Fortifying Wisdom

Περιχαράκωσον αὐτήν καὶ ὑψώσει σε τίμησον αὐτήν ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ Καὶ πῶς ἐστι, περιχαράκωσον; Λογισμοὺς αὐτῇ κύκλῳ περίθες ἱερούς· πολλῆς γάρ σοι δεῖ τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἐπιὲ καὶ πολλὰ τὰ ἐπιβουλεύοντα τῇ τοιαὐτῃ κτήσει· εἰ δὲ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστι τὸ περιχαρασκοῦν αὐτὴν, αἱ δὲ ἁρεταὶ ἐφ' ἡμὶν, χάρακες ἄρα εἶεν, αἱ ὑψοῦσαι τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ· οἴον, ἄσκησις, μελέτη, καὶ ὁ ἀλλος τῶν ἀρετῶν ὁρμαθός· ἅς ὁ τηρῶν, τὴν σοφίαν τιμᾷ· μισθὸς δὲ, τὸ πρὸς αὐτὴν μετεωρισθῆναι καὶ περιληφθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτῆς ἐν τῷ ὑπερκοσμίῳ παστῷ. Ὁδοὺς ἀσεβῶν μὴ ἐπέλθῃς μηδὲ ζηλώσῃς ὁδοὺς παρανόμων. Ἀσεβεῖς μὲν οἱ ἑτερόδοξοι, παράνομοι δὲ οἱ παραβάται τοῦ νόμου· ὦν τὰς ὁδοὺς, ἤτοι τὰς πράξεις, μὴ ἐπελθεῖν φησί. Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθὰ βλεπέτωσαν τὰ δὲ βλέφαρά σου νευέτω δίκαια. Ὀρθὰ ὁρᾷ, ὁ λογισμοὺς ἔχων ἀπαθεὶς· καὶ δόγματα ἀληθῆ, ὁ μὴ περὶ τὰς ἔξω φαντασίας ἐπτοημέννος· ὅταν λέγῃ ὅτι οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὁρθὰ βλεπέτωσιν, τὴν ὅρασιν δηλοῖ τῆς ψυχῆς· καὶ ὅταν παραινῇ, φάγε μέλι, υἱὲ, ἵνα γλυκανθῇ ὁ φάρυγξ σου, μέλι τροπικῶς τὴν θείαν λέγει διδασκαλίαν, ἤτις τὴν πνευματικὴν καταρτίζει τῆς ψυχῆς γνῶσιν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπτεται ψυχῆς ἡ σοφία· ἐράσθητι γὰρ, φησὶν, αὐτῆς, ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ· ψυχὴ δὲ διὰ περιπλοκῆς σοφίᾳ ἐνωθεῖσα, ἁγισαμοῦ πληροῦται καὶ καθαρότητος· ἔτι γε μὴν τῶν Χριστοῦ μύρων ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀντιλαμβάνεται ὅσφρησις. Μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ μηδὲ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερά ἀπόστρεψον δὲ σὸν πόδα ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς. Ἡ ἀρετὴ μεσότης· διὸ καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν μεταξὺ τῆς θρασύτητος καὶ τῆς δειλίας εἶναί φησι· νῦν δὲ ὀνομάζει δεξιά· οὐ τὰ φύσι δεξιὰ ἐστὶν αἱ ἀρεταὶ, ἀλλὰ τὰ φαινόμενα σοὶ δεξιὰ διὰ τὰς ἡδονάς· ἡδοναὶ δέ εἰσον, οὐ μόνον Ἀφροδίσια, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ τρυφή. ἀριστερὰ δὲ, φθόνος, ἁρπαγαὶ, καὶ τὰ τούτοις ὅμοια· βορέας γὰρ, φησὶ, σκληρὸς ἄνεμος, ὀνόματι δὲ ἐπιδέξιος καλεῐται· βορέαν γὰρ συμνολικῶς τὸν πονηρὸν καλεῖ ἤτοι τὸν διάβολον, ἀφ' οὖ ἐξεκαύθῃ πάντα τὰ κακὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ὀνόματι δὲ οὖτος ἐπιδέξιος, ὅτι ἄγγελος καλεῖται δεξιῷ ὀνόματι. Σὺ, φησὶν, ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ μελήσει τοῦ τέλους· προπορεύεται γάρ σου· καταλύων τοὺς πολεμίους, ὡς ἐν εἰρήνῃ σε βαδίσαι. Ἅγιος Ἱππόλυτος Ρώμης, Εἰς Τας Παροιμίας Source: Migne PG 10.617a-c

Fortify wisdom and she shall exalt you, and she shall glorify you when you embrace her. 1 And what is meant by 'fortify'? Surround her with holy thoughts; for you have need of great defense when there are many things to imperil such a possession. But only if it is in us to fortify her, if there are virtues in us which fortify, which elevate the knowledge of God, as, practice, study, and the rest of the chain of virtues. He who has these, honours wisdom. And the reward is to be exalted to be with her, and to be embraced by her in the bridal chamber of heaven. Do not enter into the ways of the impious, nor be eager for the ways of lawless men. 2 The impious are the heterodox, and the lawless are the transgressors of the law, whose ways, that is, their deeds, he bids us not enter on. Let your eyes see straight, and your vision look to righteousness. 3 He looks straight who has thoughts free of passion, and he has true judgments who is not troubled by external appearances. When he says, 'Let your eyes see straight,' this clearly is the vision of the soul. And when he exhorts: 'Eat honey, O son, that it may be sweet to your throat,' 4 honey is a figure meaning Divine teaching, which restores the spiritual knowledge of the soul. But wisdom also touches the soul; he says: 'Love her, that she may embrace you.' And the soul, by her embrace being made one with wisdom, is filled with holiness and purity, and even the fragrances of Christ are laid hold of by the soul's sense of smell. Inclining neither to right nor left, but keeping your steps from the way of evil. 5 Virtue occupies the middle, whence also it says that courage is the mean between recklessness and cowardice. And now when he says the 'right,' he does not mean things right by nature, the virtues, but things which seem to be right to you because of pleasure. Pleasures are not only the things of Aphrodite, but also riches and luxury. The left is envy, theft, and the like. 'For Boreas,' he says, 'is a hard wind and called by the name of 'right hand'. 6 For, symbolically, by Boreas he names the wicked one, that is, the devil, by whom every evil is kindled on the earth. And this one has the name 'right,' because an angel is called by a right name. Turn away from evil, he says, and God will take care of the end, for He will go before you, scattering those who fight against you, that you may walk in peace. Saint Hippolytus of Rome, Fragment On Proverbs 1 Prov 4.8 2 Prov 4.14 3 Prov 4.25 4 Prov 24.13 5 Prov 4.27 6 Prov 27.16

Wisdom's Feast

Σοφία ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐαυτῇ οἶκον Χρσιτὸς, φησὶν, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς σοφία καὶ δύναμις, ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐαυτῇ οἶκον, τὴν ἐκ Παρθένου σάρκωσιν, καθὼς προείρηκεν· Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. Ὡς μαρτυρεῖ καὶ ὁ σοφὸς προφὴτης· Ἡ πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, φησὶ, καὶ παρεκτικὴ ζωῆς, ἡ ἄπειρος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ ᾠκοδόμησε τὸν οἶκον ἑαυτῇ ἑξ ἁπειράνδρου μητρὸς, ναὸν γοῦν σωματικῶς περιθέμενος. Καὶ ὑπῄρησε στύλους ἑπτὰ· τὴν τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος εὐωδίαν, ὡς φησὶν Ἠσαϊας· Καὶ ἀναπαύσεται ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἄλλοι δὲ λέγουσιν εἴναι στύλους ἑπτὰ, τὰ ἑπτὰ θεῖα τάγματα τὰ διὰ τῆς ἱερᾶς αὐτοῦ καὶ θεοπνεύστου διδακαλίας τὴν κτίσιν βαστάζοντα, ἤγουν τοὺς προφήτας, τοὺς ἀσκητὰς, τοὺς ὁσίους καὶ τοὺς δικαίους. Τὸ δὲ, ἔσφαξε τὰ ἑαυτὴς θύματα, τοὺς προφήτας φησὶ καὶ μάρτυρας, τοὺς κατὰ πᾶσαν πόλιν καὶ χώραν καθ' ἐκάστην ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπίστων ὥσπερ ἄρνας ἀναιρουμένους ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ βοῶντας· Ἕνακά σου θανατούμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν. Ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς. Καὶ ἐκέρασεν εἰς κρατῆρα τὸν ἑαυτῆς οἴνον, εἰς τὴν παρθένον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θεότητα ἐνώσας τῇ σαρκὶ ὡς οἴνον ἄκρατον, ὁ Σωτὴρ ἑγεννήθη ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀσυγχύτως Θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος. Καὶ ἠτοιμάσατο τὴν ἑαυτῆς τρὰπεζεν, τὴν ἐπιγνωσιν τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος κατεπαγγελλομένην· καὶ τὸ τίμιον καὶ ἄχραντον αὐτοῦ σῶμα καὶ αἵμα ἄπερ ἐν τῇ μυστικῇ καὶ θείᾷ τραπέζῃ καθ' ἐκάστην ἐπιτελοῦνται θυόμενα εἰς ἁνάμνησιν τῆς ἀειμνήστου καὶ πρώτης ἐκείνης τραπέζης τοῦ μυστικοῦ θείου δείπνου. Τὸ δὲ, ἀπέστειλε τοὺς ἑαυτῆς δούλους ἡ Σοφία, ὁ Χριστὸς δηλονότι, συγκαλοῦσα μετὰ ὑψηλοῦ κηρύγματος. Ὅς ἐστιν ἄφρων, ἐκκλινάτω πρὸς μὲ φάσκουσα τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλος πρόδηλον, τοὺς εἰς τὸν σύμπαντα κόσμον διαδραμόντας καὶ προσκαλέσαντας τὰ ἔθνη εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθῶς τῷ ὑψηλῷ καὶ θείῳ τούτων κηρύγματι. Τὸ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐνδεέσε φρενῶν εἶπε, τοῖς μήπω κεκτημένοις τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος δύναμιν δηλονότι· Ἤλθετε, φάγετε τὸν ἐμὸν ἄρτον, καὶ πίετε οἶνον ὄν κέκρακα ὑμίν, τὴν θείαν αὐτοῦ σάρκα καὶ τὸ τίμιον αὐτοῦ αἷμα δέδωκεν ἡμῖν, φησὶν, ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν εἰς ἂφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Ἅγιος Ἱππόλυτος Ρώμης, Εἰς Τας Παροιμίας Source: Migne PG 10.625c-628c

'Wisdom has built her house.' 1 Christ, it says, the wisdom and power of God the Father, has built His house, that is, His nature in the flesh derived from the Virgin, even as it is proclaimed: 'The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.' 2 So the wise Prophet testifies: that which was before the world and is the source of life, the infinite Wisdom of God, has built her house, by a mother who knew no man, that is, as He assumed the temple of the body. 'And she has raised seven pillars,' 1 That is, the fragrance of the all holy Spirit. As Isaiah says: 'And the seven spirits of God shall rest on Him,' 3 But others say that the seven pillars are the seven divine orders which sustain the creation by His holy and inspired teaching; that is, the Prophets, the Apostles, the Martyrs, the Hierarchs, the Ascetics, the Saints, and the Righteous. 'She has killed her beasts,' 4 Speaks of the Prophets and Martyrs who in every city and country are slain like sheep every day by the faithless for the sake of the truth, and who cry aloud, 'For your sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted sheep for the slaughter.' 5 'She has mixed her wine in the bowl,' 4 Tells of the Saviour, uniting He is Godhead, like pure wine, with the flesh of the Virgin, being born of her at once God and man, without confusion of the one with the other. 'And she has prepared her table,' 4 Which is the promised knowledge of the Holy Trinity. And it also refers to His honoured and undefiled body and blood, which day by day are administered and offered sacrificially at the spiritual divine table, as a memorial of that first and ever memorable table of the spiritual divine supper. And 'She has sent forth her servants,' 6 Which is the Wisdom that is Christ summoning them with lofty announcement. 'Whoever is simple, let him turn to me,' 7 She says, clearly speaking of the holy Apostles, who traversed the whole world, and called the peoples to true knowledge of Him, with their lofty and divine preaching. And to those that want understanding she said...' That is, to those who have not yet obtained the power of the Holy Spirit. 'Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mixed for you,' 8 Which is that He gave His Divine flesh and honoured blood to us, to eat and to drink it for the remission of sins. Saint Hippolytus of Rome, Fragment On Proverbs 1Prov 9.1 2 Jn 1.14 3 cf Isaiah 11.2 4 Prov 9.2 5 Ps 44.22, Rom 8.36 6 Prov 9.3 7 Prov 9.4 8 Prov 9.5

Knowing The Unknown

Τρία δέ ἐστιν ἀδύνατά μοι νοῆσαι καὶ τὸ τέταρτον οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκω, ἴχνη ἀετοῦ πετομένου Τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀνάληψιν. Kαὶ ὁδοὺς ὄφεως ἐπὶ πέτρας. Ὁ διάβολος οὐχ εὗρεν ἴχνος ἁμαρτίας ἐν τῷ σώματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Kαὶ τρίβους νηὸς ποντοπορούσης Τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὡς ἐν πελάγει τῷ βίῷ τούτῳ, τῇ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐλπίδι διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ κυβερνωμένης. Kαὶ ὁδοὺς ἀνδρὸς ἐν νεότητι. Τοῦ ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ τῆς Παρθένου γεγεννημένου· ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνὴρ, Ἀνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ἅγιος Ἱππόλυτος Ρώμης, Εἰς Τας Παροιμίας Source: Migne PG 10.624a-b

Three things I cannot understand, and the fourth I do not know: the path of an eagle flying...' . 1 Christ's ascension. 'And the ways of a serpent on a rock...' The devil did not find a trace of sin in the body of Christ. 'And the ways of a ship crossing the sea...' The Church, which in this life is as in a sea, directed by hope in Christ through the cross. 'And the ways of a man in his youth...' Of Him born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin. For behold, it says, a man whose name is the Dawn. 2 Saint Hippolytus of Rome, Fragment On Proverbs 1 Prov 30.18-19 2 Zech 6.12

The Tree's Fruit

Ἐκ καρποῦ δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς ἀφαιροῦνται δὲ ἄωροι ψυχαὶ παρανόμων Καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης καὶ δένδρον ζωῆς, ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν· ὁ μόνος ἀνθρωπίνως πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην πληρώσας· καὶ ὡς αὐτοζωὴ τοὺς τῆς γνώσεως καὶ ἀρετῆς καρποὺς ὡς δένδρον ἐβλάστητεν, ἐξ οὗ οἱ ἐσθίοντες ἀειζωῗαν λήψονατι, καὶ τοῦ παραδείσου τοῦ δένδρου τῆς ζωῆς ἀπολαύσονται, σὺν Ἀδαμ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς δικαίοις· αἱ δὲ τῶν παρανόμων ψυχαὶ ἀφαιροῦνται μὲν ἄωροι ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, παρὰ τὸ παρορᾷν αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ φλογὶ τῆς βασάνου. Ἅγιος Ἱππόλυτος Ρώμης, Εἰς Τας Παροιμίας Source:  Migne PG 10 696d-697b

From the fruit of righteousness the tree of life grows; but the unripened souls of the unrighteous are borne away. 1 The fruit of righteousness and the tree of life is Christ. He alone as man fulfilled all righteousness. And with His own underived life He brought forth the fruits of knowledge and virtue like a tree, from which they who eat shall receive eternal life and shall enjoy the tree of life in paradise, with Adam and all the righteous. But the unripened souls of the unrighteous are borne off from the sight of God, by whom they are overlooked in the flame of torment.  Saint Hippolytus of Rome, Fragment On Proverbs 1 Prov 11.30

Susanna's Trial

Ἡ δὲ ἧν κλαίουσα. Διὰ γὰρ τῶν δακρύων ἐφεθκετο τὸν ἀπ' οὐρανῶν Λόγον, τὸν μέλλοντα διὰ δακρύωμ ἐγείρειν τὸν Λάζαρον τεθνηκότα Καὶ ἐπίστευσεν αὐτοῐς ἡ συναγωγή. Δεῖ οὖν ἡμᾶς ἐν παντὶ πραγματι ἐδραίους γενομένους, μὴ τοῖς ψευδέσιν προσέχειν, μηδὲ προσώποις ἀρχόντων εὐκόλως συναρπαζομένους πείθεσθαι, γινώσκοντας, ὅτι λόγον ἔχομεν δοῦναι τῷ θεῷ· ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ στοιχοῦντες, καὶ τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῆς πίστεως ἐπιζητοῦντες, εὐάρεστοι ἐσόμεθα τῷ θεῷ. Καὶ εἰσήκουσεν ὁ Θεὸς τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῆς. Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐπικαλοῦνται αὐτὸν ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας, τούτων ὁ Θεὸς ὑπακούει· ὅσοι δε ἐν δόλῳ καὶ ὑποκρίσει, ἀποστρέφει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Πεπαλαιωμένε ἡμερῶν κακῶν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ φθαταντες ἐν τῷ προοιμίῳ, διηγησάμεθα, ὅτι οἱ δύο πρεσβύτεροι εἰς τύπον ἀναφέρονται τῶν δύο λαῶν, τοῦ τε ἐκ περιτομῆς καὶ τοῦ ἐξ ἐθνῶν, οἵ καὶ ἀεὶ ἐπίβουλοι γίνονται τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· ἵδωμεν τα ῥήματα αὐτοῦ τοῦ Δανιὴλ, καὶ μάθωμεν, ὅτι ἐν μηδενὶ ἡμᾶς διαψεὺδεται ἡ Γραφή. Τῷ γὰρ πρώτῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ διαλεγόμενος, ὡς νομοθέτῃ ἐπιτιμᾷ· τῷ δὲ ἑτέρῳ, ὡς ἑθνικῳ διαλέγεται, σπέρμα Χαναιὰν ἀποκαλῶν· καίτοι ὄντα ἐν περιτομῇ Ἤδη γὰρ ἄγγελος Θεοῦ. Δηλοῖ δὲ, ὅτι ἡνίκα προσηύξατο ἡ Σωσάννα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἰσηκούσθη, τότε ἐξαπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος βοηθήσων αὐτῇ, ὄν τρόπον ἐπὶ τοῦ Τωβία καὶ τῆς Σάῥῥας συνέβη. Προσευξαμένων γὰρ αὐτῶν, τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ αὐτῇ ὠρᾳ εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησις ἀμθοτέρων, καὶ ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἀγγελος Ῥαφαὴλ ἰάσασθαι τοὺς δύο. Καὶ ἀνέστησαν ἐπὶ τοὺς δύο πρεσβυτέρους. Ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ εἰρημένον· Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμπεσεῖται. Προσέχειν οὖν ὀφείλομεν πᾶσιν, ἀγαπητοὶ, φοβούμενοι μή τις ἔν τινι παραπτώματι κρατηθεὶς, αὐτὸς τῆς αὐτοῦ ψυχῆς ἔνοχος γένηται, γινώσκοντες ὅτι ἔκδικος ὁ Θεὸς περὶ πάντων γίνεται· αὐτὸς ὤν ἐν κόσμῳ πραττομένων οὐδέν. Δι' ὃ ἀεὶ ἐγρήγοροι καρδίας καὶ σωφρόνως βιοῦντες, τὴν Σωσὰνναν μιμησώμεθα. Ἅγιος Ἱππόλυτος Ρώμης, Εἰς Των Σωσανναν Source:  Migne PG 10 696d-697b

And she was weeping. 1 For by her tears she attracted the Word from heaven, who with tears was to raise the dead Lazarus. And the assembly believed them. 2 We must, then, be steadfast in every affair, and give no heed to lies, and be convinced that we should not be carried off by persons in power, knowing that we have to give an account to God; for if we stand with the truth and accurately pursue the faith we shall be well-pleasing to God. And God heard her voice. 3 For Gods hears those who call upon Him from a pure heart. But God turns away His face from those who do stand in deceit and hypocrisy. You that have grown old in evil. 4 Now since at the outset we explained that the two elders are to be understood as a type of the two peoples, that of the circumcision and that of the Gentiles, they who are always opponents of the Church, let us consider the words of Daniel, and let us learn that Scripture deceives us in nothing. For, addressing the first elder, he reproves him as one who is schooled in the Law, but he addresses the other as a Gentile, calling him 'seed of Canaan,' although he was of the circumcision. For now the angel of God. 5 It is clear that when Susannah prayed to God and was heard, then the angel was sent then to help her, just as he came to Tobias and Sara. For when they prayed, the prayer of both was heard in the same day and the same hour, and the angel Raphael was sent to heal both. And they rose up against the two elders. 6 That the saying might be fulfilled: 'He who digs a pit for his neighbour, he shall fall into it.' 7 To all these things, then, we should give heed, beloved, fearing lest anyone be seized in any transgression, being guilty in his soul, knowing that God is the Judge of all things, whom nothing done in the world escapes. Therefore, always watchful in heart and prudent in life, let us imitate Susanna.  Saint Hippolytus of Rome, On Susanna 1 Dan 13.35 2 Dan 13.41 3 Dan 13.44 4 Dan 13.52 5 Daniel 13.55 6 Dan 13.61 7 Prov 26.27