THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
What should we do amid all these snares and temptations if not what was conveyed to us in the psalm: ‘I, when they overpowered me, clothed myself in raiment, I wearied my soul with fasting’ (cf. Psalm 34:13)? There is One who listens, so do not hesitate to pray to Him. And He who hears resides within. Do not set your gaze upon a distant mountain, nor direct your face toward the stars, the sun, or the moon. Do not believe you are more likely to be heard when you pray by the sea; indeed, such prayers are to be avoided. Instead, purify only the inner chambers of your heart. Wherever you find yourself, pray in every place: the One who listens dwells within, in that secret place which the Psalmist refers to as the bowels, when he says, ‘And my prayer returned to my bowels’ (Psalm 34:13).
Read more (92 words)
He who hears you is not external to you. Do not stray far, nor elevate yourself in an attempt to reach Him with your hands. Rather, if you lift yourself up, you will fall; but if you humble yourself, He will draw near to you. Here, the Lord our God is the Word of God, the Word made flesh, the Son of the Father, the Son of God, the Son of Man, high enough to create us, humble enough to redeem us, dwelling among humanity, embodying the human while concealing the divine.
Dear friends, if we momentarily lift the veil with reverent curiosity and attentively explore the depths of this Scripture, we discover that the Lord has accomplished this as well. The veil may be identified as His mortal flesh. Why this covering? It is in the form of sinful flesh. For as the apostle states, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, so that He could address sin through sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:3). This means He donned a garment that allowed Him to confront the goats. I emphasize that there was no sin in the Word of God, nor in that Holy Soul and Mind of Man that the Word and Wisdom of God so intimately united to become one Person.
Read more (778 words)
Indeed, there was no sin in His very Body either; instead, the Lord assumed the likeness of sinful flesh because death enters the world solely through sin (Rom. 5:12), and evidently, His Body was mortal. For if it had not been mortal, it would not have faced death; if it had not died, it could not have resurrected; and if it had not risen, it would not have demonstrated the example of eternal life. Thus, death resulting from sin is termed sin; as we say Greek, Latin refers not to the flesh itself but to what is connected to the flesh. The tongue is a member among others—like the eyes, nose, and ears—but the Greek language comprises Greek words; it isn't that the tongue is the words, but rather that the words are produced by the tongue. Consequently, the Lord's sin could be seen as what arose from sin since He took on flesh from the same lineage that warranted death due to sin. In summary, Mary, who descends from Adam, died for sin; Adam died for sin, and the Flesh of the Lord, born from Mary, died to abolish sin. The Lord clothed Himself in this covering, which is why many did not recognize Him, as He remained concealed within this garment. When they troubled Him, He put on the robe: in other words, when they were in turmoil, He concealed Himself. If He had wished to reveal Himself, He could not have died; at just one moment, a mere drop of His Power—if it can indeed be termed a drop—was released when they sought to capture Him; and with His single question, ‘Whom do you seek?’ they all fell backwards to the ground (John 18:4, 6). Such power could not have been humbled in suffering unless He had been hidden in a garment. Furthermore, if we grasp the concept of vestments, how should we interpret fasting? Did Christ desire to eat when He sought fruit from the tree (Mark 11:13)? If He had found it, would He have consumed it? Did He yearn for drink when He asked the Samaritan woman, ‘Give Me to drink?’ (Jn. 4:7) or when He proclaimed, ‘I thirst?’ on the Cross? What did Christ long for, other than our good deeds? Finding none from those who crucified and persecuted Him, He went without; they rewarded His soul with barrenness. What kind of fasting could He have engaged in, considering He found scarcely one robber to share His feast with on the Cross? The Apostles fled and concealed themselves among the crowd. Even Peter, who had vowed loyalty before his Master’s death, denied Him three times, wept, and remained hidden, fearing recognition. Ultimately, upon witnessing Him dead, they despaired for their own safety. In this state of despair, He discovered them after His resurrection, and finding them mourning and lamenting, devoid of hope, He sought to refresh them through His presence. Had He not renewed them, He would have endured the great fast Himself. For He restored them, comforted them, established them, and transformed them into His Body. In this way, our Lord also experienced fasting. My prayer shall return to My bosom. There is profound meaning concealed within this verse, and may the Lord allow us to grasp it. For within the bosom lies understanding of the mystery. Likewise, we are encouraged to pray deeply in our hearts, where God perceives, hears, and where no human gaze can penetrate; the space where only He, the Helper, sees us—where Susanna prayed and her voice, though silent to men, was known by God. We also read that Jesus prayed alone on the mountain (Matt. 14:23) and spent the night in prayer, even amidst His sufferings (Luke 6:12). What then? My prayer shall return to My bosom. It is difficult to fully grasp the essence of the Lord; for now, let us focus on what is presently unfolding; perhaps something greater will emerge in time for me or for someone else. My prayer shall return into My bosom: this is implying that in His bosom, He held the Father. For, through Christ, God reconciled the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19). He possessed within Himself the One to whom He prayed. He was never distant from Him, as He stated, I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me (John 14:10). Prayer is inherently tied to the Man Himself since, as the Word, Christ does not pray in the same vein; rather, He hears prayers and seeks not for Himself but assists all with the Father: therefore, My prayer shall return to My bosom, yet in Me, My Courage invokes My Divinity.