THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Bless the Lord, my soul. May the collective spirit of all who are united in Christ declare this. O Lord my God, how immeasurably exalted You are! Where do You manifest Your greatness? You are clothed with beauty and truth. Acknowledge Him so that you may be adorned, and let Him envelop you. Clothed in radiance as in a robe. Clothed in His body, the Church, which has become illuminated in Him, transforming from its former darkness, as the Apostle states: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. You stretch the heavens like a canopy, as effortlessly as one might spread cloth, a metaphor for the Divine Scriptures that encompass the world; for the skin signifies mortality and through mortal beings, the fullness of Sacred Scripture has been revealed, a legacy that transcends even death.
You drench the heights with water. What are these heights? The Heavens. What do we mean by Heaven? Figuratively, it can refer to the Divine Scriptures. What constitutes the heights of these Scriptures? The commandment of love, above which there is no greater command. But why is love likened to water? Because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit He has bestowed upon us. From where does this Spirit, representing water, flow? Jesus proclaimed, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” This He spoke about the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were to receive.
You ascend above the wings of the winds, referring metaphorically to the virtues of the soul. What is the virtue of the soul? It is the love of self. But how will He conquer it? Because God’s love for us surpasses our love for Him.
He transforms spirits into His angels and dazzles them with flames, sending forth those who are already spiritual, not carnal, to proclaim His gospel. The fiery glow represents His ministers. For if the preacher does not burn with passion, he will not ignite the hearts of those who listen.
He firmly established the earth, and so He strengthens His Church. What constitutes this firmness? It is the foundation of the Church, which the Apostle affirms: No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Hence, what should this foundation merit? It shall never be shaken. He laid the earth on its stability, just as He established the Church upon Christ’s cornerstone. The Church will tremble only if that foundation quakes; but when will Christ, through whom all was created, be shaken? Since Christ is unyielding, she shall never know defeat. Where are those who assert the Church has vanished from the world, when it can barely be hindered...?
The abyss is like a garment for her. Whose garment is it? It cannot be God’s, for He has already declared, “Clothed with light as with a garment.” I speak of God cloaked in light, and if we desire it, that light can be ours. What occurs if we seek it? We are no longer in darkness. If God is robed in light, whose garment then is the abyss? The great body of waters is dubbed the abyss. All water, all moist nature, flowing out through oceans, rivers, and hidden streams, together bear the title of the Abyss. Thus, we comprehend what He means when He says, “He founded the earth.”
The waters rise even above the mountains, indicating that the abyss, the earth's clothing, has swelled to such an extent that the waters exceed the heights. We recall this happened during the flood. The prophet foretold this not as a mere recollection but to indicate a future when the Church would endure through a deluge of persecution. There was an era when streams of adversaries engulfed God’s sacred ground, hiding it from view, so that even the towering mountains appeared diminished. Scattered everywhere, they seemed to vanish. Perhaps these very waters speak out, “Save me, O God, for the waters have risen to my soul.” Particularly those turbulent waves that render the seas unruly and barren, for wherever the saltwater intrudes, land is rendered unfruitful. Even mountains lie submerged beneath the floodwaters.
Why did the apostles flee? Because the waters overtook the mountains. The force of the waters was formidable, yet for how long? Hear what follows.
By Your command they will scatter. And it happened, beloved; by God's command, the waters receded. The mountains, represented by Peter and Paul: how they are exalted! Those who once suffered under persecution are now revered as sovereigns. For the waters retreated at God’s command; the heart of kings is shaped by the Lord, who guides them wherever He chooses. He has ordained serenity for Christians; the authority of the Apostles has escalated and ascended. The waters fled from God’s rebuke. At Your thunderous voice, they tremble. Who wouldn’t quail at the voice of God delivered through the Apostles, through the Scriptures, or through His clouds? The sea grew calm, the waters trembled, the mountains were unveiled, the rulers issued proclamations. But who would issue such commands if the Lord had not thundered? God’s will was that they commanded, and it came to pass. Thus, let no man claim these achievements as his own.
The mountains ascend, while the plains descend into the places You have appointed for them. Here, too, He speaks of the waters. Let us not interpret mountains as mere land, nor plains as earthly; for the rising waves could be likened to mountains, capable of overwhelming even the apostles’ height. But how long does the sea’s tide rise and fall? They surged and now rest. In their wrath, they appeared to be mountains; now calmed, they lie flat, for He has designated a domain for them. There exists a channel, a depth to which these once-ardent hearts of men have retreated.
Once they were mountains; now they are plains; yet even stillness is part of the sea. Why do they not rage now? Why do they not stir? Why, if they cannot overturn our land, do they make no effort to obscure it? Why not?
Hear this. You have established a boundary they cannot exceed, nor can they return to cover the earth. What then, since the most turbulent of waves have received a limit, may we not preach freely? Their capacity has been defined; they cannot surpass the boundaries ordained, nor return to drown the earth. What then unfolds upon the earth itself now, when the waters have withdrawn?
You send forth springs into the valleys. You dispatch springs to the lower places among the lands. For hills and mountains are set above valleys, which are molded as lowly areas. Do not underestimate the lowly places; springs gush forth from them. You make springs to flow in the humble valleys. Hear the mountains. The apostle said, “I labored more than all.” Some form of greatness may arise, but immediately, as the waters flow, he humbles himself: “But not I, but the grace of God with me.”
There is no contradiction since mountains can also be valleys: they are mountains by virtue of spiritual grandeur, valleys by virtue of humble spirits. “Not I,” he states, “but the grace of God with me.”
What is meant by, “In the midst of the mountains the waters shall flow”? The mountains represent the great proclaimers of the word, exalted angels of God, although still clad in mortality; exalted, not by their own might, but by His grace. The proclamation flows amid the mountains. It is as if it is being said that the preaching of Truth passes between the Apostles. What exists in the common space among the Apostles? That which is in the midst is shared property. This shared gift sustains all equally and belongs not to one alone but is inclusive for all.
Henceforth, let us share what we possess from God. Let the waters flow among us, forging fellowship, devoid of envy. Drink and be filled. Let the common grace of God radiate everywhere, negating the individual ego of humanity.
Consequently, all the beasts of the forest shall drink. We indeed observe created reality, where beasts of the wild quench their thirst from the flowing springs among the mountains. Yet, as it has pleased God to conceal His wisdom in the imagery of creation, not diminishing it for the earnest seekers or restricting it from those indifferent, the Lord has prompted us to remind you amid these earthly realities to search for the spiritually hidden insights that, once discovered, lead to joy. The beasts of the forest symbolize the Gentiles, as many scriptures affirm.
These creatures partake of these waters, yet only for a brief moment; they do not dwell but merely pass through. The teachings provided now fade away like a fleeting shadow. Unless in your love, you consider that in the city to which it has been said, “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,” for He has strengthened the bars of your gates; once they are fortified, no friend exits and no enemy may enter; from this secured position shall we obtain a book to read or a discourse to be interpreted as it is currently recounted to you.
Thus, it is presently being articulated that it may be embraced; thus it is being structured into comprehensible forms, for there it will be contemplated fully. There shall be no lack of the Word of God, nor of letters, nor of sounds, nor of books, nor of readers, nor of interpreters. How then shall it be? As, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God." He did not come to be taken from us, for He was in the world, and the world came into existence through Him. Such is the Word we ought to meditate on. The God of gods will manifest in Zion. But when will this happen? After our journey, when we reach our destination; unless, upon completion, we are brought before the Judge, leading to our imprisonment.
If upon completing our journey, as we hope, long for, and strive for, we arrive home, there we shall behold what warrants eternal praise; we who partake shall never be fulfilled, neither replenish nor fully enjoy what has been tasted. Great and marvelous shall this contemplation be.
The onagras will quench their thirst. By onagras, he speaks of mighty beasts, as wild donkeys are referred to. Thus, he indicates untrained great men. The Gentiles were unbound by the Law’s yoke; nations diversified according to their customs, strutting proudly like denizens of the wild. All creatures, too, exhibit this; wild donkeys represent a broader kind. They, too, shall drink to satisfy their thirst; the hare quenches from one source, while the wild ass drinks from another. Each, unique in stature— the timid hare and the fierce wild ass— drink according to their needs.
The waters flow gently enough to satiate even the fierce donkey without startling the timid hare. The void of Cicero's voice is present; he reads a book, perhaps his own dialogues, or those of Plato, or another. Some are content to tolerate the unlearned, while few aspire to greatness. The waters bubble forth, unclear yet forceful enough that timid creatures remain hesitant. Which heart among you can now question, “Is this my due?” Such is the power of Psalmic imagery; these mysteries remain veiled, yet resonate so harmoniously that even children delight in their sound, and the unlearned are filled to overflow, bursting into song.
The Psalm continues: The birds of the sky will abide among the mountains. We see these birds dwelling upon the mountains; some nest on plains, others in valleys, groves, or gardens, but not all inhabit the heights. Certain birds are exclusively mountain-dwellers.
These birds represent spiritual souls, soaring freely. They rejoice in the sky’s clarity, yet feed upon the mountains, their true dwelling place. Mountains, as we noted, symbolize Prophets and Apostles, those who preach the truth...