THEOSISGregory the Great
They find themselves at ease during midday amidst those who desire and press down upon the grapes of affliction, as noted in Job 24:11. Those who pursue the Holy Church engage in labor—allowing themselves to be instruments of Divine Providence—so that the souls, likened to clusters, may be released into vessels, transformed into spiritual wine, liberated from the corruptible body, destined for eternal life in heaven. The wicked, while they oppress the righteous, behave as though they trample the grapes beneath them. The juice that flows forth is destined for the bountiful heavenly banquet, a harvest that previously seemed to hang freely in the air.
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David, the prophet, articulates this struggle of the Holy Church in the psalm entitled ‘of the crushes.’ All who inflict suffering upon the faithful are themselves caught in a cycle of grinding and desiring, seeking ever greater cruelty while consumed by the fruits of their own malevolence. Blinded by their nefarious accomplishments, they pursue even more grievous acts. Furthermore, heretics, lacking the ability to enact persecution themselves, strive to manipulate those with the authority to act, seeking to instill in them a spirit of aggression and fan the flames of their own malice. Witnessing the harsh reality of persecution against the lives of the faithful, they seem to rest comfortably in the brightness of midday. Thus, it is accurately said that they rest in the middle of the day among those who covet and crush, as they are surrounded by a multitude who perpetrate cruelty upon others while simultaneously yearning for more affliction. In this way, as the zeal from others fulfills their own twisted desires, they find respite from the burdens of oppression, akin to a midday rest. The passage continues: