Gleanings from Orthodox Christian Authors and the Holy Fathers

parable_of_the_leaven

The Kingdom of God, it is said, is like unto leaven, Which a woman took and hid In three measures of meal, and all the dough was leavened.

...

The leaven is our Lord, the Word, the Son of God.

And she that took it, the Godhead, the Mistress of this House. [Note: 'Godhead' in Syriac is feminine..] The meal is all the race of the sons of men, And the three measures are the three families that proceeded from Noah. Noah's three sons are three measures yet one dough. Three began to inhabit the earth, but one was the race. The Godhead his Her Son in the sons of men, In those three nations that issued from the Ark. ... She kneaded Her Son into the dough of mankind as if He were leaven. And in the Son of God the whole race was sweetened. ... Now, meal cannot become dough except it be moistened, ... She took the meal and placed it in the font of baptism, And, taking oil and water, She kneeded it bountifully. She took Her Leaven and blest waters and hid them in the dough, ... She made on e dough from all the nations of the earth, And there was a great abundance in the world because of that new Bread. Selected from a Homily by Mar Jacob, Bishop of Serugh