{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-5104","native_reference":{"book_number":330,"chapter_from":40,"chapter_to":40,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":9,"verse_to":9},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Gregory the Dialogist</b>: And its front was two cubits.</p><p>But no one comes to that place unless he has held here with a devoted mind love of God and neighbor. Hence it is added: \"And its front was two cubits.\" For the front of the gate is the good merit of the present life. For just as the vestibule within must be understood as eternal rest, so by the front of the gate the quality of visible life must necessarily be signified. Therefore the front of the gate is measured at two cubits, because whoever has striven here to preserve love of God and neighbor will himself reach the court of eternity. Therefore our life, that it may be measured by two cubits, must daily be stretched through charity into love of God and neighbor together. For charity is not true if it has less than two cubits. Hence when Moses expressed the virtues of the elect through the colors of garments, he commanded that twice-dyed scarlet be used in the ornament of the high priest. For what is designated by scarlet except charity, which is always kindled by the flame of love? But scarlet is twice dyed when our charity is inflamed not only from love of God but also of neighbor. For whoever so loves God that he abandons the care of the neighbor entrusted to him, in him the scarlet is still dyed only once. And whoever so loves his neighbor that he diminishes the desire with which he ought to burn toward God, in him the color of the dyeing is not yet doubled. Therefore we must both love those with whom we live and pant with all desires toward him in whom we may truly live.</p><p>For behold, we who seem clothed in religious habit have come together from the diverse condition of the world to faith and to hearing the word of the almighty Lord, and from dissimilar iniquities we have been gathered into the concord of holy Church, so that what is said of the promise of the Church through Isaiah now seems to have been openly fulfilled: \"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid.\" For through the bowels of holy charity the wolf dwells with the lamb, because those who were plunderers in the world rest in peace with the gentle and meek. And the leopard lies down with the kid, because he who was spotted with the stains of his sins consents to be humbled with him who despises himself and confesses himself a sinner. Where it is also added: \"The calf and the lion and the sheep shall dwell together,\" because he who prepares himself as a daily sacrifice to God through a contrite heart, and another who raged severely from cruelty like a lion, and another who perseveres in the simplicity of his innocence like a sheep, have come together in the folds of holy Church. Behold what charity is like, which kindles, burns up, melts together the diversities of minds and reforms them as it were into one appearance of gold. But in that the elect so love one another, they must hasten to him whom they may merit to see with eternal joy in heaven. For our Lord and Redeemer is one, who both binds the hearts of his elect here to unanimity and always spurs them to heavenly love through inward desires. Hence there too it is added: \"And a little child shall lead them.\" Who is this little child except he of whom it is written: \"A child is born to us, a son is given to us\"? He leads those dwelling together, because lest our hearts cling to earthly things, he daily inflames them through inward desire. And this very leading of his is to kindle us unceasingly to love of him, lest when we love one another we remain in mind in this exile, lest the rest of this life so please us that it leads to forgetfulness of our homeland, lest the mind delighted by prosperity grow sluggish. Hence he also mingles scourges with his gifts, so that everything that delighted us in the world may become bitter to us, and that fire may rise in the soul which always disturbs us, rouses us, and, so to speak, delightfully bites us, sweetly torments us, cheerfully saddens us toward heavenly desire. Therefore the little child leads us, because he who was made a little lower than the angels does not permit us through the charity he grants us to fix our mind on this world. Therefore the scarlet is twice dyed in us if we both love our neighbors here as ourselves and hasten with those very ones whom we love to the author of all. If therefore our life is twice dyed from perfect charity, the front of the gate is measured in us at two cubits. Whether therefore the teacher, or sacred eloquence, or certainly faith is signified by the name of gate, in the measure of each cubit charity is not unsuitably understood, which he truly preaches who teaches love of God and neighbor; and that is certain knowledge which charity builds up; and faith is strong which exercises itself in love of God and neighbor.<br/><i>— Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 2, Homily 4</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"557a013bca2bdd1b59bc0eedd5ebfddbd2f4a956cc5acbdb77ca4901906e69f5","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":5104,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"8bbbd6082f0d1b594b8423e4b0af5f999b3ca7d82de6335ba629e611b6ab5c47","translator":null,"work":null}