THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
If you are filled with the love that the Holy Spirit pours into your hearts, He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13). As stated in other texts, He will lead you into all truth, as it is written, "Lead me, O Lord, in Your way; I will walk in Your truth" (cf. Ps. 85:11). Ultimately, you will find that your understanding will not come from external teachers offering interpretations that the Lord did not intend, but rather you will be taught by God Himself (cf. John 6:45).
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Thus, the knowledge you acquire and the beliefs you form from the reading and preaching regarding the nature of God—who is incorporeal, not limited to a specific location, and not dispersed in infinite space like a boundless mass, but present everywhere in fullness, perfection, and infinity without color or shape, and beyond mere letters and sounds—can be comprehended with your own minds. Observe, I have articulated something that may relate to this concept, and you have grasped it. You have not only endured it but have engaged with it joyfully.
No greater offering could the Almighty provide to humanity than the manifestation of His Word, through which He fashioned all creation. He is the Head, uniting all as His members, allowing the Son of God to take on the essence of the Son of Man. He stands as one with the Father, and one with humanity; thus, when we implore God for compassion, we must not dissociate the Son from the Father. Likewise, when the Body of the Son intercedes, the Head remains inseparable from Himself. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of His Body, continually intercedes for us, praying both as our Priest and within us as our Head, while we direct our prayers to Him as our God. Consequently, let us acknowledge our own words in Him and His words within us.
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When referencing our Lord Jesus Christ, particularly in prophetic texts suggesting a humility reflective of God’s might, let us not hesitate to assign this to Him who embraced our humanity. To Him do we pray, He who in His divine form, as well as in His servant form, intercedes; the Creator stands before creation, adopting the changeable so that it might be transformed, merging Head and Body into one. Thus, our prayers ascend to Him, through Him, and in Him; we communicate with Him, and He with us; we express ourselves through Him, as He speaks within us the prayer of this psalm, known as 'The Prayer of David.' Our Lord, in His earthly existence, is the son of David, yet according to His divine nature, He reigns as Lord over David and is the Creator itself. Therefore, when you hear these declarations, do not assert that ‘Christ does not speak’ nor deny your own voice; if you recognize your place within the Body of Christ, declare both: Christ speaks, and I speak.
Incline Your ear to me, O Lord, and hear my plea. He speaks in the guise of a servant: let the servant speak as his Lord does. He bends His ear towards us, as the humble approach Him, while the arrogant are kept at a distance, except for those whom He has lifted from lowliness. God lends His ear to the humble, to those who confess and seek grace, not to those who find satisfaction in self-righteousness. This is evident in the contrasting prayers of the rich Pharisee, boasting of his merits, and the poor publican, who acknowledged his transgressions.
However, let not my words suggest that God does not hear those in positions of wealth or privilege; rather, let such individuals heed the Apostle’s counsel to admonish the rich against arrogance. The ungodly may seem impoverished before God, but the truly poor—the needy, the humble—find His attention, for they realize their reliance is not on material wealth. True benefit is found in acts of charity, whether performed by the wealthy or the impoverished; the rich contributes both will and action, while the poor contributes will alone. Therefore, when one acknowledges their unworthy pride, they are considered among God's poor, and to such, the Lord attends, recognizing their contrite hearts.
Consider the fate of the poor man and the rich man, where the angels carried the needy man to Abraham’s bosom. This raises the question: did the poor man’s virtue result in his honor, or was it the rich man’s pride that condemned him? Abraham himself was rich in this world, yet remained humble and followed God’s commands. His wealth did not blind him; he was ready to sacrifice his son at God's command, valuing obedience over riches. Hence, whether we possess worldly goods or not, let us adopt a spirit of humility.
“Guard my soul, for I am holy.” Who among us can claim this truth? Only Christ, who walked sinlessly upon the earth, uttered this with sincerity. In His incarnation, He took on both flesh and spirit, acknowledging the complete nature of His humanity and divinity. The expression "For I am holy," resonates with both His assertion and our own; while we may not claim holiness in the same manner as He, those who are sanctified can similar declare that they, too, are holy, as commanded: “Be holy, for I am holy.” This means that the body of Christ, empowered by His grace, can rightly assert holiness through Him. We are sanctified by grace, baptism, and redemption.
To our God, we proclaim: “I am holy,” for You have consecrated me—not through my own merit, but through Your generosity. It is essential not to diminish the truth of Christ in any statement; for if the faithful, baptized into Him, declare themselves unholy, they detract from the holiness of the Head of the Body of which they are a part. That light, once found in darkness, is now illuminated in Christ.
“Be merciful to me, O Lord, for all the day long I have cried unto You.” This reflects a continual plea, the prayer echoing from the Body of Christ as it endures tribulation until the close of time. Each member contributes to this collective sigh towards God—a shared lamentation through every generation, as they seek His grace amid their struggles. Some are at peace in Christ, while others continue to beseech Him. Our Head is at the Father’s right hand, advocating for us.
“Cheer the soul of Your servant, for I have lifted my soul unto You.” We lift our souls out of the bitterness of earthly trials, seeking joy in communion with God. Our joy resides solely in Him, amidst a world filled with sorrow. The plea to extend one’s heart to God is a call to elevate our spirits from the struggles of this life that can drag us towards despair. Let us not be overwhelmed by temptation but find rejoicing in the Lord, even amid trials, for true joy comes from His acceptance.
For You, O Lord, are good and merciful. Even prayers may wane under distractions, making it hard for hearts to stay centered on God. Few manage a prayer that remains undistracted. The Scriptures remind us of David's pathos, as he sought the reclaiming of his runaway heart in prayer. God reveals Himself as merciful, patiently enduring our faults as He invites our prayers to perfection. In grace, He hears even the semblance of sincerity found within our feeble pleas.
“Put my prayer in Your ears, O Lord.” The earnestness desired is for God’s unbroken attention. As we strive to elevate our prayers to Him, we must nurture His commandments in our hearts and heed the voice of our requests.
“In the day of my distress, I called out to You, and You answered me.” Let none think of a day without affliction; every moment contains its struggles. Even in health, we often bear the weight of an existence lacking the divine presence, and our hearts long for reunion with our true home.
As the psalmist alludes, our being is intertwined with longing for the eternal presence of the Lord. Divine joy awaits us, filled with everlasting praise, devoid of suffering. Until we arrive at this hope, let us navigate the trials of our lives with expectation, recognizing that grassy fields of worldly abundance ultimately mean little in the absence of God’s countenance.
“Among the gods, there is none like You.” The psalmist proclaims the singular greatness of God over all that is crafted by human hands. Though others seek to form idols of silver and gold, we resist such temptations, recognizing our true worship belongs only to the Creator. As we navigate the imperfect shadows of this world, let us turn our focus to the one true God, unseen yet known.
"All nations which You have made will come and worship You, O Lord." This was fulfilled when all nations recognized their creation through Him. It is a declaration of future worship rising from every corner of the earth, glorifying His Name as the ultimate God of wonder and awe.
Through it all, let us unabashedly acknowledge our weakness and dependence on His grace; for His righteousness enables us to endure and thrive in faith, leading us continually in His way, truth, and life.