De laudibus sancte crucis

THE EXPLANATION.

He is the Victim, and since he has spoken well with the Father without failing:
He who felt the losses and the wooden Cross, who is before all things.
Who is the stars and the constellations, brought forth as the morning star before all.
He was born of a Virgin mother, then in a narrow time
and so that he might save man, he went here to the altar of the Cross.
Who is the eternal ordainer, Christ blessed forever.

A large woodcut initial letter E decorated with foliage marks the start of the prose. Behold the image of the Savior in the position of His limbs. He consecrates for us the most healthful, sweetest, and most loving form of the holy Cross: so that believing in His name and obeying His commands, we may have the hope of eternal life through His passion. Whenever we look upon the Cross, let us remember Him who suffered on it for us, to rescue us from the power of darkness, swallowing up death so that we might be made heirs of eternal life. He ascended into heaven, with angels, powers, and virtues subjected to Him. We should reflect that we were redeemed from our empty way of life and the traditions of our fathers not with corruptible silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of an uncontaminated and immaculate lamb. We are to be holy and immaculate in His sight in love, so that through these things we may become sharers of the divine nature, fleeing the corruption of desire that is in the world.

Indeed, the names of our Redeemer are also contained in the verses of this very page. Some are taken from the substance of His divinity, while others are assumed from the dispensation of His accepted humanity. These show that the same mediator between God and men is consubstantial of one substance and co-equal to the Father in His deity, and connatural of the same nature and similar to His mother in His accepted humanity. For He perfectly took on all our nature without sin. The quality of these names can easily be known through the names listed below, whether they pertain to His divine or human nature.

For Christus Christ is named in Greek from charisma anointing, which is to say "anointed." Therefore, priests and kings among the Jews were anointed with sacred oil in the Old Testament. Christ is called the "Anointing" because He is King and Priest; for He was anointed not with material oil, but with the oil of gladness—that is, the Holy Spirit—above all His companions.

In Hebrew, Christus Christ is called Messias Messiah. Hiesus Jesus is Hebrew, which in Greek is sother savior, and in Latin is interpreted as salutaris health-bringing or saluator savior, because He came as a bringer of health to all nations. Emanuel Emmanuel from Hebrew into Latin signifies "God with us," namely that God, born of a virgin, appeared to men in mortal flesh. He is called "God" because of the substance united with the Father. He is "Lord" because of the creature that serves Him. He is both God and man because He is Word and flesh.

He is called the "Only-begotten" through the excellence of His divinity, because He is without brothers. He is the "First-born" through the acceptance of man, in which He deigned to have brothers as heirs through the adoption of grace, to whom He would be the first-born. He is called Homousion consubstantial with the Father from the unity of substance; for "substance" or "essence" is called usia ousia in Greek. Omoynum original: "Omoy num." likely referring to "homo-," same. joined together sounds like "one substance." He is the "Beginning" because all things are from Him, and because nothing is before Him. He is the "End" because He deigned to be born and die humbly in the flesh at the end of the ages; or because whatever we do, we refer to Him, and when we reach Him, we have nothing further to seek.

He is the "Mouth of God" because He is His Word. For just as we often say "this or that language" for the words made by the tongue, so the "Mouth" is put for the Word of God, because it is the custom for words to be formed by the mouth. He is called the "Word" because through Him the Father created or commanded all things. He is "Truth" because He does not deceive but grants what He promises. He is "Life" because He gives life to all things. He is called the "Image" because of the equal likeness to the Father. He is the "Figure,"

because, taking the form of a servant, He designated the image and immense greatness of the Father in Himself through the likeness of His works and virtues. He is the "Hand of God" because all things were made through Him. Hence He is also the "Right Hand," because of the effect of the work of the entire creation which was formed through Him. He is the "Arm" because all things are contained by Him. He is "Power" original: "Virtus" because He has all the Father’s power in Himself and can do all things.

He is "Wisdom" because He Himself reveals the mysteries of knowledge and the secrets of wisdom. He is "Brightness" because He makes things manifest. He is "Light" because He illuminates. He is "Lux" original: "Lux" as opposed to "Lumen," often distinguishing the source from the radiation. because He refers the eyes of the heart to contemplating virtue. He is the "Sun" because He illustrates. He is the "Rising Star" original: "Oriens" because He is the source of light, and because He makes us rise to eternal life. He is the "Fountain" because He is the origin of things, or because He satisfies those who thirst. He Himself is also the A Alpha and $ω$ Omega, because He is the beginning and the end.

He is the Paracletus Paraclete/Comforter, that is, the advocate, because He intercedes for us with the Father and takes care to remove our faults. He is the "Bridegroom" because, descending from heaven, He joined Himself to the Church, so that they might be two in one flesh. He is called "Angel" because of the announcement of His and His Father’s will; hence, in the prophet, He is read as the "Angel of Great Counsel," even though He is God and the Lord of angels. He is called "Sent" original: "Missus" because the Word was made flesh. He is called "Man" because He was incarnated. He is the "Mediator" because He led us from death to life. He is the "Prophet" because He revealed future things. He is the "Priest" because He offered Himself as a sacrifice for us.

He is the "Shepherd" because He is the guardian. He is the "Master" because He is the shower of the way. He is "Nazarenus" from the place. He is "Nazareus" from merit, that is, holy or clean, because He did no sin. Indeed, Christ draws the types of names to Himself from other lower things, so that He may be more easily understood. He is called "Bread" because He is flesh. He is the "Vine" because we are redeemed by His blood. He is the "Flower" because He is the chosen one. He is the "Way" because through Him we go to God. He is the "Door" because through Him we enter to God. He is the "Mountain" because He is strong. He is the "Rock" because He is the firmness of believers.

He is the "Cornerstone" because He joins two walls from different directions—that is, from the circumcision The Jews and the uncircumcision The Gentiles—into one building of the Church, or because He makes peace for angels and men. He is the "Stone of Offense" because, coming in humility, the unbelieving stumbled against Him, and He became a "Rock of Scandal." He is called the "Foundation" because faith is founded on Him, or because the Catholic Church is constructed upon Him. He is called the "Lamb" because of His innocence. The "Sheep" because of His gentleness. The "Ram" because of His leadership. The "Kid" original: "Hedus" because of the likeness of the flesh of sin. The "Calf" because He was sacrificed for us. The "Lion" for His kingship and strength. The "Serpent" for death and wisdom. The "Worm" likewise, because He rose again. The "Eagle" because after the resurrection He returned to the stars.

It is no wonder if He is figured by humble signs, who, while being the co-eternal Son to the Father before the ages, did not despise the lowliness of our nature but was born in time as the Son of Man. For the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. There are, therefore, five verses which are written in a line surrounding the appearance of the human body on the outside, the first of which begins from the middle finger of the right hand and thus passes into the index finger, afterwards raising itself into the thumb and ascending through the right arm, finishing at the top of the head: Which is as follows: The right hand of the highest God, Jesus, created all things. The second, descending from the head similarly in the middle finger...