Ezekiel 1:23

Hence it is fittingly added soon after: "And under the firmament their wings were straight, one toward the other." Then the wings of virtues are straight beneath the firmament when the good that one person has, he bestows upon another, so that he who has received earthly substance may relieve the poverty of a needy neighbor; he who is full of the grace of teaching may illuminate the darkness of an ignorant neighbor with the word of his preaching; he who is supported by temporal power may relieve those oppressed by violence; he who is full of the spirit of prophecy may turn aside evils threatening a neighbor's life by persuading him to good; he who has received the grace of healing may devoutly and humbly bestow his intercession for the health of the sick; he who, free from earthly activities, has merited to be occupied with God alone, may pray for his erring neighbors. But it often happens that he who is too much occupied with earthly substance does not watch in prayer as much as he ought. And it frequently happens that he who, stripped of all the burdens of the world, is free to entreat the Lord, does not have the sustenance for living. But when the rich man extends food and clothing to the poor, and when the poor man bestows his prayer upon the soul of the rich, the wings of the living creatures are stretched straight from one to another. For when that man offers me the word of preaching and expels the darkness of ignorance from my heart with the light of truth, and when I, because perhaps he is oppressed by some powerful person of this world, impart to him the comfort of my defense and rescue him from violent hands, we stretch our wings to one another in turn, so that we may touch each other with mutual affection and assistance from the good we have received. Hence the first pastor rightly admonishes, saying: "The end of all things has drawn near. Be therefore prudent, and watch in prayers; above all, having mutual charity continuous among yourselves, because charity covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without murmuring. Each one, as he has received grace, administering it to one another." What therefore in Ezekiel is called a wing, in the apostle Peter is called received grace. And what he says: "The straight wings of one to another," the pastor of the Church says: "Each one, as he has received grace, administering it to one…

"Each one covered his body with two wings, and another was similarly covered." We have already said above that action is signified by the body, while virtues are signified by the wings. And when he says: "Under the firmament their wings were straight, one toward the other," we must ask how it is added: "Each one covered its body with two wings." In this matter it is clearly indicated that they both extended their wings toward one another, and yet they covered their own body with two wings. What is this, except that we ought to bestow upon others the virtues we have received, while not ceasing to think carefully about those things in which we have sinned, and to lament our guilt daily through fear and penitence? For we have said above that the two wings by which the body is covered are fear and penitence. Therefore let us so grow in charity that we extend our wings toward our neighbors; and let us never cease to think about and lament ourselves. Let wings be extended toward one another, let wings cover the bodies, so that we both offer examples of good actions, and fear and penitence hide from judgment the evil things we have done. In the old translation it is said of these wings: "Two were joined to each one, and covering their bodies." In these words it is understood that those same wings that were joined one to another were also those that covered their bodies. This is rightly understood figuratively, because those virtues protect us before almighty God which we impart and join to our neighbors out of charity; while we live in harmony with them, we cover over the evil things we have done. Therefore by these wings can also be understood the two precepts of charity, namely love of God and of neighbor. For by loving God, we pursue our own evils within ourselves, that is, we cover the body. But by loving our neighbor, we hasten to help him in whatever way we can, that is, we extend our wings toward another. But that which is added, "And the other was similarly veiled," is not found in the old translation. And it can be asked why, after it was said, "Each one veiled its body with two wings," there is added, "And the other was similarly veiled." Searching carefully through the translation of the Seventy interpreters, of Aquila, of Theodotion, and of Symmachus, we find nothing of these words; but rereading the writings of blessed Jerome, we recognized that he…