These translations below are my own, the texts mostly drawn from the Latin editio típica of the divine office of the Roman Rite. I do them when I have a little time, because, you know,.. we need words to think.
Unknown Miniaturist, English (active c. 1200)
British Museum
Ex Sermónibus sancti Bernárdi abbátis (Sermo 1 in Epiphania Domini, 1-2: PL 133, 141-143)
Appáruit, inquit Apóstolus, benígnitas et humánitas Salvatóris nostri Dei. Magna plane et manifésta benígnitas Dei et humánitas! et magnum benignitátis indícium declarávit, qui humanitáti áddere nomen Dei curávit.
La bondad y humanidad de Dios nuestro Salvador se han manifestado, dice el Apóstol. ¡Oh, la manifiesta bondad y humanidad de Dios! Y declaró la gran evidencia de su bondad al encargarse de añadir a la humanidad el nombre de Dios.
The goodness and humanity of God, our Savior, have appeared, says the Apostle. Great and manifest, indeed, are the goodness and humanity of God, and a great evidence of goodness was made known by Him who took care to add the name of God to humanity.
[The key to this passage is the citation of Titus 3,4 (Vulgate): Appáruit benígnitas et humánitas salvatóris nostri Dei. The word “humanity” governs the overall movement of the text.
The actual Gk phrase is χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία.
φιλανθρωπία, from which we get our word philanthropy, is rendered by the Vulgate as simply “humanitas / humanity”. I’m rather fond of the Vulgate phraseology here, since you could render it in English as the “kindness and humanity of the Savior towards us”, the “humaneness” of God towards us.]
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Ex Tractátibus sancti Augustíni epíscopi in Ioánnem (Tract. 17, 7-9: CCL 36, 174-175)
Tu autem, quia Deum nondum vides, diligéndo próximum promeréris quem vídeas; diligéndo próximum purgas óculum ad vidéndum Deum, evidénter Ioánne dicénte: Si fratrem quem vides non díligis, Deum quem non vides quómodo dilígere póteris?
«Since you do not yet see God, you will well deserve the vision of God by loving your neighbor. By loving your neighbor you purify your eye to see God. Saint John says clearly: If you do not love your brother whom you do see, how will you love God whom you do not see.»
«Pero tú, que todavía no ves a Dios, amando al prójimo bien merecerás poder verlo; con el amor hacia el prójimo purificas tu ojo para mirar a Dios, como sin lugar a dudas dice Juan: Quien no ama a su hermano, a quien ve, no puede amar a Dios, a quien no ve.»
[Seems to me the key terms here are “promeréris” and “purgas”. The love of neighbor in action is a work of grace that effectively purifies the soul, preparing us for the vision of God we do not yet possess.]
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Elegantly phrased by St Maximus of Turin, (Sermo 100, de sancta Epiphania):
sicut tunc per mare fílios Israel in ignis colúmna præcéssit, ita nunc per baptísmum christiános pópulos in córporis sui colúmna præcédit.
«Así como entonces en la columna de fuego precedió a los hijos de Israel pasando por el mar, así ahora, en la columna de su cuerpo, va delante del pueblo cristiano pasando por el bautismo.»
«Just as then in the pillar of fire he preceded the children of Israel passing through the sea, so now, in the pillar of his body, he goes before the Christian people passing through baptism.»
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Ex Tractátu sancti Irenǽi epíscopi Advérsus hǽreses (Lib. 3, 20, 2-3: SCh 34, 342-344):
Verbum Dei quod habitávit in hómine et Fílius hóminis factus est, ut assuésceret hóminem percípere Deum et assuésceret Deum habitáre in hómine, secúndum plácitum Patris.
El Verbo de Dios que habitó en el hombre y se hizo Hijo del hombre, para que el hombre se acostumbrase a percibir a Dios y Dios se acostumbrase a habitar en el hombre, según la voluntad del Padre.
The Word of God who dwelt in man and became the Son of man, that man might become accustomed to perceiving God and that God might become accustomed to dwelling in man, according to the will of the Father.
[Irenaeus’ work Advérsus hǽreses survives in complete form only in an ancient Latin translation from the Greek. Substantial parts also survive in an ancient Armenian translation. The double “assuésceret” is remarkable.]
Words and Things 