THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Observe a beggar who prays aloud. We can hear his voice and recognize who he is, perhaps the one of whom the apostle wrote, “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be enriched.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 If this resonates with Him, what does it mean for Him to be poor? In what way can someone who is unseen have wealth? Who is wealthier than Him through whom all riches, even those that are illusory, came into being? Through Him, we also inherit riches: capabilities, memory, character, bodily health, senses, and the soundness of our being, for with these secured, even the destitute find joy. In Him are abundant treasures: faith, devotion, righteousness, charity, purity, and virtuous conduct, for these gifts come only through Him who redeems the unrighteous. Behold such wealth! How do we acknowledge such claims in a man of such abundance? “I ate ashes as bread and mingled my drink with tears.” Has this immense wealth led to such a state? The disparity between the highest and lowest fortunes is vast…. Yet we must discern if this beggar is indeed He; for the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14 Consider these words: “I am your servant, and the son of your servant.” Notice the nature of this servant, pure, chaste, and a mother; for in that humility, He took upon Himself our impoverishment, adopting the likeness of a servant and emptying Himself, so that none should fear His wealth or be reluctant to approach Him in their destitution. In this act, He donned the form of a servant, embraced our lack, made Himself humble, and glorified us. We are beginning to grasp these truths about Him, yet we must be cautious in our proclamation….
Let Him, then, enhance poverty with poverty, transforming our lowly body to be His, making Him our Head and us His members, uniting us as one flesh. Philippians 3:21 …For He desires us to be His members. Those who repent are also included among His members. They are not cut off or excluded from His Church, for He would not have chosen the Church as His beloved if not for the call to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2 Thus, let us listen to the prayer of the Head and the Body, the Bridegroom and the Bride, Christ and the Church—two united as one. The Word and flesh are not simultaneously identical; the Father and the Word are one and the same; Christ and the Church form one entity, a complete being in the fullness of His purpose…. So let us attune our ears to Christ, who is poor among us and alongside us, for even His title signifies the impoverished. Remember, I have perceived who this beggar is; let us hear His prayer and identify His essence; do not misinterpret anything that cannot be applied to His Head; this is why I begin as I do, so that you might grasp that which is described as emanating from the vulnerability of the body, identifying the voice of the members in the Head. The title is "The Prayer of the Afflicted One," as he poured out his pleas before the Lord amid his torment. This is the same beggar who asserts elsewhere, “From the ends of the earth I will cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed.” He experiences suffering for he is also Christ, who in the words of the Prophet identifies as both the Bridegroom and the Bride: “He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 He embraces this duality for what is it but the Head denoting the Bridegroom and the Body denoting the Bride? Therefore they share one voice as one flesh. Let us heed these words and find ourselves within them; if we discover we are outside, let us strive to draw near.
“O Lord, hear my prayer; and let my cry come unto Thee.” Psalm 100:1. The plea, “Hear my prayer, Lord,” equates to “Let my cry reach You,” reflecting the urgency of the petitioner through this repetition. “Hide not Thy face from me.” When did God conceal His face from His Son? When did the Father turn away from Christ? But out of the scarcity of my members, do not turn away from me: on any day I mourn, incline Your ear to me. Psalm 101:2…. You are in distress now; I endure distress; tomorrow another will be burdened; I am in distress; generations yet to come will be troubled; I am in distress; to the end of time, anyone who shares this suffering in my body, I feel their distress…. Peter prayed, Paul prayed, the other Apostles prayed; the Faithful prayed throughout history, the Faithful are praying today, and the Faithful will pray for future generations. Soon, for I now seek what You are prepared to provide. I do not ask for earthly things, as one of the earth; rather, having been liberated from my past captivity, I long for the heavenly kingdom. Hear me swiftly: for only with this longing do You say, “While they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 58:9 For what motive do you call? What sorrow prompts your plea? O wretched one, before the gates of the all-provident, what yearning compels you to seek relief? From what need do you request help? From what necessity do you knock that the door might be opened to you?
“For my days vanish like smoke.” Psalm 100:3. O days! If they are days, then where day is perceived, light is understood. "My days, my times; thus, like smoke, is it not from arrogance?" … Observe how smoke, akin to pride, arises, expands, and dissipates; hence it fades rightly, not enduring. “And my bones are burned like a furnace.” My bones and my strength are filled with sorrow, not without pain. The bones of Christ's body, does any strength exceed that of the holy apostles? Yet you see their bones are burned. Who is offended, and I am untouched? 2 Corinthians 11:29 They are courageous, faithful interpreters and proclaimers of the truth, living out their words; they indeed demonstrate bravery, yet all who take offense act as a furnace to them. For there is love, and even more so within the bones. The bones reside within all flesh, supporting it all. But if any suffer offense, and jeopardize their souls; the bone is burnt in proportion to how it is weighed down by the offense.
Consider Adam, from whom humanity originated. From him, misery spread; from him, this inherited poverty sprang. Let the one who once found despair in his flesh now, being in Christ’s body, proclaim with hope, “My heart is smitten and withered like grass.” Psalm 101:4. Rightly so, for all flesh is like grass. Isaiah 40:6 But how did this come to pass? Because I neglected to eat my bread. For God delivered His command regarding bread. For what constitutes the sustenance of the soul? It was the serpent that deceived, leading the woman into sin; by his touch of the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:6 he forsook the command: his heart was wounded as it deserved, and withered like grass, for he forgot to partake of his bread. Forgetting to consume his bread, he drank poison: his heart was wounded and withered like grass…. Now eat that bread you have neglected. But that very Bread has descended, in whose body you may recall the sound of your forgetfulness, and cry out in your poverty for riches. Now partake, for you dwell in His body, saying, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” John 6:41 You have overlooked your bread; yet after His crucifixion, all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. After forgetting, let memories return, let us consume bread from heaven, that we may live—not manna, since they ate it and died; John 6:49 rather the bread of which it is said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Matthew 5:6.
"From the sound of my groaning, my bones have adhered to my flesh." Psalm 101:5. Many groan, and I too groan; it is even this that causes me to groan, for they lament over wrongful deeds. That man grieves for a lost coin: he has lost faith, yet does not groan. I measure money and faith and find greater cause for lamenting over the one who does not groan as he ought, or not at all. He commits fraud and rejoices. What gain does he find, what loss? He has gained silver, yet has forfeited righteousness. Thus, from this, the one who knows how to lament, laments; he who is near to the Head, who righteously clings to the body of Christ, finds the source of his lament. Yet the carnal do not groan for this reason, they impose their own groans since it is not for this reason that they express sorrow; we cannot disparage them even if they groan not at all or lament for the wrong reasons. We seek to guide them, to correct them, and when we cannot, we groan; and in our groaning, we are not detached from them…
“I have become like a pelican in the wilderness and like an owl among the wreckage.” Psalm 100:6. Here are three species of birds and three distinct environments: the pelican, the owl, and the sparrow, each tied to the wilderness, the ruins, and the rooftop. The pelican inhabits the wilderness, the owl amid the broken walls, and the sparrow on the roof. First, we must interpret what the pelican symbolizes: it is born in a locale that renders it unknown to us. It is birthed in secluded areas, particularly along the banks of the Nile in Egypt. Whatever bird represents, the Psalm indicates it lives in solitude. Why inquire about its form, its limbs, its song, its behavior? As the Psalm describes, it’s a bird that survives in isolation. The owl thrives in darkness; ruins or broken walls lack inhabitants and serve as its dwelling. And regarding roofs, you are acquainted with sparrows. Thus, I find among the body of Christ, a preacher of the Word, compassionate towards the weak, seeking the victories of Christ, mindful of his future Lord. Matthew 25:26 Consider these three aspects regarding his stewardship. Has such a man approached the non-believers? He is a pelican in the wilderness. Has he encountered Christians and withdrawn? He is an owl in the ruins; he does not abandon even the darkness of those dwelling in night, as he also seeks to bring them to light. Has he come regarding those Christians inhabiting the house, as though they had not believed, or had forsaken their faith, but engaged warmly in their beliefs? The sparrow calls to them not in the wilderness, for they are Christians; nor in the ruins, for they have not collapsed; but because they are under the roof; indeed, under the roof, for they are under the flesh. The sparrow above the flesh calls out, not shrinking from the commandments of God nor succumbing to carnal desires in subservience to the roof. “What you hear in the ear, proclaim from the rooftops.” Matthew 10:27 There are three birds representing three places; one individual may symbolize three birds, and three people may each embody a bird separately; and the wilderness, ruins, and rooftops represent three classifications of humanity.