Moralia in Job 1318

Christ, reigning in heaven, gathers the elect to Himself. — For a corpse (cadaver) is so named from falling (a casu). And not undeservedly is the body of the Lord called a corpse on account of the fall of death. But what is here said of this eagle: 'Wheresoever the corpse shall be, there she is at once present' (Matthew 24:28), the Truth promised should come to pass concerning the departing souls, saying: 'Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.' As if He plainly said: I, your incarnate Redeemer, who preside over the heavenly throne, will, when I have released the souls of the elect together with the flesh, raise them up to heavenly things. Every sinner is a corpse, to which the eagles fly — namely, the devout preachers who hunger for the salvation of sinners.

This is the cause of Paul's flight, traversing the world. — But what is said of this eagle, 'Wheresoever the corpse shall be, there she is at once present,' can also be understood otherwise. For everyone who has fallen into the death of sin can not unfittingly be called a corpse. For he who has not the life-giving spirit of righteousness lies as though lifeless. Since, therefore, every holy preacher, where he perceives sinners to be, thither anxiously flies, that he may show the light of vivification to those lying in the death of sin, it is well said of this eagle: 'Wheresoever the corpse shall be, there she is at once present.'

That is, he directs himself thither where he perceives the usefulness of preaching, so that from the fact that he now lives spiritually he may profit others lying in their death — whom, by rebuking, he as it were devours, but by changing them from iniquity to innocence, he converts, as it were by eating, into his own members. Behold Paul himself, whom we have already often brought forward as a witness, when he sought now Judaea, now Corinth, now Ephesus, now Rome, now the Spains, that he might announce the grace of eternal life to those lying in the death of sin — what else did he show himself to be but an eagle, who, swiftly flying over all things, wherever he sought a corpse lying, that, while he did the will of God by winning sinners, he might find, as it were, his food in the corpse?

For the food of the righteous is the conversion of the perverse, of which it is said: 'Labour not for the food which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting' (John 6:27). Having heard so many virtues of the saints, blessed Job is understood to have been struck with amazement, and in the awe of admiration to have fallen silent. For there follows: