Just as the three young men in Babylon's furnace, aware that celebrating God's glory was a monumental undertaking and feeling their own insufficiency, called upon all of creation to exalt the Lord, Saint David, motivated by the same conviction, invites the pious and meek to unite with him in honoring the Lord fittingly (Anfimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem). Yet, regardless of the number of minds gathered together, they fall short of grasping God's greatness fully; similarly, no matter how many voices are raised, they cannot proclaim Him as He deserves. Nonetheless, every instance of this exaltation—whether in thought or speech—signifies a solemn and joyous act. The purpose of David’s call to the humble is not merely to fulfill the hope of collectively embracing God’s majesty, but to share in the profound spiritual delight he experiences. If ordinary joy is contagious, then spiritual joy, liberated from any passionate confines and fueled by truly gratifying inspirations, is even more so. 'I do not wish (Blessed Augustine) to exalt one alone,' declares the genuine lover of the Lord; 'for if I am common, another who wishes to embrace Him finds no place to rest their hand. The Lord’s vastness provides ample space for all to approach Him in their longing to delight in Him. So let us encourage one another, saying, Let us exalt His name together. If you love the Lord, invite all around you into that love, particularly those in your household. Draw those you can into a genuine love for the Lord, urging, pleading, advising, and proving this with gentleness and calmness. Gather everyone in love so that when they exalt the Lord, they do so in harmony, as if with a single voice. Those who have distanced themselves from the unity of the Church (the Donatists in Augustine's era and various contemporary factions today) tend to glorify the Lord in a manner set apart. Let us also proclaim: let us exalt His name together, brothers. Why do you wish to exalt the Lord apart from us? He is one; why desire two separate nations to stand before Him? Why seek to divide the body of Christ? The enemies approached the Lord on the cross yet found His body unbroken. However, figures like Donat (and others such as Avvakum and Uvarov) have harmed the body of Christ's Church. On the cross, in the hands of His adversaries, the body of Christ remained whole, but in the hands of professing Christians, the Church's body was fractured. Let us call out to them fervently: Come, let us lift up His name together. It is the Church that reaches out to those who have strayed; her voice beckons them back into her embrace. To exalt the Lord is to articulate His grandeur through words and songs. The Lord, in His infinite greatness, is revealed through His works. Our praise is not needed for His glory; instead, it reflects our obligation as creations to honor our Creator. Conversely, true greatness compels admiration, which is a tribute owed to the highest. This holds true for God as well—when His magnificence is recognized, felt, and seemingly tangible, thoughts that praise Him spontaneously arise, beginning in the heart and eventually forming into words. The essence lies in witnessing and experiencing God's greatness. This is achieved by one who (Basil the Great) with a reverent mindset, contemplates creation deeply, perceiving the majesty and beauty of the created world and consequently its Maker (Prem. 13:5). The more one investigates the divine laws that organize and govern the universe, the more clearly one perceives the Lord's majesty, preparing oneself to magnify Him to the best of one’s abilities. This insight is similarly available to anyone who, through careful reflection, discerns God's greatness in His judgments and mercies toward humanity: in the flood, the scattering of languages, the liberation from Egypt, and most notably, in the redemption and salvation of mankind. Upon realizing this, the Mother of God proclaimed, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord!’ (Luke 1:46). This sense of awe and declaration arises naturally in those whose thoughts are undistracted and who rise to contemplate God’s greatness manifest in His providential dealings with humankind. However, not everyone can achieve this. A pure mind and tranquil heart are prerequisites. 'One must completely (Basil the Great) remove oneself from external distractions, achieving perfect stillness in the secret temple of the heart, and only then can one contemplate God's works. Just as a clouded eye cannot accurately perceive a visible object, a troubled heart cannot comprehend God's creation and works. Hence, it is vital to withdraw from worldly matters and prevent intrusive thoughts from entering the soul through sight, sound, or any other senses, for heightened carnal knowledge breeds unrest and unceasing conflict within the heart.' The Lord is magnified not merely through words but also through actions. 'How can we, the humble, glorify the Lord, who exceeds all measure and comprehension?' questions Anfim, Patriarch of Jerusalem, before answering, 'We magnify the Lord by doing, speaking, and thinking in ways that honor His greatness and please Him. This is often expressed in the Psalms: let us magnify the Lord, let us exalt God, and let us glorify Him. Similarly, we read in the Lord's Prayer: hallowed be Thy name. This signifies: let us act, speak, and think in accordance with God’s majesty, glory, splendor, and holiness.' St Basil the Great elaborates, stating, 'The Prophet presents himself in a manner worthy of glorifying the Lord (his words are directed toward the humble). He says, Come not near me, neither the defiant nor the disturbed, nor those who stir their souls with earthly desires: but you, the meek—those who have gained firmness and steadiness, shed sloth and drowsiness, and remain vigilant in God’s endeavors. Such notions arise from the initial verses of the Psalm, as understood by the holy Fathers and teachers of the Church. It is clear how gradually the holy Prophet builds upon sacred spiritual sentiments! A single act of thanksgiving ignites; from that gratitude, inspired by God's grace, the thought shifts towards recognizing all of God’s perfect qualities, leading the heart to worship Him; from acknowledging His perfections, the mind advances to reflect on all of God’s actions throughout creation and particularly in humanity's fate, thus guiding the spirit to relate everything back to God and find rest in Him alone. Eventually, the holy Prophet, with thoughts encompassing all creation, ascends to understanding God's greatness, both in attributes and deeds, and, like someone discovering a priceless and limitless treasure, urges all to render the appropriate tribute of exaltation. This is the height he reaches and seeks to elevate us toward! The realization of God’s greatness fills the spirit with wonder. Such wonder arises when contemplating God’s incomprehensible majesty; it is a profound form of worship from the mind directed towards the infinitely great God. The mind is astonished as it explores each divine attribute and action. God's omnipotence, goodness, justice, omniscience, omnipresence, and His roles in creation, providence, and redemption evoke amazement. Each divine characteristic or act, when probed by a humble heart, serves as a portal that opens into the vastness, enormity, and unfathomability of God, where one becomes utterly lost and, in deep humility, can only exclaim: Who is God?
THEOSIS