EXCERPT:
Two things stand out in my mind. First, there is a military underlayer to this prayer. We have seen this in our lenten prayers before. The people listening to this is the early Church in Rome would have automatically received this layer of meaning. Second, there is a touch of Neoplatonic theory of exit and return. The idea is this, things go forth from their source, turn about in a conversion, and return to their source. This is applicable to the eternal Word and the Father and also to the soul of man which in its search for wisdom, passes through scientia (knowledge) towards sapientia (wisdom). The vocabulary of the prayer strongly suggests this Neoplatonic paradigm. The instruction of God turns us about and brings us to our proper place. Continue reading →