήτους, ἂς ἐκεῖναι μόναι ἴσασιν αἵ διὰ τῆς πείρας ἐλθοῦσαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσαύτην ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς παρέσχε μετὰ τῶν λυπηρῶν τὴν παραμυθίαν, ὡς ἰσόῥῥοπον εἶναι τὴν διὰ τὸ τεχθὲν βρέφος εὐφροσύνην τῶν ὠδίνων ἐκείνων τῶν ἐν τοσούτοις μησὶ τὴν γαστέρα διακοπτουσῶν. Αἵ γὰρ τοσοῦτον πόνον ὑπομένουσαι, καὶ οὕτως ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλγηδόνων σπαραττόμεναι, καὶ ὡς εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ζωὴν ἀπαγορεύουσαι, μετὰ τὸ τεκεῖν καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν καμάτων εὐφροσύνης ἀπολαῦσαι, πάλιν ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθόμεναι τῶν γεγενημένων ἀπάντων ἑαυτὰς ἐκδιδόασι πρὸς τὴν τῶν τέκνων γονην, τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ οὕτως οἰκονομήσαντος πρὸς σύστασιν τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας. Ἡ γὰρ ἐλπὶς ἀεὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν κούφως ποιεῖ φέρειν τὰ παρόντα λυπηρά. Καὶ τοῦτο ἴδοι τις ἂν καὶ τοὺς ἐμπόρους ὑπομένοντας, καὶ μακρὰ πελάγη διαπερῶντας, καὶ ναυαγίων ἀνεχομένους καὶ πειρατῶν, καὶ μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς κινδύνους ἐκείνους πολλάκις καὶ διαμαρτόντας τῆς προσδοκίας, καὶ μηεδὲ οὕτως ἀποστάντας, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τῶν αὐτῶν ἁπτομένους. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν γηπόνων ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι ὅτε βαθεῖαν αὔλακα ἀνατέμωσι, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς γῇς ἐπιδείξωνται, καὶ δαψιλῆ τὰ σπέρματα καταβάλωσι, πολλάκις αὐχμοῦ γενομένου ἢ ἐπομβρίας, ἢ πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ τέλει τν δρᾶγμάτων ἐρυσίβης κατενεχθείσης, τῆς ἐλπίδος διήμαρτον· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀφίστανται, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τοῦ καιροῦ καταλαβόντος, ἅπτονται τῆς γεωργίας. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐφ' ἐκάστου εὕποι τιη ἂν ἐπιτηδεύματος γινόμενον. Τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καὶ αὐτὴ πολλάκις μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς μῆνας ἐκείνους, μετὰ τὰς ὠδῖνας τὰς ἀφορήτους, μετὰ τὰς νύκτας τὰς αυπνους, μετὰ τὸν τῶν μελῶν διασπαμὸν, μικρᾶς τινος περιστάσεως γενομένης, πρὸ τοῦ προσήκοντος καιροῦ τὸ βρέφος ὠθήσασα ἀμόρφωτον καὶ ἀδιατύπωτον, ἢ καὶ νεκρὸν πολλάκις, μόλις τὸν κίνδυνον διέφυγε, καὶ ὅμως ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθομένη τούτων ἀπάντων, τῶν αὐτῶν ἀνέχεται, καὶ συναποθανεῖν τῷ τεχθένται συνέβη, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὰς λοιπὰς ἐσωφρόνισε καὶ ἀνέπεισε φυγεῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα· τοσαύτην ὁ Θεὸς ἐγκατέσπειρε τοῖς λυπηροῖς τὴν ἡδονὴν ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν εὐφροσύνην. Διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγε, 'Πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὰς λύπας σου καὶ τὸν στεναγμόν σου· ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα. Τοῦτο τοινυν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς διαλεγόμενος τοῖς μαθηταῖς καὶ δεικνὺς καὶ τῆς ὀδύνης τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, ἔλεγεν· Ἡ γυνὴ ὅταν τίκτῃ λύπην ἔχει, ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα αὐτῆς· εἶτα παραστῆσαι ἡμῖν βουλόμενος ὅπως τὰ μὲν τῆς λύπης ἀθρόον ἐκποδὼν γίνεται, τὰ δὲ τῆς χαρᾶς καὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης διαδέχεται, φησίν ' Ὅταν δὲ γεννήσῃ τὸ παιδίον, οὐκέτι μνημονεύει τῆς θλιψεως διὰ τὴν χαρὰν, ὅτι ἐγεννήθη ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.' Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος, Ὁμῖλία ΙΖ', Εἰς Την Γενεσιν

'I shall multiply your pains and your groans, in grief you shall birth children.'1  Here is meant the labours of birth and the many troubles which it is necessary to bear, all those months carrying the baby as if in a sack, and there the pains of swollen limbs and the rending cares and the intolerable griefs which only she will know, which only she by experience will suffer. But at the same time the benign God has given consolation with these griefs, compensating with the joy of the birth of the child all those months she suffered carrying it. For she who endures such labour and is wracked by such pains, that it is said that she almost despairs of her life, after she has given birth, all her griefs are dissipated for joy, and all her labours are forgotten by giving birth to a child, for such is the dispensation of the benign God for the preservation of the human race. For he always provides hope for future goods that present difficulties be lightened. And it is as merchants who take themselves aboard ship and who pass over great seas, braving the dangers of shipwreck and pirates, who come through many hazards by which hopes are often frustrated, and then they do not refrain from doing such a thing, but again they turn to it. And here also we may speak of farmers, for they cut their deep furrows and expend much care on the soil and throw down their bounty of seed, and often they suffer drought or excessive rains, and even collecting their sheaves a blight may fall and cut off their hope, and yet then neither do they desist, but again, when the appropriate time comes, they go to their labour. And this we see happening in every good work. So it is often with a woman who after many months, after grave pains, after sleepless nights, after the swelling of members, a little accident befalling, she delivers before the appropriate time an unformed child, and frequently it is lifeless, and scarcely will that peril be avoided, and yet as if she had forgotten all these things, she returns to her labour and she suffers that she might give birth again and it does not occur to her to fear it, nor is she inclined to avoid it, such pleasure and joy has God placed in these griefs. Thus he said: 'I shall multiply your pains and your groans, in grief you shall birth sons'. And Christ said to his disciples, openly referring to great pains and exceeding joy,'When a woman gives birth, she has grief, because her time has come.' 2 And then wishing to declare how all suffering is taken away to be succeeded by happiness and joy, He says, 'When she has given birth to a child, she no longer has memory of her affliction, on account of joy because she given birth to a man in the world.2   Saint John Chrysostom, On Genesis, from Homily 16  1 Gen 3.16 2. Jn 16.21