From the Exposition by S. Gregory the Great on the Prophet Ezekiel

 

 

THE four holy creatures foreseen by the spirit of prophecy are described most subtly when it is said: Everyone had four faces and every one had four wings. Is not recognition expressed by the faces, and flight by the wings? By his face is a man recognized, and by his wings the body of a bird is lifted up on high. Therefore, the faces denote faith, and the wings, contemplation. By faith we are known by Almighty God, for thus he speaks of his flock: I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine; and again, he says: I know whom I have chosen.

THROUGH contemplation, which makes us rise up out of ourselves, we are, as it were, lifted up into the air. The four faces are but one: if you ask what Matthew perceived concerning the Incarnation, it was indeed the same as was revealed to Mark, Luke and John. If you ask what John perceived, it was undoubtedly the same as Luke, Matthew and Mark. If you ask about Mark, that was the same as Matthew, John and Luke. If you then say: What of Luke? He perceived the same as John, Matthew and Mark.

THEREFORE, the four faces are but one; for the knowledge of the faith, by which they are known of God, is in each of them, and yet it is the same in all four. For whatever you may find in one of them, you will also discover in all four. And every one had four wings. For they all preached in harmony our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of Almighty God: raising the eyes of their mind to his divinity, they flew on the wings of contemplation.

MATTHEW, who is also called Levi, an Apostle and Evangelist, was called by Christ when he was sitting at the seat of custom at Capernaum, and he followed immediately. He also made a great feast for Jesus and his disciples. After Christ's resurrection, before setting out for the province which it was his lot to evangelize, he wrote the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Hebrew, for the sake of those of the Circumcision who had believed.