Listen, behold, and direct your heart, leaving behind your people and your father’s house. The king will long for your beauty; for he is your Lord, and you shall worship him. (Psalm 44:11-12). God, in His marvelous plan, aimed to elevate those who belong to Him with the utmost incomprehensible joy from eternity by uniting His divine essence with humanity in His only begotten Son. Through Him, this divine union extends to the full realization of the Church, which is His body according to the Incarnation. This act reconciles and aligns all aspects of the Godhead with the void of created things, preparing for the fulfillment of times, as the Apostle states, “to head all things in Christ, which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him” (Eph. 1:10), so that ultimately He may be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28). This profound declaration of the eternal council—this ‘mystery’—though ‘hidden from ages and generations’ (Col. 1:26) is, in our day, only ‘revealed’ (Rom. 14:25) to the saints, and even then, it remains shrouded in mystery, possessing ‘seven seals’ (Rev. 5:5). The Holy Spirit has continually disclosed it from ancient times to His chosen ones and through them to all humanity, granting understanding proportionate to the unfolding of this divine truth.
Thus, one of the Prophets, observing humanity maturing beyond its early days under the shepherding of the law towards the fulfillment of the years—at its destined betrothal to the Godhead and the birth of a holy child—symbolically portrays the Son of God as a king approaching for marriage. He takes on the role of the bridegroom’s friend, encouraging human nature not to betray this joyful union through rebellion and disobedience but to embrace it with complete sincerity and faithfulness. “Hear ye, and see, and incline thine ear, and forget thy people, and thy father’s house. And the king shall desire thy goodness.” This divine call has resonated throughout the Church like an echo in the wilderness, seemingly unheard. Humanity lacked the fortitude to emerge confidently into the presence of the divine. What would have become of us if the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary had not opened to the incomprehensible call of the Incarnation? Had not her unwavering devotion to God’s will responded to the heavenly messenger: “Behold the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38)? Through this, we see, Christians, how this seemingly private occurrence—the dedication of a three-year-old virgin in the temple—has transformed into an occasion for universal celebration within the Church. The journey of this youthful bride of God marks the onset of her engagement to the Holy Spirit, and in a certain sense, it serves as the initial pledge of commitment for all humanity to the Godhead.
Indeed, this mystery remained profoundly concealed within her at that moment, much like a flower hidden within a seed. Yet Providence frequently precedes significant divine actions with events that provide insight into what is to come; pious tradition suggests that at the very moment of the Blessed Virgin's presentation in the Temple, she was heralded by prophetic words: “Hear ye, and see.” Now, in the time of the fulfillment of ancient prophecies, do you desire to perceive more clearly the glory of the present celebration?—Follow the direction of the Prophet. “The virgins shall be brought” (Psalms 44:15), he continues, “shall be brought to the King in her footsteps.” Do you not realize that the presentation of the Blessed Virgin to the King of Kings marks the commencement of a grand procession, with all pure and chaste souls following her? The current celebration, as intended by the Church, is part of this magnificent procession, and those seeking to partake in it must join this solemn march, demonstrating virtues befitting their exalted leader: “virgins in her footsteps.”
Let us not, Christians, find ourselves ensnared in this sacred procession as mere onlookers at another’s feast. Let us direct our hearts to the prophetic call: “Hear ye, and see, and incline thine ear, and forget thy people and thy father's house. And the king shall desire thy goodness; for this is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship Him” (Psalm 44:11-12). Recognize, Christian soul, the eternal claim that you possess belonging to the King of kings, that you may approach Him through obedience and love. “The King shall desire thy goodness; for he is thy Lord.” In the realm of men, it would seem strange if someone, in the very presence of their king, were to claim knowledge of their rights over their subjects. Is it not a sort of presumptuousness, both in this earthly domain and in the equally invisible yet ever-present sovereignty of the King of kings, to question His eternal reign over us?
What is to be said of men who are awed by human authority yet dismiss even the majesty of God? Are not numerous arrogant thoughts, stubborn desires, and actions performed in forgetfulness of God louder than the truths David condemned, those represented as “the mouth of the flatterers” and “the tongue of the cunning: Who is the Lord to us?” (Psalm 11:4-5)? Oh, if only we could silence this brash outcry by acknowledging and experiencing God’s rule over us! God is our Lord by the right of creation; God by the reality of His image within us; God by the redemption He accomplished; and God by His unwavering preservation and benevolent care.
God is our Lord by creation. If we regard as our own property a house that we build or a garden we cultivate, how much more rightful is God’s claim over all we have and are? If the creations of our hands could argue for their own dominion, as some of us wish to challenge God’s reign over us, then our house might claim that we did not bring forth the tree and rock on which we dwell, and our garden could assert that we had no part in its fruits. But “what dost thou have that thou didst not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7). Pause and consider the gifts of the one whose sovereignty you would attempt to limit; return what you have received—what remains? Nothingness, compounded by sin, which is destructive to God’s creation!
God is our Lord by right of His image in us. Just as we seal our possessions or obscure things from others, God has marked humanity with His image as His exclusive property—a manuscript no one else may open except the only begotten Son of God. Although humanity has cracked this sacred seal, unveiling the hidden knowledge of good and evil and selling this divine property into sin; vestiges of the divine image linger within human nature, serving as signs to lead humanity back to God. In the unfallen man, the divine image embodies bliss; in the fallen man, it becomes the hope of restoration, the very foundation of human nature, though now obscured by dust and hidden within the earth, yet holding the entirety of creation together.
To grasp better our relationship with God through His image in us, consider the image of the body cast upon the ground by surrounding light. What would that shadow be without body and light? What would it be without the power and light of God? God is our Lord by the right of redemption. At times, when we wish to reclaim a desired possession, we agree to reacquire it at a price, sacrificing other possessions to justly regain what we cherish. Likewise, the infinite love of God amplifies its eternal claim over us in the magnificent act of our redemption. Humanity sought to detach from God; it attempted to seize its own sovereignty and dismissed divine lordship, envisioning itself as master and deity. The impious were condemned, destined for eternal death. But love yearned not to lose a soul; it sought to rescue humanity from perdition, buying it back at an even greater price. It “redeems” the wrongdoer “from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13), and how? By becoming the curse itself. What ransom was paid for the one sold into sin? “Not with corruptible silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). O the unfathomable power of love that, in its desire to possess us, surrenders itself for our sake and gains us to lavish His gifts upon us! Christians! The Lord could do no greater good for you than this: “For ye are not your own” (1 Cor. 6:19).
God is our Lord by the right of perpetual sustenance and providential grace. The elevation of man from nothingness, the exaltation of the divine image, and the restoration of the fallen form, within mankind, the ancient rights of God’s sovereignty over us—a sovereignty we honor more through reverent recognition than through displays of power and control. But what does the Son of God declare? “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17). There is no past for the eternal; everything exists only through the ceaseless action of the Being. Humanity may depart from work as it does not create but rather transforms what is already prepared; however, if God were to withdraw His gaze from creation—even for an instant—it would cease to exist. “When thou turnest away, they shall be troubled; thou takest away their breath, they die” (Psalm 104:29). How far, O Lord, must we search for You! If we yet exist, it is already a sign that Your gaze is upon us. Do pure desires arise within us? Do we perform good deeds?—It is You who “works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Do noble thoughts emerge?—We are “[not] sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves” (2 Cor. 3:5); our sufficiency is from You. Are dangers passing us by, sorrows turned to comfort, and temptations surmounted? “You will not allow us to be tempted beyond that we are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape” (1 Cor. 10:13). Oh, how wondrously distinct we Christians would become each moment if we possessed the discernment to recognize the subtle workings of God’s rule in all that unfolds around us!
Once the prophet Elisha sought to reassure his young servant who feared their foes, he prayed, “Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). If faith were to open our spiritual eyes even now, we would see the heavenly hosts surrounding us, ready to safeguard our well-being and combat the forces of darkness — the entire assembly of heavenly powers, for are they not “all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14)? Even those who would not believe what they do not touch—even they, observing every occurrence like Thomas, will soon find the moment when they feel God’s presence and will confess the truth of His and Christ’s dominion in all things: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
What can the powerful and gracious Lord, who dwells in us, expect from His servants— His hands alone determined their fate, and “in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28)? Which yoke that He imposes upon us could we dare to label a burden upon our freedom? Which tribute might we deem excessive in comparison to His rights over us? What sacrifice could ever be sufficient for Him? If He were to take back all He’s ever given us, how could we respond except with, “Your will be done, O Lord, for we have no right to claim even a speck of Your gifts, nor even a moment of existence.” Yet God does not lay upon us any yoke or burden except “light and easy” (Matt. 11:30); He requires no tribute but an open hand to receive His blessings; nor does He seek sacrifices and offerings, for He has already satisfied us through the eternal sacrifice of His Son. That Son, who acquired the right to reign over us at immeasurable cost, rules for our sakes, and His infinite authority, we might say to the glory of His goodness, serves only to benefit His creation.
THEOSIS