Folio 30v - the hawk, continued.
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom and stretch her wings toward the south?' (Job 39:26).
On which the blessed Gregory Commentarys: It is the custom of hawks in the wild to spread their wings when the south wind blows, so that their limbs are warmed by the wind to release their old feathers. When there is no wind, they create a breeze by spreading their wings to face the rays of the sun and beating them; and thus, as the pores of their body open, either their old plumage falls out, or new feathers grow in.
What does it signify, therefore, that the hawk moults in the south wind, if not that every saint is warmed by the touch of the breath of the Holy Spirit and, casting aside his old way of life, takes on the form of a new man? As the Apostle admonishes us, saying: 'Ye have put off the old man with his needs; and have put on the new man' (Colossians, 3:9). And again: 'But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day' (Corinthians 2, 4:16).
To throw off the old plumage is to abandon a long-standing attachment to a deceitful way of life. To assume new plumage is to hold to a way of life that is gentle and simple. For the plumage of the old way of life weighs you down, while that of the new growth raises you up, so that the newer the plumage, the lighter it is for flight.
The phrase 'stretching its wings to the south' is well chosen. 'To stretch' here means to reveal our thoughts by confessing them through the influence of the Holy Spirit, so that we no longer choose to conceal our sins by defending them but choose to reveal them openly by accusing ourselves of them. So, therefore, the hawk moults when it spreads its wings to the south wind, as we each clothe ourselves in the plumage of virtue when we lay our thoughts open to the Holy Spirit by confessing them.
For if you do not reveal your old sins by confessing them, you will by no means accomplish the works of the new life. If you cannot bewail the sins that weigh you down, you will not have the strength to accomplish the works that can raise you up. For the power of remorse alone opens the pores of the heart and causes the plumage of virtue to grow. When the mind zealously convinces itself that it has been neglectful in the past, it becomes renewed, eager and refreshed.
Therefore let the blessed Job be told: 'Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom and stretch her wings toward the south?' that is,
- Commentary
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Commentary
Text
The hawk spreads its wings to the south and moults.
Comment
Editorial correction in left margin. 'Tepentem' /'warming' to replace 'repente', thus 'they create for themselves a warming breeze'. Red initial 'n' indicator on left edge. Initial type 2. .
Folio Attributes
- Transcription and Translation
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Transcription
Nunquid per sapientiam tuam plumescit accipiter expan\dens alas tuas [PL, suas] ad austrum? Unde beatus Gregorius: Agrestibus \accipitribus moris est, ut flante austro alas expandant quatinus \eorum membra ad laxandum pennam veterem venti tepore \concalescant. Cum vero ventus deest alis contra radium solis \expansis atque percussis, repente sibi auram faciunt, sicque apertis poris \vel veteris exiliunt, vel nove succrescunt. Quid est ergo accipitrem \in austro plumescere, nisi quod unusquisque sanctorum tactus flatu \sancti spiritus concalescit, et usum vetuste conversationis abiciens novi \hominis formam sumit? Quid apostolus ammonet dicens: Expolian\tes nos [PL, vos] veterem hominem cum actibus suis, et induentes novum. \Et rursum: Licet is qui foris est noster homo corrumpatur, tamen is qui \intus est renovatur de die in diem. Vetustam autem pennam proice\re est, inveterata studia dolose actionis amittere. Et novam pen\nam sumere est, mitem ac simplicem bene vivendi sensum tenere. \Penna namque veteris conversationis gravat, et pluma nove immu\tationis sublevat, ut ad volatum tanto leviorem quanto novi\orem reddat. Et bene ait: Expandens alas suas ad austrum, \expandere est per adventum sancti spiritus nostras confitendo cogitationes \aperire, ut iam non libeat defendendo nos tegere sed accusando \publicare. Tunc ergo accipiter plumescit, cum ad austrum alas ex\pandit, quia tunc se unusquisque virtutum pennis induit, cum sancto spiritu \cogitationes suas confitendo substernit. Qui enim fatendo vetera non \detegit, nove vite opera minime producit. Qui nescit lugere quod gra\vat, non valet proferre quod sublevat. Ipsa namque compunctio\nis vis poros cordis aperit, et plumas virtutum fundit. Cumque se \studiose mens de pigra vetustate redarguit, alacri novitate \iuvenescit. Dicatur ergo beato Job: Nunquid per sapientiam tuam plu\mescis accipiter, expandens alas tuas [PL, suas] ad austrum, id est, cuilibet \Translation
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom and stretch her wings toward the south?' (Job 39:26). On which the blessed Gregory Commentarys: It is the custom of hawks in the wild to spread their wings when the south wind blows, so that their limbs are warmed by the wind to release their old feathers. When there is no wind, they create a breeze by spreading their wings to face the rays of the sun and beating them; and thus, as the pores of their body open, either their old plumage falls out, or new feathers grow in. What does it signify, therefore, that the hawk moults in the south wind, if not that every saint is warmed by the touch of the breath of the Holy Spirit and, casting aside his old way of life, takes on the form of a new man? As the Apostle admonishes us, saying: 'Ye have put off the old man with his needs; and have put on the new man' (Colossians, 3:9). And again: 'But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day' (Corinthians 2, 4:16). To throw off the old plumage is to abandon a long-standing attachment to a deceitful way of life. To assume new plumage is to hold to a way of life that is gentle and simple. For the plumage of the old way of life weighs you down, while that of the new growth raises you up, so that the newer the plumage, the lighter it is for flight. The phrase 'stretching its wings to the south' is well chosen. 'To stretch' here means to reveal our thoughts by confessing them through the influence of the Holy Spirit, so that we no longer choose to conceal our sins by defending them but choose to reveal them openly by accusing ourselves of them. So, therefore, the hawk moults when it spreads its wings to the south wind, as we each clothe ourselves in the plumage of virtue when we lay our thoughts open to the Holy Spirit by confessing them. For if you do not reveal your old sins by confessing them, you will by no means accomplish the works of the new life. If you cannot bewail the sins that weigh you down, you will not have the strength to accomplish the works that can raise you up. For the power of remorse alone opens the pores of the heart and causes the plumage of virtue to grow. When the mind zealously convinces itself that it has been neglectful in the past, it becomes renewed, eager and refreshed. Therefore let the blessed Job be told: 'Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom and stretch her wings toward the south?' that is,
