THEOSISGregory the Great
My days grow dim, and my thoughts are dispersed, causing grief to my heart. Job 17:11. The Holy Church of the Elect perceives the passages of her existence as alternating between periods of light and darkness, where the times of trial represent her ‘night’ and the times of abundance signify her ‘day.’ Light dawns upon her amidst the serenity of peace, while night cloaks her in the sorrow of suffering. Each time she transitions from a period of peace back into trial, which intensifies against her, she bears witness that her ‘days are fading away.’ Nevertheless, while shouldering the weight of adversity, she is assured that she endures as much as the Divine Judge deems appropriate in account of her times of calm.
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During a peaceful phase in the world, she is blessed with a significant influx of souls. However, as she begins to focus on worldly matters, this attention becomes a burden on the hearts of the righteous, as it distracts them, if only momentarily, from contemplating heavenly realities. Thus, blessed Job, either in his personal plea or as a representative of the universal Church, proclaims that his ‘days are fading away’ and adds: my thoughts are scattered, tormenting my heart. When temporal honors draw near to the mind of a righteous person, it serves as a form of compensation for their earthly responsibilities; however, it simultaneously becomes a source of anguish in their contemplation. For such individuals are consistently oriented in humility towards the heavens, and the necessity of engaging with mundane tasks leads them to experience a sense of distress. Yet, even amidst the harshest trials of persecution, a profound joy awaits, uplifting the hearts of the faithful. Thus, it is fitting that he continues: