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Office Of Readings | Week 33, Thursday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Commentary Of Saint Gregory Of Nyssa On The Song Of Songs | A Prayer To The Good Shepherd
‘A prayer to the good Shepherd.’
Saint Gregory of Nyssa reflects on the soul’s desire for Christ by placing the words of the Song of Songs on the lips of the believer. The soul addresses Christ as the Good Shepherd, the one who carries the whole of human nature on his shoulders. By doing so, Gregory emphasises both Christ’s universal work of salvation and the personal relationship he forms with each believer. The soul asks to be shown ‘the place of peace’ and ‘the good grass’, that is, the place where Christ nourishes, protects, and restores his people.
Gregory’s interpretation centres on the simple petition: Show me where you pasture your flock. The soul seeks Christ not out of curiosity but out of need—awareness that without his guidance, she cannot grow in holiness or attain eternal life. The ‘pasture’ is Christ himself, especially the grace that flows from his saving Passion. Gregory directly connects this nourishment with the water that flowed from Christ’s pierced side, the water that becomes in believers ‘a spring welling up to eternal life’. Salvation is not abstract; it is received through communion with Christ’s life-giving gifts.
The image of ‘noonday rest’ expresses the stability and clarity granted to those who live in God’s light. Noon has no shadow; it symbolises a state free from the darkness or confusion of sin. To rest in this light, Gregory says, one must be a ‘child of the day’, someone who has turned away from the beginnings and endings of evil—its first movements and its final outcomes. The noonday rest is not yet the final vision of God, but it is a share in his peace given to those who remain close to Christ.
The soul asks Christ to ‘show me how I should sleep and how I should graze’, meaning: teach me how to rest securely in you and how to live daily on what you provide. The concern is practical and spiritual: the soul fears wandering away through ignorance, losing the beauty that God’s grace has bestowed. Gregory thus highlights the need for continual instruction and continual dependence on Christ.
A Reading From The Commentary Of Saint Gregory Of Nyssa On The Song Of Songs | A Prayer To The Good Shepherd
Where are you pasturing your flock, O good Shepherd, who carry the whole flock on your shoulders? (for the whole of human nature is one sheep and you have lifted it onto your shoulders). Show me the place of peace, lead me to the good grass that will nourish me, call me by name so that I, your sheep, hear your voice, and by your speech give me eternal life. Answer me, you whom my soul loves.
I give you the name ‘you whom my soul loves’ because your name is above every name and above all understanding and there is no rational nature that can utter it or comprehend it. Therefore your name, by which your goodness is known, is simply the love my soul has for you. How could I not love you, when you loved me so much, even though I was black, that you laid down your life for the sheep of your flock? A greater love cannot be imagined, than exchanging your life for my salvation.
Show me then (my soul says) where you pasture your flock, so that I can find that saving pasture too, and fill myself with the food of heaven without which no-one can come to eternal life, and run to the spring and fill myself with the drink of God. You give it, as from a spring, to those who thirst – water pouring from your side cut open by the lance, water that, to whoever drinks it, is a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
If you lead me to pasture here, you will make me lie down at noon, sleeping at peace and taking my rest in light unstained by any shade. For the noon has no shade and the sun stands far above the mountain peaks. You bring your flock to lie in this light when you bring your children to rest with you in your bed. But no-one can be judged worthy of this noonday rest who is not a child of light and a child of the day. Whoever has separated himself equally from the shadows of evening and morning, from where evil begins and evil ends, at noon he will lie down and the sun of righteousness will shine on him.
Show me, then (my soul says), how I should sleep and how I should graze, and where the path is to my noonday rest. Do not let me fall away from your flock because of ignorance, and find myself one of a flock of sheep that are not yours.
Thus my soul spoke, when she was anxious about the beauty that God’s care had given her and wanted to know how she could keep this good fortune forever.
Christian Prayer With Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ,
Good Shepherd who carries us in your mercy,
draw our hearts to the pasture where you give life.
Teach us to hear your voice,
to rest in the light of your presence,
and to remain close to you in all our ways.
Keep us from the shadows of sin
and preserve in us the grace you have given.
Lead us at last to the fullness of your peace,
you who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Good Shepherd – A title for Christ, especially from John 10, emphasising his care, guidance, and sacrificial love for his people.
Pasture – Symbolically, the spiritual nourishment Christ provides: his Word, his grace, his sacraments, and his presence.
Eternal Life – The definitive life with God, beginning now through grace and fulfilled fully in the age to come.
Grace – God’s free and undeserved gift of his life and help, enabling us to believe, act rightly, and grow in holiness.
Noonday Rest – In Gregory’s imagery, the peace and clarity of living in God’s light, without the shadows of sin or ignorance.
Child of Light / Child of the Day – A biblical expression (cf. 1 Thess 5:5) for those who belong to Christ and live according to his truth.
Water from Christ’s Side – Refers to John 19:34; symbolises Baptism, the sacraments, and the life-giving grace that flows from Jesus Christ’s Passion.
Light of God – God’s truth and presence, which illumines the believer’s life and dispels spiritual darkness.
Song of Songs – A book of Scripture often interpreted spiritually as the dialogue of love between Christ and the soul or between Christ and the Church.
The Flock – The people of God, shepherded and saved by Jesus Christ.
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YouTube: Ash Wednesday | T.S. Eliot | Audio Christian Poetry | Word Aloud Ash Wednesday, one of T.S. Eliot’s most profound and enigmatic poems, marks a significant transition in his life and work. Written in 1930, it is the first long poem Eliot composed after his conversion to Anglicanism in 1927. The poem, often considered one of Eliot’s masterpieces, delves into themes of faith, redemption, and spiritual struggle. It reflects the poet’s personal journey towards spiritual enlightenment and serves as a testament to his newfound religious beliefs. A reading of Ash Wednesday is an exploration of the poem’s religious, literary, and personal contexts, as of the poem’s complex structure and themes. Religious Context And Symbolism Ash Wednesday is deeply embedded in Christian symbolism and tradition. The title refers to the first day of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar, a day marked by penance, fasting, and prayer. Ash Wednesday is a time for reflection on mortality and repentance, themes that are intricately woven throughout the poem. Eliot’s conversion to Anglicanism profoundly influenced his writing; ‘Ash Wednesday’ is an expression of spiritual awakening and quest for redemption. The poem is replete with religious imagery and references, drawing on Christian doctrine and scripture. The use of liturgical language, biblical allusions, and references to saints and spiritual figures creates a tapestry of faith that invites readers to contemplate deep spiritual truths with which Eliot is grappling. The repetitive and prayer-like quality of the verses echoes meditative practices of the faithful, in part enabling the contemplative nature of the poem. Literary Influences And Techniques T.S. Eliot was a master of literary allusion and technique, and Ash Wednesday expresses Eliot’s ability to blend various influences into a cohesive whole. The poem reflects the influence of Dante, particularly The Divine Comedy, which Eliot admired for its exploration of spiritual ascent and redemption. Dante’s journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven parallels Eliot’s own spiritual journey, and the structure of Ash Wednesday can be seen as a reflection of this pilgrimage. Eliot’s use of fragmented narrative, a hallmark of his earlier work such as The Waste Land, is also present in Ash Wednesday. However, in this poem, the fragmentation serves a different purpose. Instead of depicting the disintegration of modern society, it mirrors the fragmented and often painful process of spiritual rebirth. The disjointed structure reflects the internal struggle of the speaker, who is torn between the pull of worldly desires and the aspiration for divine grace. The poem’s language is rich and varied, combining the lyrical and the obscure, the personal and the universal. Eliot employs a range of poetic forms and devices, including free verse, rhyme and meter, to convey the tumultuous journey of faith. The shifting tone and style reflect the complexities and contradictions inherent in the spiritual quest, capturing moments of doubt, despair, hope, and transcendence. Personal Significance Ash Wednesday is a deeply personal work. Eliot’s conversion to Anglicanism marked a profound shift in his life, providing a sense of purpose and direction that had been missing. The poem can be read as a reflection of Eliot’s own struggles with faith and his efforts to reconcile his intellectual skepticism with his desire for spiritual certainty. Eliot’s personal experiences, including his troubled marriage and professional pressures, also inform the poem. Themes of renunciation and acceptance, sin and redemption, are not merely abstract concepts but lived realities for the poet. This personal dimension adds a layer of intimacy and urgency to the poem, which thereby resonates with readers who have faced their own spiritual crises. Thematic Exploration At its core, Ash Wednesday is a meditation on the possibility of spiritual renewal in a world that often seems devoid of meaning. The poem grapples with the tension between faith and doubt, reflecting the existential struggles of modernity. The poem acknowledges the difficulties of maintaining belief in an age of skepticism but ultimately affirms the possibility of redemption and grace. The central theme of renunciation is explored through imagery of ascension and purification. The speaker’s journey is marked by a series of renunciations, symbolizing the shedding of earthly attachments in pursuit of spiritual truth. This process is neither straightforward nor easy; it involves moments of intense struggle and introspection. Yet, through this arduous journey, the speaker moves closer to a state of spiritual clarity and acceptance. Ash Wednesday | T. S. Eliot Because I do not hope to turn again Because I do not hope Because I do not hope to turn Desiring this man’s gift and that man’s scope I no longer strive to strive towards such things (Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?) Why should I mourn The vanished power of the usual reign? Because I do not hope to know The infirm glory of the positive hour Because I do not think Because I know I shall not know The one veritable transitory power Because I cannot drink There, where trees flower, and springs flow, for there is nothing again Because I know that time is always time And place is always and only place And what is actual is actual only for one time And only for one place I rejoice that things are as they are and I renounce the blessèd face And renounce the voice Because I cannot hope to turn again Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something Upon which to rejoice And pray to God to have mercy upon us And pray that I may forget These matters that with myself I too much discuss Too much explain Because I do not hope to turn again Let these words answer For what is done, not to be done again May the judgement not be too heavy upon us Because these wings are no longer wings to fly But merely vans to beat the air The air which is now thoroughly small and dry Smaller and dryer than the will Teach us to care and not to care Teach us to sit still. Pray for us sinners now […]
