Fathers

Ezekiel 2

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He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” The Spirit entered into me when he spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard him who spoke to me. He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day. The children are impudent and stiff-hearted. I am sending you to them, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says.’ They, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse, for they are a rebellious house, yet they will know that there has been a prophet among them. You, son of man, don’t be afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you dwell among scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house. You shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse; for they are most rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I tell you. Don’t be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth, and eat that which I give you.” When I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me; and, behold, a scroll of a book was in it. He spread it before me. It was written within and without; and lamentations, mourning, and woe were written in it.

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What the Fathers say

Ezekiel 2:10

Western Saints

Gregory the Dialogist

"And there were written in it lamentations, a song, and woe." There is no doubt that "song" (carmen) is sometimes used in a good sense and sometimes in a bad sense, because we can speak of both a joyful song and a mournful song. But following the usage of Sacred Scripture, which almost always uses "song" in connection with prosperity, we take "song" in this passage as said in a good sense. …

Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 9 ↗

Bonaventure

Both reason and faith lead to the splendors of exemplarity. But beyond, there is a threefold help for rising to the exemplary principles: the sensible creatures, the rational creatures, and the sacramental scriptures; and this help contains a mystery. As regards the first, the whole world is a shadow, a way, and a trace; a book "with writing front and back." Indeed, in every creature there is a refulgence of the divine exemplar, but mixed with darkness: hence it resembles some kind of opacity combined with light. …

Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 12 ↗