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The heavens are the apostles or the saints, the same where the Lord dwells; in the psalm: The heavens tell the glory of the Lord. [Ps. 18(19):2(1)]
The clouds are the prophets and the saints, which rain the word of the Lord; in Isaiah: I shall order the clouds above to rain. [Is. 5:6]
The thunder is the voice of the evangelists, which sound in the sky; in the psalm: The voice of the thunder in the heaven. [Ps. 76(77):19(18) Vulgate]
The lightning is the splendor of the evangelists; in the psalm: Your lightning lights the globe of the earth. [Ps. 76(77):19(18)]
The lightning is the strength of the word of Jesus Christ; in the psalm: the lightning multiplied and disturbed them. [Ps. 17(18):15(14)]
The angelic thrones, like the saints, are themselves the power of Your rule; in the psalm: Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the same in another part about the devil: I place my throne in the north wind. [Ps. 44(45):7(6); Is. 14:13]
The angels and the saints are the seat of the One Who is Above, because the Lord sits on them; in the psalm: The Lord sits above the seat of His saints. [Ps. 46(47):9(8) Vulgate]
The sun is Lord Jesus Christ, who shines on the earth; in Solomon: therefore, the sun of justice does not shine on us. [Wis. 5:6]
The moon is the church, which is resplendent in the night of this world; in the psalm: He made the moon for its time. [Ps. 103(104):19]
The stars are the saints and the learned; in Daniel: the learned shall burn like the stars, and the angels will shine as well. [Dan. 12:3]
The clouds are truly the mysteries of God; in the prophet: and the rain the clouds of his feet. [Nah. 1:3]
The mist is the working of the divine mysteries; in the psalm: and the mist is beneath His feet. [Ps. 17(18):10(11)]
The deep is the profundity of the Scriptures; in the psalm: deep calls to deep. [Ps. 41(42):8(7)]
The dew is the word of God, which moistens the land of men; in the psalm: like the dew of Hermon which falls on Mount Sion. [Ps. 132(133):3]
The rain is the precepts and decrees of the Lord, which water the land, that is, men; in the psalm: O Lord, You separated the plentiful rain from Your inheritance. [Ps. 67(68):10(9) Vulgate]
The snow is the great brightness of justice; in the psalm: You will wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. [Ps. 50(51):9(7)]
The hail is the threats of the Lord, which beat the stubborn; in the psalm: hail and the coals of fire. The same in another part: and it fell into their vineyard like hail. [Ps. 17(18):13(12); Ps. 77(78):47]
The hoarfrost is abstinence because through it, the passion of the body freezes; in the psalm: I am made like a bottle in the frost. [Ps. 118(119):83]
The storm is the force of trial and examination; in the psalm: He who saves me made me from a weak soul and a storm. [Ps. 54(55):9(8) Vulgate]
The ice is the hardness of sinners; in Solomon: your sin is dissolved like ice in clear weather. [Eccl. 3:17]
The wind is the breath of the saints; in the psalm: He has flown upon the wings of the wind. The same in a bad part in Matthew: And the winds blew. [Matt. 7:25]
The north wind is the devil, or bad, faithless men; in the prophet: from the north wind, evil broke out above the earth. [Jer. 1:44]
The right wind is the same as the north wind; in Solomon: a hard wind is from the north. Moreover, it is called by the name right because the devil himself assumes that name of good, or because of the right would be the west, that is, sin, from his point of view. [Prov. 25:23]
The south wind is the ardor of faith; in the psalm: like a stream in the south. [Ps. 125(126):4 Vulgate]
The empty air is a messenger; in the apostle: thus, I fight, not beating the air, that is, not pursuing emptiness. [1 Cor. 9:26]
The correct time is the ordering of divine will; in the psalm: he made the moon in due season. [Ps. 103(104):19 Vulgate]
Spring is the renewal of life, as baptism is the renewal of life through the resurrection; in the psalm: You have made summer and spring. [Ps. 73(74):17]
Summer is the prefiguration of the joy to come; in the psalm: the same as above.
Winter is persecution and tribulation; in the gospel: let your flight be neither in winter nor on the Sabbath. [Matt. 24:20]
The years are sometimes taken for eternity, thus: your years do not run short, for the time being and for the brevity of life, and so: you shall meditate upon your years, as if they were like a spider's web.
Day and night are righteousness and iniquity, faith and infidelity, prosperity and adversity; in the psalm: The Lord has shown His mercy by day and has declared it in the night. [Ps. 41(42):8]
Light and darkness are thus taken to be like day and night; in the epistle of John: he who loves his brother remains in the light; however, he who hates his brother is in darkness. [I John 2:10-11]
The shade is divine protection; in the psalm: take me under the shadow of Your wings. [Ps. 16(17):8]
The five hundredth hour, which they take to mean years, is said to be the number of days allotted to the world in this present age; in the letter of John: little children, the last days are here. [I John 2:18]
The east saves greatly; in Luke: the dayspring has come to us from on high; and in Zechariah: behold the man, Orient is his name. [Luke 1:78; Zech. 6:12]
The west is the lessening of a better life; in the prophet: our sun has set at midday. [Am. 8:9]
The morning light is the doing of good, or baptism, or resurrection; in the psalm: I shall stand before You in the morning, and I shall see You. [Ps. 5:3]
Midday is the clarity of great teaching and great deeds; in Solomon: where do you lie at noon? and in the bad part of the psalm: a demon at noon, that is, a demon made manifest. [Cant. 1:6; Ps. 90(91):6 Vulgate]
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The St. Pachomius Orthodox Library, St. Innocent of Alaska, 1999
Have mercy, O Lord, upon Thy servant, the translator Karen!
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THE END, AND TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
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