Exodus 38

Exodus 38:8

Gregory the Dialogist: For Moses places the bronze laver in which the priests ought to be washed and enter the holy of holies, because the law of God first commands us to be washed through compunction, so that our uncleanness may not be unworthy for penetrating the purity of God’s secrets. — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 17

Gregory the Dialogist: But then we truly preach right things to others if we show our words by deeds, if we ourselves are pierced with divine love, and wash with tears the daily stains of human life, which can in no way pass without fault. But then we are truly pierced with compunction about ourselves if we carefully consider the deeds of the fathers who went before, so that from beholding their glory, our own life may become vile in our own eyes. Then we are truly pierced with compunction when we diligently search the commandments of the Lord, and through these we ourselves strive to advance, through which we know those whom we venerate have already advanced. For hence it is written of Moses: He placed also the bronze laver in which Aaron and his sons were to wash when they entered the holy of holies, which he made from the mirrors of the women who kept watch at the door of the tabernacle. For Moses places the bronze laver in which the priests ought to be washed and enter the holy of holies, because the law of God first commands us to be washed through compunction, so that our uncleanness may not be unworthy for penetrating the purity of God’s secrets. Which laver is rightly said to have been made from the mirrors of the women who ceaselessly kept watch at the door of the tabernacle. For the mirrors of the women are the commandments of God, in which holy souls always behold themselves, and detect if there are any stains of defilement in them. They correct the faults of their thoughts, and as if arranging resisting countenances, they compose them as from a reflected image, because while they diligently attend to the Lord’s commandments, in them they doubtless recognize both what pleases and what displeases the heavenly spouse in themselves. As long as they are in this life, they can in no way enter the eternal tabernacle. But yet the women keep watch at the door of the tabernacle, because holy souls, even while they are still weighed down by the weakness of the flesh, nevertheless with continual love await the entrance of eternal entry. Therefore Moses made the laver for the priests from the mirrors of the women, because the law of God provides the washing of compunction for the stains of our sins, while it presents for our contemplation the heavenly commandments through which holy souls have pleased the heavenly spouse. If we diligently attend to these, we see the stains of our inner image. But seeing the stains, we are pierced with the sorrow of repentance; and being pierced with compunction, we are washed as in the laver made from the mirrors of the women. — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 17