THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
David, inspired by God, questions in one instance, ‘What shall I repay the Lord for all His favours to me?’ (Psalm 115:3). We too are privileged to reflect upon this profound inquiry. What can we, in return, offer to God, our Father, that holds equal significance? He ‘gave His Son ... for us, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16), as though He had disregarded His own love; for He offered Himself “for our sins,” in accordance with Scripture (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24), and it is through Him that we find salvation. ‘He was wounded ... for our transgressions..., and He bears our afflictions’ (Isa. 53:5, 4).
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He endured physical death, not to remain among the dead, but so that through Him, we might rise to new life and embrace incorruption, proclaiming in joy: “Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory?” (Hos. 13:14; 1 Cor. 15:55). What leads us along this path? It is the grace received through Baptism, which purifies us from all unrighteousness and allows us to become ‘partakers of the divine nature’ (2 Pet. 1:4), inhabited by the Spirit of Christ. Only then, having been cleansed and renewed in our consciences ‘from dead works,’ as the blessed Apostle Paul states (Heb. 9:14), and having experienced the sacramental grace while filling our minds with divine blessings from above, can we appear worthy of commendation and acknowledgement. This truth will become evident to you if you grasp the significance of the statements about the young woman (heifer).