My dove, my perfect one, is the only one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the favorite one of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
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only one: Although there are many diverse people in the Church, among them there is one faith, one baptism, one God. mother: that would be the Church that is already in Heaven. (St. Bede)
“For as regards the fact that to preserve the figure of unity the Lord gave the power to Peter that whatsoever he should loose on earth should be loosed,” it is clear that that unity is also described as one dove without fault. Can it be said, then, that to this same dove belong all those greedy ones, whose existence in the same Catholic church Cyprian himself so grievously bewailed? For birds of prey, I believe, cannot be called doves, but rather hawks. How then did they baptize those who used to plunder estates by treacherous deceit and increase their profits by compound usury, if baptism is only given by that indivisible and chaste and perfect dove, that unity which can only be understood as existing among the good? Is it possible that, by the prayers of the saints who are spiritual within the church, as though by the frequent lamentations of the dove, a great sacrament is dispensed, with a secret administration of the mercy of God? [Thus] their sins also are loosed who are baptized...
“My dove, my perfect one, is one.” [The church] is one because it does not accept a schismatic division. It is one because it is not a collection of various parties, some before the law, some under the law, some under grace, some of the circumcision, and others of the uncircumcised. But just as “there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of everyone,” so also is there one Catholic multitude of all the elect throughout every place and every era of the world, subjected to one God and Father. This is why Luke teaches that [the church] should be called Catholic. - "Commentary on the Songs of Songs 4.6.8"
This one church is also intended in the Song of Songs, when the Holy Spirit says, in the person of the Lord: “My dove, my perfect one, is but one; she is the only one of her mother, the choice one of her that bare her.” Can one who does not keep this unity of the church believe that he keeps the faith? Can one who resists and struggles against the church be sure that he is in the church? For the blessed apostle Paul gives the same teaching and declares the same mystery of unity when he says, “There is one body and one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God.” - "The Unity of the Catholic Church 4"
Who. The companions of the spouse, (Calmet) or the synagogue, admire the Christian Church. (Worthington)
Morning. Aurora. The Church dissipated the darkness of paganism; she appeared as the moon under persecution, and as the sun, after the conversion of Constantine. (Calmet)
The like will happen in the days of antichrist. (Ven. Bede)
The religion of the patriarchs may be compared to the morning-star: that of Moses, to the moon; and of Christ, to the sun. (Menochius)
“My dove, my perfect one, is one.” The Lord’s words in the gospel explain this more clearly … that in the diversity of their lives’ activities, they should not be divided in their choices of the good. Rather, they should all be one, united into a single good through the unity of the Holy Spirit.… All will look to the same goal, and every evil will be destroyed. God will be all in all, and all persons will be united together in fellowship of the Good, Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power forever and ever. - "Homilies on the Song of Songs 15"
“My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her.” Now the mother of whom this is said is the heavenly Jerusalem. - "Letter 22.24"
Who is she: Here is a beautiful metaphor describing the church from the beginning. As, the morning rising, signifying the church before the written law; fair as the moon, shewing her under the light of the gospel: and terrible as an army, the power of Christ's church against its enemies.
Of this church which keeps the faith of Christ entire, hear what the Holy Spirit says in the Canticles, “My dove is one; the perfect one of her mother is one.” He then who receives this faith in the church let him not turn aside in the council of vanity, and let him not enter in with those who practice iniquity. - "Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed 39"
