The progression from milk to spiritual strength

The eyes are moved to another place. Thus he says that the insight of the wise man is in his head according to Christ; for 'his head is the Christ' (Ps 22:1). He hoped in the Lord; let Him rescue him; let Him save him, because He wills him. Mockers say so. He said that men have also been accustomed to say such things concerning the righteous who are afflicted: 'If he is willed by Him, let Him save him'. And He will rescue him, not because they say this, but because he is willed by Him. He carries out His own plan. He came to fulfill the will of the Father; for 'I have come down from heaven not to do my own will' (Jn 6:38). If therefore he does the will of his Father, He wills him.

For 'you are the one who burst me forth from the womb' (Ps 22:9). And regarding the history, something plausible might be said. Mary received 'the Holy Spirit coming upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowing her' (Lk 1:35). And just as God Himself forms bodies in the womb—as He formed Jeremiah and this body in the womb of Mary. Since therefore the same purity and cleanness were regarding the body, He Himself burst it forth from the womb. He did not do something great in this, but just as having formed Adam he showed him to be a man, so having formed him he brought him forth.

'My hope is from the breasts of my mother' (Ps 22:10). Even while still nursing you showed yourself, that you are my hope, having called the Magi—for while still an infant he mastered magic. In receiving milk I was not acting like an infant as other infants are ignorant of God, but I held hope in you.

'Upon you I was cast forth from the womb' (Ps 22:9). He, not having done sin nor having deceit in his heart, he who 'before knowing calls father and mother' (Ps 22:11) took 'the power of Damascus and the cunning of Samaria', he who 'before evil things came forth' chose 'the good'; for this shows that he neither did sin nor knew it. All men, after the choosing of the evil, choose the good. This one, before evil things came forth, chose the good. And this is that he is sinless, that he did not know sin, because even not according to childhood age he sinned, which things are not very difficult, yet they are presented as preceding virtue. This might also be said concerning every saint, through this same thing becoming so in life. He became...

“Behold the man, sent from God, his name John.” “And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from the womb of his mother.” (Luke 1:13-15). Each of these is able to say these words to that: “Upon you I have called from the womb,” that is, “From the womb of my mother, my God you are.” But if concerning Samuel it is said: “And Samuel before knowing God” (1 Sam 3:7), it seems to contend with the things previously said. Therefore let us see more wisely how the word is the will of God.

Job says: “And even if I have eaten my morsel alone and have not shared with the orphan, except as a father guided them from the womb of my mother” (Job 29:15); for how was he able to provide for and care for orphans from the womb of a mother? Thus, therefore, I take it: a praiseworthy practice is a continuous progression; then the practice takes its beginning when the word is fulfilled. I am able, therefore, to say this: he says that I have done good things not after the evil things, but the word having been fulfilled in me, it began from the praiseworthy things; so that we may leave those things entirely, having been brought from elsewhere this state which is “pleasing to God.”

Since, therefore, there is another generation besides the one at hand, and that generation is in a certain way a mother, someone is torn from a womb, from this womb; for not by God alone can a man be brought from this womb into light. And from the breasts which are suitable with milk, which they receive, beginning now to be God-fearing, from those breasts they have hope toward God. And often milk signifies something else: “those turned away from milk; hope upon tribulation they received.” Not he, having ceased from milk just now and having been torn from the breasts of the mother, is able to receive hope upon tribulation.

Often the infant is said to be in relation to the perfect man, with the intermediate ages being passed over in silence: “When I was an infant, when I have become a man” (Ps 22:10, 71:17). And he has become a man not by a first and single change, but by many changes. Therefore, bearing the state of an infant and having a weaker disposition, he is given milk. But when he is able to become someone great, then he is torn from the milk and then he is prepared for athletic power, to pursue and achieve “tribulation upon tribulation and hope upon hope.” “For indeed, owing to be teachers because of the time, again you have need of the...