The Body of Christ and the Dissolution of the Soul

To provide endurance as if to bring forth the one being afflicted, but in the absence of God, those surrounding him are strong. He does not rejoice, the one saying the psalm, which becomes a type for us humans and teaches us in trials not to pray that such things might happen to him, so that God might be absent, since in the presence of God he would strike down those raising up affliction. For if God were to depart from someone, there would be no helper for that person (Ps 21:13-14).

And if calves and the evil powers working around earthly and bodily things (for this animal is a tiller of the earth), and those presiding over false doctrines through deceptive words and sophisms, they turn out to be fat bulls with horns, being so because of being ostensibly learned and adorned in phrasing. And it is also possible for the Jews, diving into the law from which they find calves, named as such, to surround the Lord hostily; and Pontius Pilate and if there are others existing in the pride of horned bulls, are striving to enclose him.

The Savior says these things also concerning his own body, the church, seeing men as low-dwellers and working the earth, hostily surrounding his body: 'Many calves have surrounded me.' And setting aside from them the thing awakened to evil and the preparation for affliction, he says: 'They opened their mouth against me like a lion seizing and roaring' (Ps 21:15). For their mouth is opened to seize the deceived; the sophist is the word. Perhaps 'like a lion seizing and roaring' refers to the devil, from whom the good shepherd was torn by two legs and an earlobe, consuming through disobedience the ear of the man of the soul, and through the legs its course. Since those who have believed are the body of Christ, the things of those who have believed...

Taking upon himself the suffering, he says these things: it has happened to those who complete his body. Since the sheep did not remain scattered when the shepherd was struck, he says, as Hosea says, 'a gift was poured out' (Hosea 14:7); for the gift having been emptied is scattered. But also concerning the apostles he says, 'All my bones were scattered' (Ps 22:14); for they themselves are his bones because of the good tension and the holding together of the whole body.

Perhaps someone's heart is melting like wax in the midst of the belly (Ps 22:15), and the soul sees those who have suffered labor pains and those bearing calamity born by it. Since, therefore, the things foretold concerning the disciples of Jesus have happened, his heart being divided toward them lovingly, he endured the passion of wax, burning in the midst of the belly, sympathizing with those he bore. But also the sweetness of the heart was like wax that was melting, and the food became and entered into the stomach; for the thoughts of the heart, having been eaten like wax, descended into the belly, melting and thinning through continuous study, in order that the substance of the eaten might be restored.

But also the strength, having been brought into the furnace of life, was dried up like an earthen vessel; for after the experience of tribulations, as one coming out of a furnace, he will receive the dryness of an earthen vessel, no longer being moistened by the moisture of the clay and the flux of pleasures. Of the scattered listeners, no longer being present, the tongue is not active in teaching and conversing, being inactive if it is stuck to the throat; for the one bringing forth a word moves, not being hindered by the sticking to the throat.

'Dust of death' perhaps is to be said, the 'body of death' being named by Paul (2 Cor 4:4); for this is truly fashioned from the earth. And 'dust of death' is said regarding the one who is born and will die. For if the being laid up is to be entwined with the body, it is necessary also that a dissolution take place, which is death.