The Banquet of Wisdom

The underlying meaning implies that what follows the shadow is both perceptible and visible; so it is here, since the shadow becomes a matter of the soul, and death touches the soul. 'Sin'—which was a shadow—becomes a mother when 'completed,' meaning it brings about and produces death. 'If I walk in the midst of the shadow of death' (Ps 23:4). Has this happened to those in affliction? Yes, if one were terrified, he was sinning. Is 'in the midst' meant as being in sin? I do not say this. I do not say the shadow of death is the act of being afflicted, but rather the sense of dread and cowardice arising from affliction. For the martyrs were in the midst of the shadow of death, but not in death itself. They were afflicted, but they did not succumb to the tribulation that was promised to follow. A similar thought is expressed in: 'Do not bring us into temptation' (Matt 6:13). For they do not say: 'Do not let us be afflicted.' If that were the case, the apostles would never have spoken, saying: 'In all things being afflicted' (2 Cor 4:8). Therefore, not entering into temptation means not being seized by the will of the one testing. 'I will fear no evil, for you are with me' (Ps 23:4). Having you with me, I fear nothing of those intending to harm. 'Your rod and your staff, these have comforted me' (Ps 23:4). You see that he was not inexperienced with the shadow of death. Your staff, becoming my support, and your rod, disciplining me, comforted me; they brought me out of death, even if I have become within its shadow, even if I have entered into the midst of its shadow. The rod and the staff of God are taken both for discipline and for support: 'He who brings wisdom from the lips, strikes a heartless man with a rod' (Ps 32:9). He named the disciplinary and corrective word a rod. And Paul writes to the Corinthians: 'What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod?' (2 Cor 10:2). And it is taken for support: 'The staffs are in your hands; and you received it with haste; it is the Lord's Passover' (1 Cor 11:33).

He prepared a table before me in the presence of those afflicting me (Ps 23:5). We connect the present things to the prelude; for because of them it has happened, when we said that after the drinking of milk, 'solid food' is given, being the wisdom of God spoken of in the perfect (1 Cor 3:2). And even here, after the beastly conduct, even if it was occurring with stability and gentleness, having been shepherded by you...

I remained late; for the table had received the feast. We had the condition of a sheep; we had need of feasts resembling lessons and having the power of water. But when I advanced, my soul being turned back by you toward the paths of righteousness (Ps 23:4) so that I might be comforted by your rod and your staff, I have become a man. For this reason we did not prepare a feast, but a table, and you revealed to me before me its beauty, its nourishment, its deliciousness. Your wisdom has prepared this table for me.

She has laid upon it 'having slaughtered her own victims' (Prov 9:2). And she has laid upon it 'her own wine' (Prov 9:5), 'mixing' it with this table, and she calls all to eat and drink from this table. And we call here the table of wisdom the divine one for children. And sacrifices are laid upon this; for when we perform the sacred rites and slaughter the doctrines of piety, so that we may make them ready for food, then the sacrifices are laid upon the table. And no one else offered them except Wisdom herself, who 'prepared her own table' (Prov 9:2); for she did not simply say, 'she prepared a table,' but 'her own.' And the table of Wisdom does not have other delicacies laid upon it except the wise teachings.

Furthermore, she 'mixed her own wine' (Prov 9:5). She took water to it, so that we, being unable to receive it unmixed, might take wine already mixed. There are certain unspeakable words, which are not let to be called wine. When anyone is able to lead these into explicit teaching, she mixed, adding to them a perceptible gift: the examples of the Scripture, the words announced in parables. Again, since God is the Word and Wisdom is the Word, but we were not able to take the Word unmixed, she mixed it with the Incarnation, and we received, moreover, mixed wine from both the Word of the Incarnation and the majesty of the Only-begotten. 'And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory' (John 1:14). Behold the mixture. This was not the mixing of anyone else but of her own Wisdom. You know that the one mixing sometimes makes the mixture according to the capacity of the drinker. And so Wisdom mixed her own wine and does not give the same mixture to all, but what each can contain. Therefore, there are those who are sober, in whom this mixture seems more potent...