Bede : But the man Elkanah went up, etc. Let each one abound in his own understanding (Rom. XIV). The Lord and the Church of the perfect, which is his house and seat, ascended to offer to the Father who is in heaven the vows of their works, and the Church still remains at home in those who cannot yet use the solid food of the word. Some, having received the rudiments of faith, are still children in understanding (Hebr. V). But the time will come when they also will grow, and with the grace of Christ dwelling in them, they will begin to have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil; and they will say with the Apostle: When I became a man, I put away childish things (I Cor. XIII). And now they may be such, worthy in the sight of the Lord, remaining in the calling in which they were called with God, and able to partake in the priesthood and to eat the things of the altar, and to hear even the highest things of divinity, discerning the mysteries by reading. Such is the progress of all who believe in Christ: such were the beginnings of the converted Gentiles among the learned and teachers of the Jews, as the sons of Peninnah. — Commentary on Samuel Gregory the Dialogist : 40. But what is the solemn sacrifice of the victim, if not that offering of love of the holy Church, by which she is joined to her Creator in eternal contemplation? To this sacrifice Elkanah ascended when our Redeemer, now triumphing over death, now overcoming the darkness of our mortality, raised to the heavens the flesh which He had assumed for our salvation. With Him His whole household also ascended, because He lifted the earlier elect of the Synagogue to the height of immortality. Then He offered the solemn sacrifice when He presented Himself to the eternal Father in heaven through the substance of His glorified flesh, and gladdened the nature of the angels both by our redemption and by their own restoration. To this solemn sacrifice Anna is invited, because the holy Church is kindled by daily desires of love through the spiritual encouragement of her heavenly Spouse toward the eternal contemplation of divine brightness. Yet she refrains from her ascent in order to nurse her son, because so that she may benefit the little ones of Christ here, she patiently endures the delay of her glory. Had not that mother been invited to the offering of this solemn sacrifice who said: "I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ" (Phil. 1:23)? But let her who is drawn by the desires of love toward the beauty of the Spouse say whether she loves to nurse her son: "To remain in the flesh is necessary for your sake" (Phil. 1:24). She also indicates that she had nourished the Corinthians with this food, saying: "I gave you milk to drink, not solid food" (1 Cor. 3:2). For to nurse the little ones of the holy Church is for pastors to nourish the hearts of weak or simple hearers with the food of plainer Scripture. To whom indeed that same excellent teacher says: "I judged not myself to know anything among you, except Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). — Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 1