The Divine Lamp

Note1: Placing your mouse on the blue links (without clicking) will cause a pop-up box to appear with the cited text according to the Douay-Rheims translation. You can then view the text in other versions. Red/orange links must be clicked on.

Note 2: I originally posted this in April of last year and am re-posting it today. Other notes on the Protocatechesis can be found by clicking the link “Catechetical Lectures” found under this blogs header. I hope to resume posting on this work in the near future.

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1. Already there is an odor of blessedness upon you, O you who are soon to be enlightened; already you are gathering the spiritual flowers, to weave heavenly crowns; already the fragrance of the Holy Spirit has breathed upon you; already you have gathered round the vestibule of the king’s palace; May you be led in also by the King! For blossoms have now appeared upon the trees; may the fruit also be found perfect! Thus far there has been an inscription of your names, and a call to service, and torches of the bridal train, and a longing for heavenly citizenship, and a good purpose, and hope attendant thereon. For he does not lie who said, “that to them that love God all things work together for good.” God is lavish in beneficence, yet he waits for each man’s genuine will: therefore the Apostle added and said, “to them that are called according to his purpose. The honesty of purpose makes you called: for if your body be here but not your mind, it profits you nothing.

NOTES

Already there is an odor of blessedness upon you, O you who are soon to be enlightened. The odor the saint is referring to is the blessings of baptism. Though they have not yet been “enlightened” (i.e. baptized) the blessing of baptism is said to surround them like a ladies fine perfume because the have made it through the initial stages of the catechumenate and are preparing for the 40 day test of Lent. Perhaps the blessing spoken of here is akin to that of the baptism of desire, for already they have gathered round the vestibule of the King’s palace, but they have not yet entered it; blossoms have appeared upon the trees, but not yet the fruit; and “to them that love God all things work together for good,” so it follows that those who have honesty of purpose, in both mind and heart, are called according to his purpose. This last statement sums up the dominant theme of the protocatechesis.

Enlightened: In the early Church this word was often associated with baptism. The story of the man born blind whom Jesus healed by sending him to wash in the pool of Siloam is often associated with this theme (see John 9:1-41, and note the themes of Jesus as light of the world and of the blindness of the pharisees).

The holy spirit has breathed upon you. Perhaps an allusion to God breathing into Adam’s nostrils to give him life (Gen 2:7; see also Jn 20:22).

You have gathered round the vestibule of the King’s palace; may you be led in also by the King! An image perhaps suggested by Psalm 45:11-16.

For blossoms have now appeared on the trees; may the fruit also be found perfect! Perhaps suggested by Mark 13:28, or its parallels. Perhaps there is an allusion here to Matt 3:8-10. Concerning this passage I posted the following note in my Notes on Matthew 3:1-12

The Greek word poieo (bring forth) is sometimes used as a synonym for fruit karpos. Essentially, what the Baptist is saying is :Produce something productive. See Isaiah’s famous Song of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7) See also Hosea 10:1-2,12-13. God expected fruit from Israel but seldom got it (Hosea 9:16) The man who turns away from God (recall repentance means a turning back to God) shows a lack of wisdom, and is like a barren bush in the desert (see Jeremiah 17:5-10).

Thus far there has been an inscription of your names… perhaps an allusion to passages such as Rev 13:8; 17:8; or Daniel 12:1.

torches of the bridal train.. Perhaps an allusion to the ten virgins parable of Matt 25:1-13.

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