The Unity of Essence and Distinction of Persons

To be taught, and you have become in need of milk, not of solid food. You see, that the middle parts were passed over, and the extremes were taken. Often indeed such things are said when the middle parts are passed over.

11 From the womb of my mother, my God, you are (Psalm 22:2). As from the womb of a mother, according to the former explanation from the womb of a mother, Job guides orphans; that is to say, from the womb of a mother, that is to say, from when I began to have knowledge, I served no other god, not my own womb, nor mammon. Or if it is the other, that in this way they descended having God, possessing God. But we do not say this about everyone, but about those who are proclaimed in the Scripture that they have never almost existed in sin, such as John and Jeremiah.

'For you are the one who burst me from the womb.' He said 'to burst' and according to the former probable thought that: since the place in Mary where she gave birth had no opening, she gave birth through the cooperation of God. 'My hope is from the breasts of my mother.' I did not begin to hope after completion, but from the breasts of my mother I had hope in you. If it is understood concerning the holy, we say: the upper Jerusalem is the mother of the saints. From the breasts of this one hope is taken by those who hope, from those who have been discipled by them; for often the breast does not signify the member, but the milk itself.

'Upon you I was cast from the womb, from the womb of my mother, my God, you are' (Psalm 22:9). Upon you I was cast; not toward another was I cast, and then after that toward you. This is given, that from when I began to know piety, I perceived you, I served you. And according to the deeper meaning, that in this way I came to have God with me, just as John. The 'yet shall be filled'; for 'yet' is not said concerning that which has not existed at all.

12 Do not depart from me, for tribulation is near (Psalm 22:10). He speaks concerning the passion. And I need your presence. But when these things are said from the person of the one who was anthropized, it is not said privately toward the Father nor toward the Son, but toward God—one divinity of Father and Son—we say. If, therefore, we say that: 'Christ is the head of every man, but the head of Christ'—he did not say 'the Father', but 'God'; for he receives Christ now as High Priest and as King. Therefore, the head is the divinity.

For if 'the Father' has spoken, he excludes the Son; if 'the Son' has spoken, he overlooks the Father; for he has spoken 'God', since there is one divinity of Father and Son, and one God: indeed, God is one, but Father and Son are not one. Abraham and Isaac are one man, but one is the father and the other the son. Therefore, they are not one according to relation, but one according to essence.

For there is no helper. No one else is able to help. It can also be understood thus: 'for there is not'—I did not cast my care upon another helper. And it can also be: 'for there is no helper to me,' since all are against me, there is no one now, as far as human reasoning goes, who helps. Therefore, do not turn away from me. And it is possible also to say: not even an angel is able to help the one so far off. He does not dare to help because you, being greater than all, that is, the divinity, are present with him, and no one else is of such a kind as to help in this matter.

Many bulls have surrounded me, fattened oxen have enclosed me. Consequently, he speaks of the various factions of the Jews: Pharisees, Sadducees, and the others called Jewish Scribes; for these, in thinking greatly of these animals, are compared to them, especially since these animals are also tillers of the earth. And it is possible to call them bulls, and the fattened oxen are those acting as such, for example: 'the peoples labored in vain' (Ps 106:36)—these are the bulls. 'The kings of the earth stood up' (Ps 2:2). But we do not always perceive kings and rulers; for even a single king, being small and no longer having a kingdom, has been overtaken by the remaining Roman authority.

But Paul interpreted who the rulers are: those who became the cause of the Lord being crucified, of whom he says there are many wisdoms. And he says: 'If they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory' (Acts 4:28). If they had known that they were bringing about the destruction of their own order, they would not have dared to do this. As we previously said prophetically regarding 'he who touches you touches the apple of his eye' (Zech 2:8): they, having laid hold of the Savior, destroyed themselves; and they rushed to kill him, thinking they would end his rule. On the contrary, it turned out for them: they themselves were destroyed. Fattened oxen have enclosed me; they opened upon me...