Bede : And they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water, etc. The fact that they drew water during prayers and fastings and poured it out before the Lord is a sign and execution of pious devotion. They gathered, as the Lord was preaching, to hear the word of the people, and being deeply moved, they drew from the bottom of their hearts a fountain of tears, which they would pour out as the most pleasing libation to God, offering it through the vessels of their eyes; and they abstained from all the allurements of the world, in that light of heavenly grace, confessing past sins and imploring the mercy of Christ. — Commentary on Samuel Bede : And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. The heavens are not clean in his sight (Job XV), and he finds perversity in his elect. Therefore, those too who, transcending all earthly things, gathered at the lookout of heavenly things, which Mizpah signifies, to Christ, who pre-eminent by the name of the sons of Israel, that is, men seeing God, still have much for which, as men, they may be chastised by a strict judge. Whence Isaiah says: And he shall judge the poor in righteousness (Isa. XI). There is no doubt that he speaks to those to whom he says: Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Matt. V); for judging the same, he says: Are you still without understanding? (Matt. XV). — Commentary on Samuel Gregory the Dialogist : 12. For what is it to draw water, except to bring forth streams of tears from the deep confusion of a penitent soul? For we draw water, as it were, when, considering how deep the iniquity into which we have fallen, we lament. And indeed we pour out this water in the sight of the Lord, if when we are pierced with compunction through repentance, we do not seek from the weeping of that compunction the favor of the world, but only the fruit of divine appeasement. But also when the mind is pierced with compunction through weeping, it is necessary that the flesh too, which was subject to pleasures, be afflicted. 13. The day of the sinful soul is the hope of obtaining pardon in the promise of the divine word. Whence the Lord also promises through the prophet, saying: 'I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he be converted and live' (Ezek. 18:32, 33, 11). On that day, therefore, they fast who for this reason wear down the flesh by repenting: because in the light of hope they undoubtingly believe that they will attain pardon. Yet that affliction of penance is only then suitable for destroying sins when it has been commanded by the judgment of a priest, when by him, after the deeds of those confessing have been examined, the burden of affliction is determined for them according to the measure of the offense. 14. For the priest judges in Masphath when he follows not human judgment but divine; when in everything that must be decided he raises himself up in lofty contemplation, and in judging his subjects he decides what he recognizes to be just in the heavenly vision. For this is why Moses consults the Lord in the tabernacle of the covenant in nearly every matter (Exod. XXXIII, 8): because indeed the preacher of holy Church ought to look into the innermost contemplation of truth, so that he may be able to order the life of his subjects outwardly in a blameless manner. For he can more truly both retain sins and remit them when, in the secret place of contemplation, he hears what the Lord speaks. Hence also the Lord, rising from the dead, first breathed upon the face of the disciples, and afterward granted them the authority of remitting and retaining sins (John XX, 21, 23): so that He might clearly show that whoever does not have that contemplation of mind ought not to be a judge of souls. For the Lord's breathing upon the face of the chosen preachers is to reveal to them through the Holy Spirit the inmost and secret ways of spiritual examination. Hence Paul says: "The spiritual man judges all things" (I Cor. II, 15). Hence likewise, commending the bounty of divine grace, he says: "We have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been given to us by God" (Ibid., 12). But whoever has the spirit of this world cannot judge his subjects in Masphath, that is, in contemplation: because while he does not penetrate interior things through the Spirit, in the cases of judgment that he investigates, he errs outwardly by a worldly spirit. Rightly therefore is Samuel said to have judged the children of Israel in Masphath: because indeed holy preachers, in the judgments of their subjects, define nothing outwardly except what is revealed to them inwardly by divine inspiration. But while good subjects submit themselves to the judgment of their superiors, they kindle more fiercely against themselves the wrath of spiritual enemies. — Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 3, Chapter 5 Leo the Great : At one time the Hebrew people and all the Israelite tribes, because of the offensiveness of their sins, were held under the heavy domination of the Philistines. In order to be able to overcome their enemies, as the sacred history shows, they restored strength of soul and body with a self-imposed fast. They had judged rightly that they deserved that hard and wretched subjection because of neglect of God's commandments and the corruption of their lives, and that in vain did they fight with weapons unless they had first made war on their sins. By abstaining, therefore, from food and drink they imposed the penalty of severe punishment on themselves, and to conquer their enemies, they first conquered the enticement of gluttony in themselves. In this way it happened that the fierce adversaries and harsh masters yielded to those who were fasting whom they had overcome when they had been full. We too, dearly beloved, situated as we are among many struggles and battles, if we wish to overcome our enemies in the same way, we may be healed by the same practice. Indeed, our situation is the same as theirs, seeing that they were attacked by bodily adversaries, we by spiritual enemies. If our spiritual enemies may be overcome by the correction of our lives bestowed on us through the grace of God, even the force of our bodily enemies will also give way to us. They will be weakened by our correction, since not their merits but our own sins made them onerous to us. Therefore, dearly beloved, in order that we may be able to overcome our enemies, let us seek divine help by observing the commands of heaven, knowing that in no other way can we prevail over our foes except by prevailing over ourselves as well. — SERMON 39 (RECENSION A) 1.2