Seeking God through Prayer and the Light of His Face

The appellation of God is called upon the diligent; for they are profiting from Him. Therefore, when we have actions and thoughts appropriate to His name, then His name is elevated, not divided, but 'upon the same,' as those who are complete in the same mind and the same judgment. It is also possible to say in another way that the name of God is elevated upon the same: that some might scatter the appellation of God upon lifeless matter, as if calling idols gods. In a certain way, they debase the name of God. And others carry the name from their own bellies, making God, according to their teaching, to be gluttonous and all-devouring. Therefore, when we consider nothing that is not God to be God, but only Him who created all things, we have elevated His name upon the same.

We all in the Gospel are instructed in prayer to say: 'Hallowed be thy name' (Matt 6:9). And even if the voice is imperative, since we say it in prayer, it is a prayer. Therefore, in all ways of the elevation of the name and its being hallowed, we take this: do nothing profane, nothing wretched and lowly, so that the name of God may be elevated, so that it may be hallowed; turn the appellation of God away from every base thing, from every earthly matter; for then the appellation of God is hallowed. But this will exist most especially when 'God becomes all in all' (1 Cor 15:28), when eternal joy seizes one from the footsteps of pain and distress and sighing.

'I sought the Lord, and He heard me' (Ps 34:4). He did not simply say 'I sought,' but emphatically 'I have done this.' 'And He heard me.' This shows that the seeking now being spoken of happens through prayer; for this has been confirmed: 'And He heard me.' If indeed he who desires to know God seeks as much as is possible, but has no end. To be heard is quickly to find, to be perfected. 'I sought the Lord, and He was found to me' (Ps 34:4). Thus indeed it has been written in...

He is found by those not unfaithful to him, and he is manifested to those seeking him. And again: 'Seek the Lord; whenever he is near to you.' Here, then, the 'he heard' says this, meaning that the seeking happened through prayers. Praying unceasingly, one seeks God and he heard him, finding what was sought.

5 And from all my tribulations he rescued me. Many times we have spoken about these things, that God's rescuing from tribulation does not mean the becoming of an absence of tribulation; for if the apostles are telling the truth, saying: 'in all things we are being afflicted' (2 Cor 4:8), and again: 'through many tribulations it is necessary for us to enter the kingdom of God' (Acts 14:22), it is never necessary to be outside of being afflicted. If someone does not take 'to be rescued' in this way, the saints were never heard; always being afflicted, they passed their lives lacking until the last breath.

6 'Come to him and be enlightened, and your faces shall never be put to shame.' Having stated the disposition which he has toward God, and having stated the things which are under God useful to those seeking and having been heard, he exhorts either all or many and says: 'Come to him and be enlightened.' Not to those already enlightened and able to say: 'The light of your face, Lord, has been marked upon us' (Ps 4:6), 'come'; for those having already come are light. Immediately, indeed, the apostles, having come, heard: 'You are the light of the world' (Matt 5:14). And they enlighten others. 'Come' therefore, those far off, 'to him and be enlightened', and from your being enlightened, the unashamedness is urged. And 'your faces' 'shall never be put to shame'; for they become enlightened, as those who say thankfully have said: 'The light of your face has been marked upon us'. When that is fulfilled: 'The Lord will be to you an eternal light' (Isa 60:20), every shame will be destroyed. If there was no shame before sin, 'Adam and Eve were naked, and they were not ashamed'. Naked...