Let us allow our Lord to speak; let Christ—entirely as He is—speak with us. Lord, hear my prayer; may my plea be given audience by You. To hear and to heed with the ear signifies the same thing; it reaffirms and confirms. In Your truth, respond to me; in Your righteousness in particular. Attend to it carefully when addressed in Your righteousness, as it reflects the glory of grace that none among us regards our righteousness as our own. This righteousness is delegated to us from God. What does the apostle say about those who flaunt their own righteousness? Concerning the Jews, he remarks that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. You are perverse, attributing your evil actions to God while claiming the good for yourselves; true righteousness will only come when you acknowledge your wrongs and attribute goodness to God.
Therefore, behold me in Your righteousness. When I examine myself, I see nothing but sin. Do not bring Your servant into judgment. Who is willing to contend with You, except those unaware of God’s righteousness, who attempt to validate their own? What have we fasted for that You did not notice, or what have we humbled our souls for that You do not recognize? This suggests they assert, ‘We have followed Your commands; why do You not reward us with what You promised?’ God answers them that He has given so that they may attain what was promised. Ultimately, to the prideful, the Prophet says: Why are you disputing with Me? All have sinned against Me, declares the Lord. Why do you seek to establish your righteousness before Me when it is written that before You, no living person shall be justified? Each living soul—those who derive their life from mortals, descending from Adam—may justify themselves in their own eyes, but not in Yours. How so? By pleasing themselves instead of pleasing You.
O Lord my God, do not bring me into judgment. No matter how correct I might perceive myself to be, You hold a standard from Your treasury by which my integrity is measured, revealing my flaws. It is inappropriate for You to pursue legal action against Your servant or even against Your friend. What of the Apostles themselves? They learned the manner of prayer we now speak: they were provided with a model of prayer from the Heavenly Guide. So, He instructed them on how to pray. They were also commanded to say to the shepherds of His flock, “Forgive us our debts.” They did not phrase it, ‘Thank You for forgiving us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors,’ but rather, ‘Forgive us, just as we forgive our debtors.’ The faithful prayed this sincerely; the Apostles prayed sincerely, for this Lord’s Prayer was directed especially at the faithful. If it had referred solely to the debts absolved through Baptism, it would have been more appropriate to say, ‘Forgive us our debts.’ Thus the Apostles might say, ‘Forgive us our debts,’ and when asked, 'What are your debts?' they would respond, for not every living soul shall stand justified before You.
For the enemy has pursued my soul, humbling my life to the ground. Here we speak; here our Head speaks on our behalf. Clearly, both the devil afflicted the Soul of Christ, and Judas betrayed His Master; the same adversary continues to assail the Body of Christ, with one Judas succeeding another. Thus, there are many who can say, ‘The enemy pursues my soul.’ What does every persecutor seek but to lead us away from our heavenly hope and into earthly pursuits, coercing us to yield to our oppressors? They have placed me in dark places, akin to the dead of the world. This resonates more strongly when spoken from the Head; it is more evident in Him. He died for us but was not counted among the dead of the world. Who are considered the dead of the world? Those who expired in their own sinfulness, receiving the wages of transgression that is death, as it is recorded, “For I was conceived in sin.” In His dying, He declared, “I enact the will of My Father, yet I do not deserve death. I have committed no act warranting this fate, yet I willingly take death upon Myself, so that through the innocent's demise, those with cause for death may be freed.” He thus describes being among the dead of the world, akin to being in the grave or in the midst of His Passion itself.
And My Spirit within Me is weary. Here, we see the depth of distress: even to the point of death is My soul troubled. Here we can witness a singular voice. Can we not clearly observe the transition from the Head to the members, and from the members back to the Head?
But we have all endured this as well. I remembered the days of old. Did He call to mind those early moments of creation? No; rather, the body proclaims, “Anyone justified by His grace, remaining in Him through love and humble reverence, reflects and acknowledges, ‘I have considered Your works,’ recognizing them as fully good, established by You. Your creation became a wonder to me; I sought the Creator in the expression of His craftsmanship. For what purpose is this creation, if not to comprehend that every good quality within me has been brought into existence by Him? Therefore, turn your gaze towards the Creator of your life, the Giver of your existence, your righteousness, and your salvation; contemplate the works of His hands. The righteousness that resides within you has been fashioned by His hand. The apostle reminds us of this, stating, ‘not of works, lest any man should boast.’ Are we devoid of good works? Certainly not! But observe the continuation: ‘For we are His handiwork.’
We are indeed His handiwork, formed in Christ Jesus for good works. Do not presume that you achieve anything independently; rather, recognize your own faults. The apostle exhorts us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” If we are to strive for our salvation, why with trepidation? Listen closely: “for it is God who works in you both to will and to perform according to His good pleasure.” Thus, with fear and reverence, let us please our Maker and allow Him to work in this humble valley.
I have stretched out my hands to You; my soul is as dry as the earth waiting for rain. Rain upon me, that I may yield forth good fruit from within. For the Lord will provide sweetness, causing our land to bear fruit. I reach out to You; my soul is thirsty for You, though I cannot quench my own thirst.
Hear me swiftly, O Lord. Why do You delay in quenching my thirst when it is at its height? You have postponed the rain so that I may drink deeply, accepting Your outpouring rather than shunning it. If this and no more is the reason for Your delay, then give now, for my spirit has fainted. Let Your Spirit fill me; thus, do I ask for Your prompt response. I find myself poor in spirit; bless me in Your heavenly kingdom. For he who harbors the Spirit of God stands proud, raising his spirit in defiance against God.
Do not hide Your face from me. When proud, You averted Your gaze, yet now I am humbled. In my abundance, I was filled with pride, proclaiming, ‘I shall not be shaken.’ This arrogance stemmed from claiming righteousness and not knowing You. But You, Lord, have granted strength according to Your will. I thought to myself, ‘I shall not be shaken,’ unaware that all fullness I had originated from You. To show this truth, You turned Your face away from me, and I found myself troubled. In this distress, having exhausted my spirit, my heart was haunted by Your withdrawn gaze, turning me into the parched earth. Do not turn your face away; You withdrew when I was proud—bestow it upon me now that I am humble. Should You continue to hide Your face, I will become like those who descend into the abyss. What does it mean to plunge into the depths? A sinner, enveloped in iniquity, reveals his disdain by ceasing to believe in Providence, or if he does, he considers himself beyond its reach.
Let me hear Your favor in the morning, for in You do I place my trust. I am amidst the night, yet I believe in You, awaiting the passing of night’s iniquity. For we, as Peter affirms, possess a more certain prophetic word, to which we should pay attention—like a shining light in a dark place—until dawn breaks, and the daystar rises in our hearts. What does it signify until morning comes? It is not enough to yearn for the dawn; we must act in faith. We seek God with our hands during the night; our hands signify our good works. In anticipation of the morning, as we endure this night, we must persist in patience until the day breaks, for we cannot assume that our labor accomplishes anything without His guidance leading us to the sunrise. Demonstrate to me, O Lord, the path I should take; hence He illuminated the flame of prophecy, sending the Lord in a vessel of flesh, who would even declare, “My strength is dried up like a shard.”
Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, for to You do I flee for refuge. I, who once avoided You, now run towards You. Adam, too, fled from the presence of God, hiding among the trees in paradise, described by Job as a servant escaping his master for shade. Woe to him who lingers in shadow for fear of hearing, ‘All has vanished like a shadow.’ The principalities of this world and the powers of darkness rage against us; tremendous is the struggle ahead as you wrestle with unseen foes yet achieve victory. Opposing the authority of this world, namely, the devil and his angels—not the rulers acknowledged to possess dominion in this world, by whom it was created, for that world knew Him not.
Teach me to accomplish Your will, for You are my God. What a magnificent confession! What a glorious affirmation! For You are my God. Should I seek another to reshape me, if another made me? You are my all; You are my God. Should I search for a father to acquire my inheritance? You are my God—not only the Giver of my inheritance but the inheritance unto myself. Should I seek an advocate to obtain redemption? You are my God. Finally, having been created, do I desire renewal? You are my God, my Creator, who formed me through His Word and recreated me through His Word. Teach me: it cannot be true that You are my God and that I am my own master. Consider how grace is exalted; you possess this, you drink of this, that should not be cast from your heart. Have fervor for God, but not according to knowledge.
Say this: Your good Spirit—not my corrupt spirit—Your good Spirit shall lead me to the land of truth. For my erroneous spirit leads me to twisted paths. What good works have I achieved without Your aid that could be counted as earning the presence of Your Spirit to guide me to that true land? Therefore, hear, with all clarity, the glorious praises of Grace, which grants salvation without cost. For the sake of Your Name, O Lord, You will revive me in Your righteousness—not due to my merit, but because of Your mercy. Had I been deserving, I would have encountered judgment, not mercy. You have stripped me of my righteousness and imparted to me Your own gifts. You will rescue my soul from affliction. In Your mercy You will annihilate my adversaries and all who bring harm to my soul; for I am Your servant.
THEOSIS