THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Behold, a humble individual prays out loud, allowing us to hear his voice and understand his identity. Is he not the one of whom the Apostle declares, “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be enriched”? (2 Corinthians 8:9). If he is indeed that figure, why does he appear impoverished? What kind of wealth does he possess if he cannot be seen? Who is wealthier than the Creator of all riches, even those deemed not genuine? Through Him, we receive true riches: the gifts of wisdom, remembrance, integrity, physical health, and capacity, as even the destitute can feel wealthy when these gifts are secure. He is also the source of profound treasures: faith, godliness, righteousness, love, purity, and good conduct—none possess these without Him who justifies the unrighteous. … Look at such wealth! How do we discern these words spoken by such a wealthy figure? I have consumed ashes as sustenance, and mixed tears with my drink. Has true wealth fallen to such a state? The heights of fortune are great, yet here we see the depths. … And yet, let us examine whether this impoverished man is indeed He, for the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Additionally, consider His words: “I am Your servant, and the son of Your servant.” Observe, this servant embodies chastity, virginity, and motherhood; for He embraced our poverty when He took upon Himself the form of a servant and emptied Himself, so you need not fear His abundance and may dare to approach Him despite your own lack. There He donned the form of a servant, making Himself destitute while enriching us. We are gradually beginning to comprehend these truths about Him, and yet we must refrain from hastily declaring…
Let Him then add to this poverty: let Him transform our humble bodies into His own, allowing Him to be the Head and we His members, that together we may embody one flesh (Philippians 3:21). … For He has chosen to regard us as His members. The repentant are counted among His members too. They are neither isolated nor removed from His Church. He would not have taken the Church as His bride if it were not for the call to repentance, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Let us then listen to the prayer of both the Head and the Body, the Bridegroom and the Bride—Christ and His Church, united as one Person. However, the Word and the flesh are distinct, as are the Father and the Word; yet Christ and the Church constitute one perfect unity. … Thus, let us attend to Christ, who is present in our midst as He is poor for us, alongside us. This very title highlights the theme of poverty. Finally, I have discerned the identity of this poor man: let us heed His prayer and recognize His essence; and do not misunderstand when you encounter anything that does not correlate with the Head—know that what you hear is the voice of the members emanating from the frailty of the body. The designation is “The Prayer of the Afflicted One,” as he endured suffering and poured out his supplication before the Lord. This is the same individual who, in another context, proclaims, “From the ends of the earth I will call upon Thee when my heart is in travail.” He experiences suffering because He is also Christ, who, as the Prophet reveals, calls Himself both Bridegroom and Bride: “He hath put a diadem upon me as the bridegroom, and as the bride hath adorned me with jewels” (Isaiah 61:10). He identifies Himself as both Bridegroom and Bride; how else can it be understood unless the Bridegroom refers to the Head, and the Bride pertains to the Body? Thus they become one voice because they are one flesh. Let us listen and find ourselves within these words. If we realize we are outside, let us strive to draw near.
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto Thee” (Psalm 101:1). “Hear my prayer, Lord” is synonymous with “Let my cry come unto Thee”—this repetition reveals the earnestness of the petitioner. “Turn not away Thy face from me.” When did God turn His face away from His Son? When indeed did the Father withdraw from Christ? Yet, in light of my weak condition, I plead, turn not Thy face away from me: in any day of sorrow, incline Thine ear unto me (Psalm 101:2). … You are in distress now, I am in distress; those who come after us will also experience trouble, I am in distress; through the ages, anyone in affliction in my body, I am in distress with them. … Peter prayed; Paul prayed; the other Apostles prayed; the faithful prayed then, the faithful pray now, and the faithful will pray in the future. Let it be soon: for I now seek what You are ready to grant. I do not ask for earthly possessions, as does an earthly man; instead, redeemed at last from my prior bondage, I yearn for the kingdom of heaven. Hear me quickly: it is with this desire that You declared, “Even while thou speakest, I will say, Here am I” (Isaiah 58:9). For what purpose do you call? What sorrow prompts your plea? O poor one, in longing at the gates of the Almighty, what need drives your request? From what deficiencies do you seek relief?
“For my days have vanished like smoke” (Psalm 101:3). O days! If they are indeed days: for where day is heard, there light shines. My days, my times; thus, like smoke, does it not stem from the suffocation of pride? … Observe how smoke, akin to pride, rises, expands, and dissipates: it rightfully fades away, being transient. “And my bones are burnt as in a furnace.” My bones and my strength are not devoid of sorrow, not absent of anguish. The strength of Christ’s body surpasses even that of the holy apostles; yet, behold, the bones are burned. Who is aggrieved, and I am unaffected? (2 Corinthians 11:29). They are courageous, faithful, and skilled heralds of the word, living truthfully, articulating as they hear. They appear valiant, but all who feel offended are like a furnace to them. For there exists love there, especially within the bones. The bones are embedded within the flesh, supporting it all. However, if anyone suffers offense and puts his soul in peril, the bone is burned accordingly…
Contemplate Adam, from whom humanity derives. For where did misery originate if not from him? From him stems this inherited poverty. Let him who once despaired in his body now, having been placed within the body of Christ, express hope by stating, “My heart is afflicted and withered like grass” (Psalm 101:4). It is rightly so, for “All flesh is grass” (Isaiah 40:6). But how did this affliction come upon you? Because I neglected to consume my bread. For God commanded regarding bread. What then is the bread of the soul? The serpent that led astray, and the woman who sinned, touched the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:6), forgetting the divine command; hence, his heart was justly stricken and withered as the grass, having overlooked his sustenance. Through neglecting his bread, he sipped poison: his heart is afflicted and withered... Now, partake of that bread which you have disregarded. For that very Bread has come, in whose body you may recall the voice of your neglect, and cry out in your poverty for abundance. Now consume, for you are in His body, saying, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:41). You have forgotten to eat your bread; yet following His crucifixion, all the earth’s ends will remember and turn to the Lord. After forgetfulness, let memory awaken us; let us consume the bread from heaven that we may truly live—not the manna, for they ate and perished (John 6:49), but the bread about which it is said, “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). Many groan, and I too groan; I lament over this, for they groan regarding a wrongful act. When a man loses a coin, he mourns; however, if he loses faith, he remains unmoved: I weigh worldly wealth against faith and find more reason to lament for him who fails to groan as he ought or who does not groan at all. He engages in deception and rejoices. What gain does he realize in loss? He has obtained riches yet lost righteousness. For this reason, he who comprehends how to lament will do so; he who stays close to the Head, firmly attached to the body of Christ, so groans. However, the carnal do not groan for this cause and instead fabricate their groans, for it is not for this reason they weep; we cannot scorn them, even if they do not groan at all or lament for the wrong reasons. We strive to correct them, we seek to do so, and when we find ourselves incapable, we groan; and in our lamentation, we remain connected to them…
“I have become like a pelican in the wilderness and like an owl among the broken walls” (Psalm 101:6). Here, we observe three birds and three locations: the pelican, the owl, and the sparrow; and corresponding locations: the wilderness, the ruins, and the rooftop. The pelican dwells in the wilderness, the owl among the ruins, and the sparrow on the rooftop. First, let us clarify the meaning of the pelican: it is born in a hidden place, particularly along the banks of the Nile in Egypt. Whatever bird it might be, let us heed what the Psalm conveys. It states it resides in the wilderness. Why inquire about its shape, limbs, voice, or habits? According to the Psalm, it is a solitary bird. The owl is a nocturnal creature. The ruins are walls without roofs, uninhabited, serving as the owl’s dwelling. As for roofs and sparrows, you are familiar with them. Thus, I find someone from the body of Christ, a messenger of the word, compassionate toward the weak, seeking the conquests of Christ while remaining mindful of the Lord's future (Matthew 25:26). Let us reflect on these three elements regarding His stewardship. If such a person approaches non-believers, he is like a pelican in the wilderness. If he draws near to Christians and retreats, he becomes like an owl in the ruined walls; for he does not abandon even those ensconced in the darkness of night, seeking to find them too. If he has approached the Christians dwelling in the house, as though they had not believed, or as if they forsook what they professed, yet still walk confidently in their faith, the sparrow calls out to them not in the wilderness, as they are Christians, nor in the ruins, for they remain standing; rather, because they are beneath the roof, or more accurately, under the flesh. The sparrow cries out above the flesh, embracing God's commandments and remaining unwavering in submission to the roof. What you hear in secret, proclaim from the rooftops (Matthew 10:27). There are three birds and three locations; one individual can embody all three birds, and three distinct individuals may represent them separately; these three classes of locations depict three kinds of people. Yet the wilderness, the ruins, and the house’s roof illustrate merely three groups.