271. Priestly Vestments, Dietary Laws, and Ceremonial Observances

Subscribe in Podcast App | Download Transcript

Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Priestly Ornaments and Their Meanings #

• Eight ornaments of the high priest: tunic (tunicum), hyacinth tunic with golden bells, ephod, rational (breastplate with 12 gems), girdle/cincture (baltium), tiara, golden plate (lamina aurea) with God’s name, and linen breeches (femoralia)
• Lesser priests: wore only four ornaments—tunic, breeches, girdle, and tiara
• Literal reason: the ornaments represent the disposition of creation:
  • Femoralia (breeches) signify earth
  • Girdle signifies the ocean
  • Hyacinth tunic signifies air; golden bells signify thunder
  • Ephod signifies the starry sky
  • Twelve gems signify the zodiac
  • Tiara signifies the celestial realm and imperium (dominion)
  • Golden plate signifies God presiding over all
• Figurative reason: bodily defects from which priests must be immune prefigure spiritual defects and vices that ministers must avoid

Defects Disqualifying Priests from Service #

Each defect has both literal and figurative significance:

• Blindness: signifies ignorance
• Lameness: signifies instability and inclination to diverse things
• Small or large stature: signifies defect or excess of discretion
• Twisted nose: signifies defect of discretion (through nose, discretion is designated, as it discerns odor)
• Broken foot or hand: signifies loss of power to act well and proceed to virtue
• Pot-belly/swelling: signifies excessive love of earthly things
• Watery or inflamed eyes (lipos): signifies carnal affection obscuring genius
• White spot on eye (switeness): signifies presumption of candor (brightness) in justice
• Scabby/mangy condition (impitigina/eczema): signifies avarice
• Hernia: signifies turpitude in the heart (not exercised outwardly)

Four Virtues Required of All Ministers #

1. Chastity: signified by the linen (purity of material)
2. Purity of life: signified through linen
3. Moderation of discretion: signified through the cincture (girdle)
4. Rectitude of intention: signified through the tiara (protecting the head)

Four Additional Virtues for the High Priest #

1. Memory of God: signified by the gold and the golden plate bearing God’s name
2. Support of the people: signified by the ephod on the shoulders
3. Charity toward the people: signified by the rational (breastplate) on the heart
4. Celestial conversation and thinking: signified by the hyacinth tunic

The Problem of Dietary Laws #

Central question: If all creatures of God are good (1 Timothy 4:4), why does the law prohibit certain foods as unclean?

Key distinction: Two types of uncleanliness must be recognized:

1. Spiritual uncleanliness: pollution of the soul through sin—no food is spiritually unclean by nature, as Christ taught in Matthew 15 that what defiles a person comes from within (thoughts, sins)
2. Bodily uncleanliness: corruption of the body; certain animals are prohibited because:
   • They are nourished from unclean things (e.g., pigs)
   • They live uncleanly (e.g., moles, mice dwelling under the earth)
   • They contract fetidness and generate corrupt humors in human bodies through their flesh
   • Their temperament is excessive (choleric animals like lions, rapacious birds that are exceedingly dry, aquatic birds with excessive humidity)

Clean vs. Unclean Animals #

Clean animals: those that both chew cud AND have split hooves (cattle, sheep, goats) Unclean animals:

• Pigs (chew cud but no split hooves)
• Camels, hares, rock badgers (have split hooves or chew cud, but not both)
• Aquatic creatures without fins and scales
• Rapacious birds (eagles, vultures, ravens)
• Aquatic birds with excessive humidity

Key Arguments #

The Two-Fold Purpose of Ceremonial Laws #

1. Remove impediments to divine worship: both spiritual (sin) and bodily (corruption, fetidness)
2. Add honor and reverence to divine worship: through special ornaments and practices befitting a people deputed to divine worship

Structure of the Response to Dietary Objections #

Objection: All creatures are good; therefore, no food should be prohibited

Answer:

• Distinction between spiritual and bodily uncleanliness is key
• No food is spiritually unclean by nature; uncleanliness comes from within (from will and disobedience)
• Foods can be prohibited for bodily reasons (corruption from the animal’s nature, nourishment, or temperament) OR for reasons of obedience (vow or divine command)
• Prohibition serves to reduce people to simpler life and avoid idolatrous practices

The Principle of Figurative Interpretation #

Foundation: “All these things happened to them in figure” (1 Corinthians 10:11)

Application: All ceremonial observances of the Old Law figured the mystery of Christ. Reasons can be assigned in two ways:

1. According to suitability for divine worship: the literal reason (bodily suitability)
2. According to figurative prefiguration: how they prefigure Christ and Christian virtue

Important: Figurative interpretation is not argumentative theology—the same symbol can have different meanings in different contexts. Fire signifies both lust and charity; lion signifies both Christ and the devil.

Important Definitions #

Immunditia (Uncleanliness) #

• Spiritual uncleanliness: pollution of the soul through sin and disobedience
• Bodily uncleanliness: corruption of the body or contact with corrupted things
• Augustine: “If one asks about the pig and the lamb, both by nature is clean, because every creature of God is good. But by a certain signifying, the lamb is clean, but the pig is unclean.”

Baltium (Girdle/Cincture) #

• The belt worn by priests
• Signifies moderation of discretion in literal sense
• Signifies the ocean running around the earth

Rational (Breastplate) #

• The breastplate with 12 gems placed over the heart
• Contains 12 stones signifying the 12 signs of the zodiac
• Placed on the heart to signify charity toward the people

Lamina Aurea (Golden Plate) #

• Worn on the forehead of the high priest
• Bore the name of God
• Signified God presiding over all things
• Signified memory of God in the high priest’s mind

Examples & Illustrations #

The Nose as Symbol of Discretion #

Berquist notes: “Through the nose, discretion is designated, right? Because it’s discreet of odor.” A twisted nose (defect of discretion) would be a sign that a priest lacked proper discernment. This connects to the practice of discerning wine (sniffing it) in worship.

Pot-Belly as Sign of Avarice #

Either swelling in front (pot-belly, beer belly) or behind signifies excessive love of earthly things and failure of continence.

The Anecdote of the Grandchild #

Berquist’s grandson Miles, when Berquist tried to call the cat his friend, responded: “Your friend eats mice!"—illustrating that animals living uncleanly (eating mice) are themselves unclean despite being creatures of God.

Priestly Purity and the Catechism #

Berquist discusses modern priestly vestments being simpler than ancient ones, and notes that bishops wear special vestments (alb, delmatic under the chasuble) particularly at ordinations, governed by the Pontifical.

The Red Heifer and Commemoration #

Mentioned in passing: the red heifer sacrifice commemorates Israel’s sin with the golden calf and demonstrates how bodily practices express spiritual realities and detestations.

Notable Quotes #

“Not what enters into the mouth stains a man, but the things that proceed from his mouth, these are the ones that make the man unclean.” (Matthew 15, cited to show no food is spiritually unclean by nature)

“If one asks about the pig and the lamb, both by nature is clean, because every creature of God is good. But by a certain signifying, the lamb is clean, but the pig is unclean.” (Augustine, Against Faustus)

“Omnia in figuram contingabat illis.” (All these things happened to them in a figure) (1 Corinthians 10:11, cited as foundation for figurative interpretation)

“Every creature of God is good, and nothing should be rejected that is received with the action of giving thanks.” (1 Timothy 4:4, cited as opening objection)

Questions Addressed #

Why prohibit certain foods if all creatures of God are good? #

Resolution: All creatures are good by nature, but bodily uncleanliness (from corruption, nourishment, or temperament generating harmful humors) provides sufficient reason to prohibit certain foods. Additionally, foods can be prohibited through divine command for reasons of obedience, ascetical discipline, or to avoid idolatrous associations. Spiritual uncleanliness comes from within (sin), not from what enters the mouth.

Why do priestly defects matter if inner virtue is what counts? #

Resolution: Priests, as ministers deputed to divine worship, must be free from both bodily defects and spiritual defects (which the bodily defects prefigure). The external adorning of priests with proper vestments and the exclusion of those with defects serves to give honor to divine worship and remove contempt. Figuratively, these bodily restrictions teach that ministers must lack the vices (spiritual defects) represented by the physical defects.

How can figurative interpretation avoid becoming arbitrary? #

Resolution: While the same symbol can have different meanings (fire = lust or charity; lion = Christ or devil), these are not arbitrary but based on which aspect of the thing is being emphasized. The figurative interpretation is “not argumentative”—it serves pedagogical and spiritual purposes distinct from logical demonstration.