THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Observe, a humble individual prays out loud, drawing attention to his identity: might he be the one of whom the Apostle writes, “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 is indeed Him, what accounts for His poverty? How can He be truly wealthy if He cannot be seen? Who can surpass the richness of the One who brought forth all riches, including those that do not hold true value? Through Him, we also possess riches such as capabilities, memory, character, health, and the well-being of our bodies: for when these are secure, even the destitute find wealth. Furthermore, we receive abundant treasures like faith, godliness, justice, charity, purity, and virtuous conduct: for these cannot exist apart from Him who declares the ungodly righteous. Consider the treasure! How can we recognize such words in one so affluent? "I ate ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears." Has such immense wealth turned into this? The initial blessing is exceedingly high, and yet this seems so low. Yet, let us test whether this poor soul is He; for the Word indeed became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Reflect also on His words, “I am your servant and the son of your servant.” Observe, this servant is chaste, a virgin, and a mother: for at that moment, He bore our deprivation when He took on the form of a servant, emptying Himself; so that you need not fear His wealth, and in your state of want, dare to approach Him. There, He chose to take on the form of a servant, embracing our poverty; there He became poor, that we might be enriched. We are gradually coming to an understanding of these matters about Him; although we cannot yet proclaim them without caution...
Let Him then enrich His poverty: let Him transform our lowly bodies to reflect His glory: let Him be our Head, and we His members, that the two may unite as one flesh (Philippians 3:21). For He has desired to regard us as His members. The repentant also belong to His body. For they are not isolated from His Church, nor would He have taken the Church as His bride without the call, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Thus, let us listen to the head and the body, the Bridegroom and the bride, Christ and the Church, both of whom embody one Person; yet the Word and the flesh do not simultaneously become one and the same; the Father and the Word are indeed one and the same; Christ and the Church are one Person, one complete man in the manifestation of His fullness. Therefore, we ought to hear Christ, who is poor among us, with us, and for us. For His very title speaks of the poor. Lastly, I have discerned the identity of that poor man: let us lend an ear to His prayer and recognize His identity; and do not err when you hear anything that cannot apply to His Head; for this is why I prefaced as I did, so that whatever description you hear may be understood as echoing from the frailty of the body, allowing you to recognize the voice of the members within the Head. The title is "The Prayer of the Afflicted One," who cried out in anguish before the Lord. This is the same poor man who elsewhere proclaims, “From the ends of the earth I will call upon Thee when my heart is in turmoil.” He suffers because He is, in truth, Christ; who in the prophetic words identifies Himself as both the Bridegroom and the Bride: “He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; 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 designates Himself as the Bridegroom and as the Bride; what is this, if not that the Bridegroom signifies the Head, and the Bride signifies the body? They are as one voice because they are one flesh. Let us listen and recognize ourselves in these utterances; and if we realize we are outside, let us strive to be included.
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto Thee” (Psalm 100:1). To implore, “Hear my prayer,” is akin to saying, “Let my cry reach you”: the feeling of the supplicant is evident within the repetition. “Turn not Thy face away from me.” When did the Father turn His face from the Son? When did the Father abandon Christ? Yet for the sake of the multitude of my members, do not turn away from me; in whatever day I grieve, incline your ear to me (Psalm 101:2). You are presently in distress, I am in distress; another will be distressed tomorrow, I am in distress; after this generation, other descendants who will arise will be in distress, I am in distress; to the end of the earth, whoever suffers within my body, suffers alongside me... Peter prayed, Paul prayed, and the other Apostles prayed; the Faithful prayed throughout those times, the Faithful continued to pray in what was to come, the Faithful prayed during the age of martyrs, the Faithful are praying in this time, the Faithful will pray in the eras of our descendants. So soon: for I now ask for that which You are willing to bestow. I seek not earthly desires, as an earthly individual; but redeemed at last from my former captivity, I yearn for the kingdom of heaven; hear me quickly: for it is only with such longing that You declared, “Even while you speak, I will answer, Here am I” (Isaiah 58:9). What is the nature of your calling? In what grief? In what need? O poor one, standing before the gates of the abundant God, what longing drives your request? From what need do you seek relief? From what lack do you knock for the entrance to open for you?
“For my days have vanished like smoke” (Psalm 100:3). O days! If we speak of days: for where the day is perceived, there the light is comprehended. My days, my periods; thus, like smoke, can it not arise from pride’s inflation?... Notice how smoke, like pride, ascends, swells, and ultimately vanishes: hence this fading is merited, not lasting. And my bones are burned as in a furnace. My bones and my strength are entwined not without sorrow, not without heat. The bones of Christ’s body, the strength of His body, is there any greater seen than that of the holy Apostles? And yet, you observe that their bones were burned. Who is offended, yet I do not burn? (2 Corinthians 11:29) They are valiant, faithful, capable interpreters and heralds of the word, living out their speech, speaking as they understand; they display undeniable courage, but all who take offense serve as a furnace to them. For love is within them, and even more profoundly so at their core. The bones dwell within all flesh and fortify all flesh. If someone suffers an offense, threatening his soul, the bone is burned according to its own liking...
Consider Adam, from whom the human race arose. From where else did misery spread? From him, this inherited poverty emerged. Let him who once sank in despair say with hope, “My heart is afflicted and withered like grass” (Psalm 101:4). Rightfully so, for all flesh is as grass (Isaiah 40:6). But how did this come upon you? Because I overlooked my bread. For God set forth His command regarding bread. What is the bread of the soul? The serpent enticed, and the woman succumbed; he touched the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6) and forgot the commandment: as a result, his heart became afflicted, withered like grass, for he neglected to partake of his bread. Forgetfulness in eating his bread turned into drinking poison: his heart is afflicted and withered like grass... Now partake of that bread which you have overlooked. But that very Bread has arrived, in whose body you may recall the voice of your forgetfulness, and cry out in your despair for riches. Now eat, for you are in His body, proclaiming, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:41). You have forgotten to partake of your bread; but after His crucifixion, all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. After forgetting, may memory return, may we eat the bread from heaven, that we may truly live; not the manna, for they ate and died (John 6:49); but that bread of which it is written, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).
“From the voice of my groaning my bones have cleaved to my flesh” (Psalm 101:5). For many groan, and I too groan; even for this, I groan, for they groan over a misdeed. When a man loses a coin, he groans; he loses his faith and yet does not groan: I measure money against faith, discovering more cause to lament the one who does not groan as he should, or does not groan at all. He engages in deceit and takes joy. With what gain, with what loss? He has acquired wealth, yet forfeited righteousness. It is for this reason that he who comprehends how to groan, groans; he who is near the Head, who adheres rightly to the body of Christ, groans from this position. But the worldly do not groan for this cause, and they forge their groans, as it is not for this reason that they express them; and we cannot dismiss them, even if they do not groan at all, or groan for the wrong reasons. For we desire to guide them, we want to restore them, we yearn to help; when we cannot, we groan; and when we groan, we remain united with them...
“I have become like a pelican in the wilderness, and like an owl among the broken walls” (Psalm 100:6). Here are three birds and three locations: the pelican, the owl, and the sparrow; and these three birds occur in distinct places: the wilderness, the ruined walls, and the roof of the house. The pelican dwells in the wilderness, the owl inhabits the ruins, and the sparrow resides upon the roof. First, we must interpret the significance of the pelican: it emerges in a realm that leaves us unacquainted. It is born in secluded areas, particularly along the banks of the Nile in Egypt. Whatever the nature of this bird, let us heed the Psalm's account of it. It lives, it is said, in the wilderness. Why question its form, its limbs, its voice, or its behaviors? As the Psalm informs, it is a creature of solitude. The owl favors nocturnal habitats. The ruins, or what we refer to as broken walls, are structures standing without roofs or inhabitants; this is the dwelling of the owl. And concerning rooftops and sparrows, you are aware of them. Thus, I encounter someone from the body of Christ, a proclaimer of the word, compassionate toward the weak, seeking to achieve for Christ, mindful of the future Lord (Matthew 25:26).
Let us evaluate these three aspects through the lens of His service. Did such an individual approach non-believers? He is akin to a pelican in the wilderness. Did he engage Christians but in retreat? He is an owl amidst the ruins; for he does not abandon even the darkness that cloaks those dwelling in nighttime, seeking to find them as well. Has he not reached Christians who stay within the house as though they have ceased to believe, or as if they have abandoned their faith, yet go forth with warmth regarding their belief? The sparrow cries to them not in the wilderness, because they are Christians; nor in the ruins, because they have not crumbled; but rather because they are beneath the rooftop; indeed, beneath the roof signifies they are within the flesh. The sparrow above the flesh cries out, and does not shy away from the commandments of God, nor does it submit carnally to the roof. “What you hear in the ear, preach from the rooftops” (Matthew 10:27). There are three birds and three locations; one individual may embody three birds, and three individuals may separately represent three birds; and these three locations signify three types of people; but the wilderness, the broken walls, and the roof of the house represent these three classes of people.