Splendor paternae gloriae / Light of the Father’s Glory Great

Splendor¹splendor — How to express the eternal generation of the Son from the Father without bringing to mind material realities? It was natural for teachers of the faith to refer to light. Dicet aliquis: Quomodo generatus est Filius? Quasi sempiternus, quasi Verbum, quasi splendor lucis aeternae, quia simul splendor operatur, ut nascitur. Apostoli istud exemplum est, non est meum. Noli ergo credere quod fuerit vel momentum aliquod quo fuerit sine sapientia Deus, aut sine splendore lux. Noli, Ariane, ex nostris aestimare divina: sed divina crede, ubi humana non invenis. Ambrose, de Fide 1.13 Reference to Apostle: “qui cum [Filius] sit splendor gloriæ, et figura substantiæ ejus” (ad Heb 1:3); “candor est enim lucis æternæ, et speculum sine macula Dei majestatis, et imago bonitatis illius” (Sap 7:26). paternae gloriae,
de luce lucem²de luce lumen — cf the creed: lumen de lumine proferens,³proferens – in classical Latin, “proferre” = to reveal, uncover, bring forth. In Christian Latin, it becomes a way to speak of the “prolatio” of the Son, His coming forth from the Father. So Tertullian: Protulit…Deus sermonem…sicut radix fruticem et fons fluuium et sol radium. Ambrose is saying that Father is the source of light, the source of the Son, who is in turn the light of men.
lux lucis et fons luminis,
diem dies illuminans,⁴dies dierum inluminans — participle used as adjective takes the genitive. E.g. “fugitantes mundi” Ambrose de Fuga 6. Also, contrast between Christ the eternal unchanging Day and the many changing days of creation. The expression “dies dierum” is a Hebrewism: rex regum, saecula saeculorum, dominus dominantium, etc. The best day, the original day, the day per excellentiam. ALTERNATIVELY, “dierum” goes with “inluminans” — remember, present participle with genitive?

Verusque sol,⁵verusque sol — ref is to Malachi. The sun of this world has but borrowed light and heat (Walpole) illabere⁶illabere is imperative of what verb?
micans nitore perpeti,⁷perpeti — what is the adjective? 
iubarque⁸iubar — In Virgil, the first rays of the rising sun, “iubare exorto” Aeneid 4.130. Cf. Ambrose, Hexameron 4.1 (in keeping with the theme of morning) Sancti Spiritus
infunde⁹infunde — The usual Christian Latin word for the effusion of the Spirit in authors prior to Ambrose was effundere. Ambrose prefers infundere (though not exclusively) “cui spiritus sanctus infunitrum, magnarum plenitudo uirtutum est” (in Lucam 1:34). In late pagan authors, infundere expressed notion of divinity being infused into man. nostris sensibus.

Votis vocemus et Patrem,¹⁰patrem, patrem, patrem —  repetition typical of Ambrose’s hymns
Patrem perennis gloriae,
Patrem potentis gratiae,
culpam releget¹¹releget – basic meaning of “relegare” is? lubricam.¹²lubricam — what does “lubricus” mean in general? And here, connected with culpam?

Informet¹³informet —  in this stanza, transition from asking God to banish evil to asking him to help us do good. Theme of Christ as pedagogos/magister actus strenuos,
dentem retundat invidi,¹⁴dentem…invidi — Adam dente serpentis est uulneratus et obnoxiam hereditatem successionis hymanae suo uulnere dereliquit, ut omnes illo uulnere claudicemus” (Ambrose, in psalm. 48.8)
casus secundet asperos,
donet gerendi¹⁵gerendi  — today we might say “management.” “omnia nostra… ita gerito, regito, gubernato ut nihil a me exspectes” (Cicero, Att. 16.2.2) gratiam.

Mentem gubernet et regat
casto, fideli corpore;
fides calore ferveat,
fraudis venena¹⁶fraudis venena — what kind of poison exactly? nesciat.

Christusque nobis sit cibus,
potusque¹⁷cibus potusque — not primarily a reference to the Eucharist. “nonne ipse te pauit? Cibus eius uirtus est, cibus eius fortitudo est” (Ambrose, in Lucam 6.74. Reference is to Luke 9:13). noster sit fides;
laeti bibamus sobriam
ebrietatem¹⁸sobriam ebrietatem — a very famous oxymoron! As Christians, we think of the accusation that the apostles were drunk with new wine or, more appositely, Eph 5:18-19. Ambrose appears to be drawing on a pre-christian idea, though. 

Philo of Alexandria: In On Drunkenness, he describes those who are “God-possessed”: ” . . . The body is flushed and fiery, warmed by the overflowing joy within which passes on the sensation to the outer man, and thus many of the foolish are deceived and suppose that the sober are drunk. Though, indeed, it is true that these sober ones are drunk in a sense, for all good things are united in the strong wine on which they feast . . .” Also in On the Creation of the World, where he writes of people “seized by a sober intoxication, like those filled with Corybantic frenzy, and . . . inspired, possessed by a . . . noble desire.” Then when each choir has separately done its own part in the feast, having drunk as in the Bacchic rites of the strong wine of God’s love, they mix and both together become a single choir … Thus they continue until dawn, drunk with this drunkenness in which there is no shame, and not with heavy heads or drowsy eyes but more alert and wakeful than when they came to the banquet . . . (Ryan Hendrickson, Philo of Alexandria and the Vocabulary of Belief)

 1 Cor 12:13 In uno Spíritu omnes nos in unum corpus baptizáti sumus, sive Iudæi sive Græci sive servi sive líberi, et omnes unum Spíritum potáti sumus.

The BR changed this phrase to “profusionem Spiritus.” Sigh…this was done to “correct” the prosody. Spiritus.

Laetus dies hic transeat;
pudor sit ut diluculum,
fides velut meridies,
crepusculum mens nesciat.

Aurora cursus provehit;
Aurora totus prodeat,
in Patre totus Filius
et totus in Verbo Pater.

Light of the Father’s glory great,
Proceeding forth as light from light;
The light of light, its living source,
The day that makes all others bright.

True Sun, sink down into our hearts,
Agleam with never-ending glow;
The sunrise of the Spirit pour
Upon our senses here below.

The Father, too, of endless grace,
We call our Father in our prayers,
The God of glory evermore,
To banish guilt and all its snares.

Our actions shape into a strength,
And dull the devil’s tooth, we pray;
Bring good from adverse accidents;
Give grace to live aright today.

May God direct and guide the soul;
The body chaste and faithful be;
Let faith with fervor warmly burn,
From error’s poison fully free.

Then let our food be Christ himself,
Our drink, the faith that we profess;
With joyful spirits, let us drink
The Spirit’s sober drunkenness.

So may this day in joy pass by;
May justice be our morning light;
May faith be like the sun at noon;
The mind no ev’ning know or night.

Now, as the day begins to dawn,
Let perfect Dawn upon us shine:
The Son who in the Father dwells,
The Father in his Word Divine. Amen.