Isaías 12
Ambrose of Milan · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Isaías 12:3
Better is the foolishness that has eyes to see its own wounds than wisdom that does not have them. And therefore, with the gaze of his own foolishness, such a great king admits to being afflicted by miseries; so that he may find the remedy of repentance, which Judas, who possessed a field with the wages of iniquity, could not find. "I am afflicted and bowed down by miseries until the end; I go about in sorrow all day long." Until what end does he say he is bowed down? Is it the legitimate end of repentance? Or moreover, so that we may understand it mystically, until Christ, who is the end of the Law; who allowed himself to be scourged, allowed his body to be stoned to death? But those wounds emitted no smell of repentance, but rather the fragrance of all grace. Finally, death did not consume Him, as it does with other men; rather, the fountain of eternal life gushed forth, as Scripture teaches us, saying: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Therefore, water sprang forth from His wound, so that we might drink salvation. All sinners of the earth will drink, so that they may cast off their sins. Consider each detail. Christ was afflicted with miseries in order to make blessed those who were in misery. Let no one call him who is just miserable, for he himself said: "You will make no one miserable." He was bent down so that we could be raised up; he was sad so that we could be made joyful; as it is written: "For if I cause you sorrow, who then will make me glad, unless the one who is made sad by me." Therefore, whoever is made sad by the Lord Jesus Christ, he himself makes Christ glad; and he himself is made joyful by Christ. Therefore, we also recognize that we must not be satisfied with superficiality. Let us bend until the end, that is, not only having faith in Christ, but also enduring our sufferings, and let us rejoice in our sufferings, just as Christ rejoiced in his sufferings. He took them upon himself for his servants, so let us undergo them for the Lord. This, therefore, is the end. 'I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, which is the Church, of which I have become a minister.' We see what we must undertake, who have taken up the priestly ministry; that we ought to endure courageously not only the afflictions of the body for ourselves, but also for the Church of the Lord. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms, On Psalm 37.31-32
Isaías 12:3
But perhaps you will say: How can Christ be rich in poverty? Although my intelligence may fail me, divine assistance does not fail in the reading of the Scriptures, for the Apostle says: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor for your sakes; that through his poverty you might be rich." So what is this poverty that makes us rich? Let us consider it, let us focus on the sacred Sacrament itself. What can be purer and simpler than that? No one is drenched with the blood of bulls, as the sacrifices of the Gentiles are said to be; no sinner is washed with the blood of goats and rams (for no one is purified in this way; flesh is washed, not guilt diluted), but with water, as Isaiah says, with joy from the springs of the Savior; and a heavenly table is prepared before you, and what a splendid intoxicating cup it is! These are the riches of simplicity, in which is the precious poverty of Christ. Poverty is good in character; hence the Lord said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." And in the Psalms we find that the Lord will save the humble in spirit. There is also abundant poverty in humble fellowship, if faith abounds. Hence the Apostle says: "And their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their simplicity." — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms, On Psalm 40.4-5
Isaías 12:3
Between this rich man and the poor man there is a great chasm; because after death, merits cannot be changed, and therefore the rich man is led into hell, desiring to draw something of the poor man's refreshing spirit; for water is the nourishment of the soul in its afflictions, of which Isaiah says: "And water will be drunk with delight from the fountains of salvation." But why is he tormented before judgment? Because punishment is to be deprived of luxuries for the one indulging in them. For the Lord says: "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of heaven." And yet this late rich master begins to be; since he no longer has time for learning or teaching. — Commentary on Luke, 8.18-19